ALLEGED THEFT OF WHEAT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17771, 1 November 1919, Page 6

ALLEGED THEFT OF WHEAT

ALLAN LESLIE STEVEN CHARGED,

WILLIAM JAMES BRUGH IMPLICATED.

In the City Police Court yesterday, before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., Allan Lcslio Steven was charged that, on different dates between Juno 28 and October 6, ho stolo 160 sacks of wheat, two sacks of bran, and four saoks of pollard, of the total value of £164 '10s, tho property of A. Steven and Co.

William James Brugh was charged with receivina the bran and pollard and 140 sacks of wheat from Steven, knowing them to have bsen dishonestly obtained. Chief Dotective Bishop prosecuted, and Mr 1 Hay appeared for the accused Steven, and Mr Hanlon for Brugh. It was agreed to take the cases to g-ether. William Josiah Lovo (managing director of A. Steven and Co.) stated that this business was formerly the property of Allan Steven, now deceased. Witness andChav'es Weston were appointed executors of tho will, with power to carry on or»wind up the business. Deceased's widow was left rfn annuity of £400 until she died or* _ remarried. After her death or remarriage eaoh of the children was to receive £3000, and two charitable institutions wero to receive tho balance. Having read the will he decided that it was useless to carry on as any profits made would go to tho charitable institutions and the children would receive no benefit. On his suggestion the concern was floated into a private company after tho rights of the charitable institutions provided for in the will had boon satisfied. Witness put his farm of 7500 acres freehold and 1600 acres leasehold, into the company. He was then appo:nted managing director under a deed .agreed to by the shareholders. The shareholders were Mrs Shaw (Cromwell), tho accused Steven, Elizabeth Stsven, Gordon Steven, and himself. Each of the-family held'4soo shares, valued at £1 each, and their share was subject to their mother's annuity being deducted frqpi it. His shares totalled 8000 free of any annuity. ■The Magistrate said he could not see how this evidence had any bearing on the case. 41

Chief Detective Bishop: It has a connection. Mr Hay: Tes, you want- to justify tho prosecution brought by Steven's uncle. Continuing, witness said that the accused Steven was employed as storeman at the award rate of wages. On May 23 a shipment of wheat was stored in Swift and Co.'s store, close tjj Sargood's Factory. Between May 23 an<r June 2 6001 sacks of Australian whsat. were placed in this store, each sack containing! about three bushels. There were also, some sacks of New Zealand wheat stored there. This wheat was tallied bv Steven and M'Donald (the head miller). Tho weighbridge tickets handed in at the office were kept' in the company's strong room. The last of this .wheat was from the store on September 19, and, owing to a clerk being ill, the tallies were not imade up till October 8, when it was found that there were 463 6acks missing. Inquiries at thd mill failed to trace the missing wheat, and the matter was then reported to the police. He was an uncle of the accused Steven. There was no bran or pollard stored in Swift's buildings. The value of each sack of wheat was. roughly, £1 or rather more than £1. Witness had dorra the buying for the company since its inception. He also did the selhng in large quantities, but the miller sold in small lots, and in his absence the accused (Steven) attended_ to sqpall sales. . There were no entries in, the books of any sales of bran or pollard from the mill made by Steven. by Mr Hay, witness said that Steven was the son of witness's sister. The accused's' father left an estate of some £30,000, all of which, with the exoeptioji of some £12,000, was left to certain missionary and religious institutions. Mrs Steven about three year? ago. Accused worked with his father up to the time the latter died. Tho charitable institutions mentioned in the will were the residuary legatees. Accused was away at the. front for about two years, and was invalided home after having been gassed. He was involved in a serious railway accident . while away, and was the only one of about 13 New Zealanders who survived. Some yoars ago Steven met with a'severe ac-cident at St. Clair. B? had been drinking heavily, since his return. He never was considered strong mentally. l\lr Weston (the other director) had not done anything in the business for . some- timo except when witness conferred with him on big questions. At the last annual meeting the accused's share' of tho prcfit' on the year's working was £330, but accused was indebted to :«the company to the extent of £500, : this representing advances. to his mother ' and his" wife while he, was'away at the war, and for which he' was paying 6 per cent, -interest.- -All the shareholders paid 6 per cent, interest for any money advanced. Some time prior to : accused's mother remarrying' it -was' agreed that the annuity bo -reduced - to '£200. , He would be very much surprised to know that. the. wages paid Steven amounted to £2 15s per, week because tliat was. less than the award rate. StoVeri bad not told • him; nor had- he stated- at the annual meeting that he wanted a por-. | tion of his £330 profits, not as a loan, but as of right. He had been of an irresponsible nature aIL his lifetime;-and had he not been a relativo he would not- have teen employed in the_ business. . .When witness repotted the jpitter to the police he had 'been / told 'yy BrugH that his nephew had sold the wheat; but he did not believe it, as he did not, think his nephew \viis~a thief. - '

