A MEAN ACT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13011, 31 October 1905, Page 6

A MEAN ACT.

"* —: — - . /'. SUBSCRIPTIONS MISAPPROPRIATED. "■■'■ ,■•■•■■•-".'.'.•■ ..' / "Ween* this case is analysed it shows a most despicable sort of crime, 1 and it is -•'■'- only for the sake .of your wife and two children that I am going to give y«u a chance," said Dr. A. McArthur, S.M., at Wellington last Thursday, to a young man named Henry Hanson, whom he convicted of having converted to his own use £6 14s ;U-\6d belonging to George Palmer Brown. g« l The circumstances of the case were explained by Chief-Detective McGrath, who alleged that Brown was a labourer in a , brickyard, On June 30 he met with an accident, causing the loss of oae of his •; hands. The men employed in different brickyards subscribed £14 in order to assist him. Accused was treasurer of the r; fund, and during his visitations to Brown's house kept putting off paying thf money, * saying that the committee would not allow him to pay it until all the subscription lists came in. , The detective explained that :- Share was no committee, and that after some time had elapsed accused paid to Mrs. Brown £3, and later smaller sums amount- : ing 'to £5. Accused altered the receipt* '..;■■'■ X by increasing the amounts for which they '■ were given, and e7en went so far as to make out one fictitious receipt. One of the J-;', subscribers called on accused, and accused ; explained to him that he had paid £10, and spent the balance in consequence of sickf ness amongst his children. The bad element of the case was the fact that the money was subscribed by poor men to help a fellow worker, and that it was spent by f< Hanson. ;£; He had f never previously been ,'•'; convicted of an offence. He was addicted j ? >; to drink, and a prohibition order had been issued against him His wife had already handed m £5 of the money, and said fho ;'-' was prepared to make restitution of the _" balance before one o'clock that day. Mr. Weston, on behalf of accused, enlarged on his client's previous good behaviour, and .asked that ho be dealt with Sij'J under the First Offenders Act. His Worship* said this was one of those cases where one had to look behind the man himself and consider those dependent on him. He severely lcprimanded accused, and entered a" conviction and ordered him §f to come up for sentence when called upon, saying, ''The balance of the money must be ;, paid." .. '• \■ ■ ■