EMBEZZLEMENT OF SOCIETY FUNDS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3817, 2 July 1885, Page 2

EMBEZZLEMENT OF SOCIETY FUNDS.

[By Telegraph.] Auckland, July 1. Extensive defalcations are alleged to have been discovered in the accounts of one of the officers of the H.A.C.B. Society. The officer in question has been handling funds, and having been in financial difficulties lately it is alleged he converted between £IOO and £2OO of the money.of the Society to his own use. This he succeeded in doing by moans of a duplicate bankbook, one of which was used at the Bank and the other was shown to the other officers of the Lodge. Tim individual in question has been carrying on business on bis own account in Queen street for a number of years, and when he became embarassed recently, the bailiffs were put in possession of bis property. Mr Kearney, the Secretary of the Society, feared at the time that something was wrong with the accounts but no investigation could be made until the books were recovered from the bailiff. They have since been examined and compared with the banking account with the result as stated. Besides the funds of the Lodge alleged to have boon embezzled, the accounts are deficient in respect of £lB. There is reason to believe that the officer in question left for Sydney last evening in the Te Anau, as he was seen on board the vessel immediately before she sailed. Five of the other brethren wore sureties to the extent of £l5O for accused. It is alleged that accused has also forged the name of Conolly, one of the trustees, and also the initials of a bank clerk.