YOUNG SALESMAN’S THEFTS

Taranaki Daily News, 30 January 1930, Page 15

YOUNG SALESMAN’S THEFTS

VACUUM CLEANERS AND CASH. COURT DEFERS THE SENTENCE. A salesman, ..James David Bell, aged 19, was charged in the Magistrate’s Court at New Plymouth yesterday before Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M., with stealing from the Electrolux Company’s shop, Egmont Street, New Plymouth, on November 27, two cashboxes, cheques, postal notes and cash totalling about £10; with stealing four Electrolux cleaning machines valued at £5O at Stratford on November 12; that with intent to defraud he obtained the sum of £1 5s by means of a bogus commission form on October 8. After' conferring with the probation officer the magistrate remanded accused for sentence until Saturday morning. Bell pleaded guilty and elected to be dealt with summarily. A request for the suppression of hie name was refused, the magistrate saying that he was more concerned with what he was to do with accused . Detective Meiklejohn said that though it was not in his province he had been asked by the managing director of the company to make a request, for the suppression of his firm’s name. No order was marie as 'he magistrate said the suppression o;' names was for the assistance of persons placed on probation. He was almost tired of having to explain the situation, he added. Explaining the ease, Detective Meiklejohn said accused was employed as a salesman on commission. At 7 o’clock on the evening of November 27 accused left the premises with the manager to deliver two machines and left the back door unlocked. Later he returned, took the two cashboxes, and left by the front door after closing the back entrance. One of the boxes was thrown into the sea and the other was found under the stairs. When accused was at Stratford the four machines had been taken. They were placed in the hands of an auctioneer for sale at £l4 each, which was £4 below the price ruling at the time as business had not been good. Bogus orders for commission had been put in for the sale of these machines. When he found that stock was to be taken he notified the auctioneer not to advise the office of the sales, but to get in touch with him personally. The false pretences charge arose out of a bogus commission order for an alleged sale to S. Dickens, Palmerston North. When the instalments fell due he could not be found and the fraud was detected. At first Bell denied th?, theft but afterwards was frank over the whole matter.