DISHONEST MANAGERS.

NZ Truth, Issue 108, 13 July 1907, Page 5

DISHONEST MANAGERS.

tWO CITY FIRMS VICTIMISED.

A Simple System of Exchange.

Both Plead Guilty and are Committed for Sentence.

The sensatick -loving Wellington puiblic evinced considerable interest m the Magistrate's Court proCjedhi^s on Wednesday, when John Henry Whitton, ha-rdware manager for Mills and Co., was asked to explain a little transaction respecting a silver fish jservioe, valued at £4, and Henry Norman Cossar, dress goods manager for Sargood and Co., was questioned concerning . a costume, valued at £5. There seems to have been a simple scheme of exchange between the two departmental heads, and when Cossar made Mrs - 'Whitton a, present of a tailor-madie costume at Saxgood's expense, W'bittoh responded with a silver fish service which was to grace the dinin-g-table 'of Cossar. There was a difference of £1 m the values of the two articles, but the cutlery made this up m beauty of design. Although both men pleaded guilty no motive was assigned, and it is a significant fact tbat Cossar was getting as big- a screw as a Member of Parliament, and Whitton little short of that total. As the daily papers say, "the accused seemed to feel their position keenly," and -turned their backs to 1&e public 1 m the prisc«&2r's' box, and with bowed heads throughout^ the proceedings. Chief Detective' 'Mc&rath prosecuted and Lawyer Wilford-')f6bked after the interests of the unfortunates. Whitton's case was taken first. Edward Charles Mills, managing, director of the firm of that name, stated tbat Whitton had been thirty years with the firm, was now head of the hardware department, and was getting £5 10s per week. The firm h«,d sought the assistance of the police, and on June 10 a silver fish j service, valued at £4, addressed to j Cossar, Manawatu station, was seized. On July 3 asked Whitton to explain how the service had been paid ! for, by cash or credit. Whitton Produced a cash docket for a similar amount, but for another arti~,.j, and could give no satisfactory explanation. . ' ■ HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE, OFFENCE. To Mr Wilford : The hardware section, of which Wih'itton was m charge, carried from £7,000 to £10,000 worth of stock, and the sales averaged something under £5,000 per month. It was not the intention of the firm to prosecute, and Mr Mills bad written to the police to jbhat effect. Whitton had been a valued servant during. bis\ long period of employment. William Cornish, parcels man, stated that he received the incriminating package from Whitton. It was addressed to "Mr Cossar, passenger, Crofton, Manawatu Station," and having, previously conferred with Detective Williams, showed the contents to Mr Mills's secretary. The fish service was examined, carefully replaced, and delivered at the Manawatu Station. Acting-Detective Williams said Whitton : had made a clean breast of it wben bowled out, on June 4, and acknowledged that he had sent the fish service to Cossar. The 'Tec recovered the articles from Cossar at 7 o'clock on the same evening, and he also obtained from Whitton at his house, Lower Hutt, a blue costume received from Cossar. , Accused pleaded guilty, and was sentence. Bail was allowed m one committed to the Supreme Court for surety of £100, or two of £50 each. In the case against Cossar, Henryr Cromwell Tewsley, manager for Sargood, Son and Ewen, said Cossar was employed as head of the Jdress department at a salary of £300 a year, and there were also bonuses. He had been two and a-half years with the firm. He produced; the butt of the order book showing, m Cossar's handwriting, lan order to tfoe firm's occasional tailors, Goldbloom Bros., for a costume for Mrs Whitton, care of E. W. Mills." Also an account from the tailors for the value of the costume. There was no record m Sargood's books of a • cos- J tume Kavinig been made for Mrs Whit- ! too. . To Mr Wilfor,d : Prior to ibinj'n'g I Sargood's Cossar was for many years with Smith and Caughey, Auckland.' The name of Mrs Whitton appeared m the duplicate and triplicate dockets m Cossar's handwriting, but not' in', the original. Cossar was a. good department manager. Acting-Detective Williams said that on July 4 he interviewed Cossar at Crofton. and told him that Whitton had said Cossar was goinsr to charge the costume, to ,Jone9 and Ashdown, tailors, and Whitton would pay them for it. Cossar said this was correct. He had since paid Jones himself. Jones denied in' 'the box that he ha-rli received any payment. Accused, vho pleaded guilty, was committed to -the Supreme Court for j sentence. He was admitted to bail. self m £100, or two sureties of £50 each. f