EMBEZZLEMENT BY A CAPTAIN THE 'GLENLORA.'

Thames Advertiser, Volume IX, Issue 2467, 10 November 1876, Page 3

EMBEZZLEMENT BY A CAPTAIN THE 'GLENLORA.'

At the Mansion-houss, on Wednesday, John Heber Lo Viscomte was brought before Alderman Sir 11. Garden, and alderman Sir A. Lusk, sitting in Petty Session, on remand, charged willi embezzling £16 Is 3rd, the moneys of Ma employers, Measrs Shaw, Savill, and Co., shipowners, Le&denhall street. Mr St. John-Wont-ner appeared as solicitor for the prosecution ; Mr Pratt, from the office of Mr Buchanan, appeared for the prisoner. The case to, in several respects, a very painful one. The prisoner bore a high character, and at the time the offence was committed he was master of a vessel called the ' Glenlora,' belonging to the prosecutors. She sailed on a voyage to JN T ew Zealand in October, 1875, and at this time it appeared there was a deficiency of £92 in the prisoner's account, but the prosecutors very kindly did not press this matter, but allowed it to stand over upon the promise of the prisoner that nothing of the sort should occur again, and that the deficiency should be made good out of the proceeds of the voyage he was about to start on. The ' Glenlora' returned to London on the 28 rd of August, and, upon the prisoner's accounts and vouchers beingexamined, it was discovered that he had received a sum of £292 at Auckland, which was entirely unaccounted for, and the prisoner did not offer any explanation of the deficiency. The charge of embezzling the sum received at Auckland could not,however,be proceeded with, because it was received out of the jurisdiction of tho English tribunals, and the charge that was pressed was one L of receiving £16 Is 3d which had been paid him by the Steward of the' Glenlora' for wines and spirits which he had received from the passengers on the voyage to England. When the prisoner was taken into custody by Williams, adetcctiveconstable, two £5 notes, two sovereigns, and some silver were found upon him. The prisoner pleaded guilty. Mr Pratt urged, on behalf of the prisoner that down to this time he had borne a most irroproachablo character, and tho passengers on .the voyage home had presented him with a testimonial expressing tho good opinion they entoitained of him. Ho reminded tho Court that in conscquonea of this proceeding the prisoncrwould lose his certificate as master mariner, and that hisfature prospects would be entirely destroyed. Sir It. Garden, after consulting with Sir A. Lusk, said it was certainly a melancholy thing to see a man who appeared to havo formerly borno an irreproachable character, and to have been employed in an important capacity, -standing in-his present position. He had, however, been guilty of a very serious offence, aud the least sentence the bench could iuiliet was one of four months imprisonment with hard labour. As the prosecutors did not offer any objection, the money found upon tho prisoner was ordered to bo given to his wife.