THE NOT EL OUTDONE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16037, 30 January 1920, Page 7

THE NOT EL OUTDONE.

WOMAN CLERK’S GAMBLING

LOSSES.

Extraordinary disclosures were made at Manchester Assizes recently, before Mr Justice McCardie, when Mary Brady (29), clerk, was incited for larceny and making false entries in a cash-book belonging to her employers, Messrs Thoresen, 34snc}i€st£ij London, and Christiana, and also fraudulent conversion. The accused, an attractive woman, fashionably attired, surrendered on her name being called, and was attended in the dock by a wardress. Accused pleaded guilty on all counts, Mr Langdon, K.C., opened briefly for the Crown, and stated that the facts were in a very small compass. When arrested, prisoner said:—“l cannot lie. I bad the money. His Lordship; To what amount? Mr Langdon: She told the police-in-spector about =£lo,ooo, which she had spent on dress, on gambling, and in other ways. His Lordship: Was the statement correct?

Mr Langdon; No, my Lord, as far as the accounts show, it was far in excess of that sum.

Mr Grant Gibson, official secretary, said the prisoner’s estate in bankruptcy realised <IBOOO.

Mr Langdon: What do the employers put the sum at what they lost? Witness: At least ,£22,000.

Replying to his Lordship, witness said the estate consisted of dress, furs, jewellery, furniture, and a house. A sum of £2OOO was paid in cash for one of her purchases. He learned that she was concerned in two businesses —one of which was conducted at a loss. Prisoner borrowed £IOOO from a money-lender, and she lived at one of the principal hotels for a time, and lost heavily at cards.

NOVICE IN A CONTENT.

Sir E. Marshall Hall, K.C., addressing the Court in defence, said never in the whole course of his professional experience had he met a case such as this. If the facts had been stated in a novel by some popular author they would have been looked upon as improbable and ridiculous.

Tlie prisoner was the daughter of a deceased police-inspector of the Royal Irish Constabulary. Her father died when she was 14. For a time she was a novice in a Franciscan Convent, but later came out to engage in a business career. She had been in her present employ four and a half years, and was a woman of proved business capacity. She became impregnated with the ambition to associate with people of a certain social class. She conceived also the idea of starting business for herself. Large sums in petty cash passed through her hands, sometimes as much as .£50,000, and one of her mistakes was to take larger and larger sums to cover up smaller onea previously misappropriated. The profits of one of her businesses, conducted in a small way, were swamped as a result of her associations with certain people, and large amounts wer® lost at cards. She had to return hospitality so as to maintain her position, and for a Jong period she took up her residence at a leading hotel. OFFICER TO MARSY HER. There was, besides the sums in question, a further sum of .£2OOO, in which accused was indebted to creditors. Her sister was married to a man of means, and the defence was being provided by money provided by her family. An officer was engaged to marry her, and notwithstanding any sentence his Lordship might pass, that gentleman was prepared to make her his wife, so that she might be given another chance. Sir Edward further informed his Lordship that there was no suggestion of immorality in this case, no small part of his client’s punishment having resulted from the publicity given to the matter in some of the public journals. One of the prisoner’s sisters was actually engaged to a member of the prosecuting firm. As she told the inspector, of given time she hoped to be able to make reparation.

Mr Justice lie Car die passed sentence of twelve months' imprisonment.