OLD MAN WITH CHEQUE BOOK.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18546, 17 April 1930, Page 8

OLD MAN WITH CHEQUE BOOK.

RETAINS SPENDING HABIT. B j T.l.grar'h—Pr.s. A ,«q.l.Alod AUCKLAND, April 18. To-day, Thomas George De Renzy, aged 79, a well-known figure in the city, was arrested on eight charges of fraudulently omitting to account to the T. G. De Renzy Trust Account (Turkish Baths Ltd.), for eight sums each of £l2/10/-, between June 12 and December 3rd. 1929, thereby committing theft. De Renzy appeared at the Police Court this afternoon and pleaded guilty, and was remanded for sentence until to-morrow. Accused said Detective-Sergeant F. Kelly was a company promoter, who with others became interested in the Turkish Baths Co. He got a man to canvass for shares, which were to be £SO each, and £l2/10/- was to be paid on application for shares. De Renzy collected eight sums of £l2/10/- from different persons, and although the cheques were payable to De Renzy Turkish Baths Ltd., they were not paid into this account, but were cashed by accused at business places in Auckland. “Apart from these cases, your worship,” said Kelly, “there are many other cases of this old gentleman issuing valueless cheques in the city. As long as he goes round with a cheque book he will sign cheques. If he can be prevailed upon not to issue more cheques, things might be better for him. He is a decent respectable old man, who has seen better days; in fact, as we were walking down to Court he told me that he once lost £41,000 in mining transactions. He has never been in trouble previously.” Mr Wyly, who represented accused, said De Renzy was married with three children. There was no possibility of his making immediate restitution. However, he had hopes of doing so, as he was entering into a mining transaction shortly. Mr W. J. Campbell. Probation Officer, told the Magistrate that he had known De Renzy for 25 years. “He had previously been in a big way, but now he seems to be right up against things.” Mr Campbell said he did not think accused could make restitution. The Magistrate remanded accused until to-morrow for sentence.