THEFT AND FORGERY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2914, 19 January 1910, Page 70

THEFT AND FORGERY.

DONALD M'KENZIE PLEADS GUILTY. REMANDED FOR SENTENCE. Donald M‘Konzie. who was charged with theft and forgery while an employee of the Dunedin City Corporation, and who was brought oack to New Zealand recently after his arrest at Perth, came before Mr Bartholomew. S.M., at the City Police on the 14th ip.st. Ho was cnarged, first, with the theft, on September 21, of £35 16s, the propertyox the Mayor, councillors, and citizens of Dunedin. Mr Scurr appeared to defend Lira, and Mr W. C. MacGregor, on behalf ■of the corporation, prosecuted. The latter briefly stated tire case, and riuJM evidence. Hugh Titchener, treasurer for the Dunedin City Corporation, said that accused had been employed as a clerk in his office. On September 21, 1908, he was instructed to receive cash at the counter and account for same. Accused was thoroughly conversant with the office system. It was his duty to balance bis cash daily, and make it up for payment into the bank. ■Witness produced a receipt dated December 21, 1908, for £94 16s in accused’s handwriting. That amount consisted of three items—£Bs 16s, £5, and £4. It was for rente, and was paid that day by Mr H. Crust to the corporation. It was the duty of accused to enter correct particulars of this receipt on to the block of his receipt book. The block (produced) was in accused’s handwriting, and was only for £9, leaving out the larger sum of £BS 16s. The cash book also only showed £9, there tfbeing no reference to the £BS 16s. Ho produced Crust and Crust’s cheque, of that ' day’s elate, for £94 15s, which had been ! ■paid into the bank,, showing that the I £BS 15s not credited to Crust must have j been taken by the accused from the cash I received by him. The accused resigned | bis position on September 2,1909, and his '■ resignation was accepted the following j day. _ j Chief Detective Herbert said that he had taken charge of MTCenzie on this charge at Perth, Western Australia, and brought him to New Zealand. On the 10th inst., at Dunedin Prison, he showed i accused Crust’s, cheque, and said that that cheque was the subject of the charge. He said: “ I intend to plead guilty to the charge; I don’t want to give any trouble.” Accused pleaded “ Guilty,” and was formally committed to the Supreme Court fon sentence. MTCenzie was then charged with, on or about June 12, forging a signature to a voucher for a sum of £504 2s sd, and of jhaving unlawfully received that sum. Evidence was called. John Johnstone, of Cumberland street, Dunedin, stated that his wife and accused’s wife were sisters. On April 14, 1909, he deposited £SOO with the Dunedin City Corporation, and received for it a receipt. , On October 14. when it was due, he called. 1 for his six months’ interest, and was “put | off ” and he presently understood there . was something wrong. The voucher dated i July 9 1909. for £SOO and interest up to \jate, and signed “ John Johnstone, did

| not bear his signature, though the signature was like his. Neither did he sign a j document purporting to come from him j giving notice to the town clerk of the j withdrawal of his deposit. He authorised no one to draw up such a document on his behalf. He had not" withdrawn this ! £SOO, but had drawn the interest. He was j not indebted in any way to the accused. I Hugh Titohener, city treasurer, said that j accused was a clerk in his department, and j in April of 1909 accused told him that his ’ brother-in-law had some money to place jon deposit with, the corporation. Witness I told accused that the corporation could i take it, and there was a receipt entry—- | “John Johnstone, deposit £soo”—in the : cash book in accused’s handwriting- on ■ April 9,1909. In July. 1909, accused said j that Johnstone wanted to withdraw his j £SOO, and he handed in a written application dated July 9 in McKenzie’s writing ! and signed “ John Johnstone,” to have j this money withdrawn. That application ' came to him in the ordinary course to sec if the money was as represented, and he thereupon caused a voucher to be prepared for £504 2s sd, and also a cheque on the Bank of New Zealand for that amount payable to John Johnstone. The cheque and voucher must have then, in the ordinary course, gone before the Finance Committee to be passed, and would afterwards be placed in the strong room. Accused resigned on September 2, and disappeared from Dunedin. The pay-in slip to the Bank of Australasia dated July 12 was in accused’s handwriting, and included the cheque already referred to. Arthur Taine, cashier to the Dunedin Corporation, said that car July 10. 1909, MTConzie was a clerk in the office with him. On that day the cheque and voucher already referred to shoulud have been in his possession, kept in a drawer in his department. Accused knew where such documents were kept, and had access to the drawer in question, and on that date, •had he so desired, accused could hare got possession of both documents. John Henry Rickman, ledger-keeper in the Bank of Australasia, Dunedin, said that accused had an account in July last in the bank under the name of the Dominion Land and Real Estate- Agency. Accused signed cheques on that account “ D. MTvenzie, accountant.” On July 12, 1909, accused paid into that account j the sum of £505: included in | that sum was the cheque now | produced (of the Dunedin City Corpora- ■ tion), in favour of John Johnstone or ; bearer. He produced a statement showing | how that amount was by degrees drawn | out up to August 16, 1909, when that j account was closed and a new account was j opened in the name of Donald M’Kenzie. | The latter account was closed on Septem- j ber 5. Chief Detective Herbert deposed to arresting accused at. Rsith. In Dunedin j Prison, on the 10th inert., accused was i •shown the voucher for £504 2s 5d referred ; and told that Ihe would be charged with ’ forgery and of obtaining a cheque for that >mount. Accused said: “ I admit it. I •Intend to plead guilty. I don’t want to give any trouble.” Accused pleaded “ Guilty.” and was reVnandecl to the Sup re,vie Court for sentence, •