• David Sinclair Dotty a grain clerk in the employ of A. Steven and Co., gave evidence to tho effect that the exact shortago ofwheat on September 2 was 470.sacks. To Mr Hay: The only record kept of the wheat was when it went to the mill" from Swift's store.

Thomas James Lethaby deposed -as - to carting 40 sacks of wheat in June for. Steven. He took 15 to No. 42 Bradsbaw street, 20 to Brugli's house' in" Richmond street, and five to;Mr Irvine's house; -InJiily Steven telephoned to him asking him to cart 40 bags to Brugh's house, and he did so. On August 25 he carted 20, and later on 20, all to Brugh's house. He received tho wheat from Steven, who told him that Brugh would pay the cartage. About the beginning of September on reaching his home at midday he found that 20 bags of wheat had been left there. Sltdven saw him subsequently, and aaked liirh if he would deliver it to Mr Eggleston at Watt's road. Witness did not know who left the wheat on his staging. Ho had only been paid for carting one lot of the wheat, and he had carted 140 sacks for Steven. '

Robert M'Donald, head miller (in iA. Steven and Co.'s flour mill, stated that Steven was storeman at the mill. Witness had had him under him for about 10 years, and he had not been able to exercise any control oVer him. When it was said that there was a shortage in the wheat stored in Swift's buildings witness dicj not take much notice of it, as he believed that possibly there had been a mistake made. On Friday, Octobcr 10, Steven came into his office, and said the detectives were after, him over the wheat, and that he Jiad better make a clean breast of it. He then admitted taking 40 sacks because he was short of money. % \ In. reply to Mr Hay, witness said that the only record kept of the wheat was when it went into the. mill. It wss possible that a mistake might be made in a tally through a quantity not being marked up when taken, into the mill. Before the new award came into existence, about two months ago, the accused was getting £2 10s per week. Re-examined, he stated that it would not be possible to make a mistake of 400 odd sacks.

Tho witness Love (recalled) stated that Steven was getting Is 4d per hour, which, on an average, worked out at about £2 15s per week. This was before the now award was made.

Robert William Coombes,- manager of a grocery business in. Oargill road, gave evidence that Bruph called at his place on Sunday, September 29, and asked him if ho had any pullets for sale, as ho had an order for some from Alexandra. Witness could not supply him, and Brugh asked if ho could supply him with some incubator eggs, and this -ho agreed to do. Brugh then asked witness how he was off for Australian wheat, saying ho could supply him with some. The following week he callpri with a sample, and witness bought six sacks. Brugh said he had no wheat on hand, but when it arrived at Kensington he would send it along. He also said he had sold 1 20 or 26 bags to Wolfendten and Russell, a firm of grocars. Robert Walter Johnston stated that he had purchased 24 or 25 bags of wheat from at 69 per bushel, and the total amount paid by him was £27 9s 6d. Joseph Egglestono stated that Steven went to his place at Watt's road, NorthEast Valley, some time in August, and offered to soil him some wheat at 16s per sack. Ho assured witness that it was fairly good stuff, and on receiving this Assurance he ordered 20 sacks, which were delivered two or three weeks later. He paid for the wheat, on delivery. Alfred James Boyes, Masrnus Johnson. Fraser Siiihlair, Lawrence Irvine, and Ohief- ' detective Bishoo also gave evidenco similar to that given by the other witnesses.

Tho accused reserved thoir defence, and wero committed for trial at the next sitting of the Supremo Court. Bail was allowed each accused in his own recognisanco of £100 and two sureties of £50 ill each caso.