SALESMAN ADMITS BIG BUTTER THEFT

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 410, 19 July 1928, Page 12

SALESMAN ADMITS BIG BUTTER THEFT

£2,000 WORTH MISSING Press Association. WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Serious shortages in the stock of butter held in Joseph Nathan and Co’s butter-printing factory at Thorndon were revealed recently and an extensive investigation of receipt books was instituted. This has been followed by the appearance in the Police Court to-day <jf Arthur Hobbs, salesman, aged 27, charged with stealing 500 boxes of butter, valued at £2,000. Air. Edwards, the firm’s merchandise manager, stated that early in March, lie counted the boxes in stock and found a number of empty ones had been placed among the full* ones, the oo^r-o a^e km* l ?? 520. a deficiency of 33,7031 b. Twenty boxes had since been accounted for. At previous stocktakings the boxes were merly counted and not checked as to whether tliev contained butter or not. To counsel witness said his inference was that there had been collusion and not negligence. Hobbs was a deliverv driver supplied with delivery books. grocer, Air. Neil, gave evidence that he had invariably paid Hobbs in or second-hand cheques, and Air. Hughes, assistant-secretary of the s . ai<i ,ie Ti ad obtained from rnanv ot their customers receipts tliev had been given by Hobbs. Altogether accused had received £424 19s iOd, re-

presenting the value of 122 base* accounted for. He described tn , tem by which the shortages w«» den by Hobbs in manipulating • voucher book. Actually 122 traced to Hobbs, but the toUU age was r,oo. It appeared to "‘“T that someone bad been acting - r ‘ lusion with Hobbs. it "as pww h . that a part of the money coll , wj hint was shared with someone else, witness had no definite proof or e Counsel said ihe accused » plead guilty. He asked that lowing statement should i*? in the depositions. * I have entered a plea rf P* . the whole charge with a '»* ing expense to all P? rt ‘s* i^ 0 ,” aV in* a protracted trial. 1 admit eo ct lived benefit from the theft boxes of butter as are traced i but have received nothing num i*r indirectly from any great , r **~- Accused was committed tor tence.