RUSE FAILED

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXX, Issue 162, 18 July 1935, Page 6

RUSE FAILED

ATTEMPT TO BU&N RECORDS DISHONEST CASHIER LONDON, June 4. Tn order to conceal defalcations in his accounts ,a man, who was a lay preacher and treasurer of a very prominent! religious circle in North Harrow, committed what the Judge at the Old Bailey, London, described as “a desperately serious crime.” When he appeared in the dock, the man, Frederick Hyde Wood, aged 33 years, a cashier, of Ruislap, Middlesex, pleaded guilty to a City Coroner’s inquisition charging him with setting fire to his employers’ premises in PaternoSt/er Row, City of London, with, intent to injure and defraud. Mr Justice Humphreys pointed out thajt ft was a crime for which Wood could receive a sentence of penal servitude for The Judge sent him to prison for two (years. Mr E. J. P. Cussen, prosecuting, related Itlhat the proceedings were under the City Fire Inquest Act, on th'e Coroner’s inquisition. On April 5, at 7.30 p.-m,, 'persons working in Palternoster R’Ow noticed a smell of smoke, and it was discovered that the premises of Messrs Pickering and Inglis, publishers and booksellers, were on fire. It was difficult to discover where 'the outbreak was, but eventually it was located in ithe counting-house. The fire brigade found that the lids of desks were open, drawers pulled out, and numerous account books, some of which had pages torn out, were scattered over the floor. One had been severely burnt. It was discovered that there were four separate seats of the fire, which had been started by lighted papers. In some cases the floor was burned awav.

Wood, who was the cashier, had sole charge of the Nooks, and on the afternoon preceding the fire the annual audit was about to begin. After 'Hhe fire it was discovered that there was a deficiency of £222 in Wood’s accounts.

When he was committed for (trial by the Coroner, he made a statement exiqressing regret, and adding that it was a pity he had done it, because friends would have helped him. Detective-Sergeant Joining stated thalt "Wood was married and had one child, aged three. Ho had been employed by his firm for nine years, his wages being about £6 a week. The defalcations had been going on for the past 13 months, and apparently the cause was Wood living beyond his income. He was the treasurer of a very prominent religious circle at North Harrow, and his funds there were in order. He had been going aboult the country preaching. The scene of the fire, the officer added, was in the centre of the city danger e - zone. Mr O’Malley, defending, stated that (the cause of the defalcations was Wood’s growing financial obligations. He was not an extravagant man, but was rather generous. He had suffered from toss of memory and had been in hospital. He remembered niothing after the, Coroner’s inquiry except going to Birmingham. Passing sentence, the Judge pointed ou|t that the fire might have been very difficult to put. out. He was very doubtful whether he ought to refrain from sending Wood to penal 'Servitude.