Forgery at Waipawa

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXIV, Issue 125, 28 October 1930, Page 8

Forgery at Waipawa

FIRM’S DISHONEST ACCOUNTANT

SEVERAL FARMERS VICTIMISED Reynold David Burton, who has been employed as acountant by Williams and Kettle for the last eight years, appeared at the Napier Court on Friday morning before Messrs C.D. Cox and F. C. Main, J.’sP., on four charges of forgery involving a total sum of £lO9 10/-. The details of the charges were: (1) On September 16 making an order on Williams and Kettle, W aipawa, purporting to be from F • .T. Witherow to A. Symes for the sum of £3B 10/-; (2) with forging the signature of S. P. Gutherie to a cheque for £6O drawn on AA illiams -. and Kettle in favour of S. P. Guthrie; (3) with making a receipt for £5 purporting to be signed by P. Hunt for cash advanced on account of Omakere station; (4) with mak-

- jng a receipt for £6 purporting to be >* signed by A. P. McHardy for cash I advanced. Mr A. E D. Mayne api peared for the accused and Detective | Sergeant Fitzgibbon conducted the j proceedings on behalf of the police. | Detective - Sergeant Fitzgibbon stated that the accused forged certain documents and converted the money obtained to his own use. It

I was unfortunate to see a young man | in such a position but there was one refreshing feature in the case in that after the first two charges were discovered the accused on his own acI count gave information concei ning the other two charges. ij Burton Quite Frank. Detective - Sergeant Fitzgibbon stated that on October 14 he arrested Burton at Waipawa in respect to n the first charge. Burton was very frank about the matter, bringing & under the notice of the auditors I Guthrie's cheque and McHardy’s reI ceipt for £6. He made a statement | concerning the four amounts in

& which he admitted that by his act- > ions he was committing forgery. The amounts concerned in the various s charges had not been shown as debits in the respective monthly acI counts sent out by the firm. He further admitted converting amounts of | firm's cash to his own use and to t making receipts to balance them. Living beyond his means was the , reason he had given for his actions. Burton pleaded guilty to all charges and was committed for sen- ■ tence to the next session of the p Supreme Court at Napier. Previous i bail was renewed.