The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-08-07 00:00:00

JrDaPIENT tieMMONSCL

Jam Johnson f Corfe 'agile, v. Charles Cott r. U. of the
mine place. Claim for 4:I. Committed' for 10 days
warrant to lie suanended on defendant paying Plc in a
fortnight and In& in !tmonth.

Henry I I ny.om, of Hendon, V. Ram,'! Mar,ohji. Id, of the
same place'. Claim for IRA. Committee! for 40 claye,
warrant suspended on payment of Us. in a fortnight, and
61. per th.
G. Phillipps, Church Knowle. V. )(wavy II fercham,
Osmington. Claim XI Ilk lid. Committed for 28 days
—3t forthwith, and in. per month. Warrant 'suspended.
on cog. of Affpuddle. v. Hdloard Valk ,oy,
Claim .CI l& Warrant for HI clays. Warrant sucepen.lect
if 2e. in a fortnight, and 2s. per month.
James Sanwen, Wareham. v. Rickard C 01.., of the same
plate. Claim .C 2 he. Ped. Warrant for 40 dope. Suspended
if It in a fortnight, and 1k per mouth:

Oliter Ford v...T1-Uonas Crawford. Claim £2 Pk Warrant
for 40 days. Suspended if £2 forthwith, and ,L 2 per
month.

Samuel Tucker, West Im!worth, V. Q. Andrews, Wey-
mouth, fish merchant. CiAlin for .C 5104. Adjourned.

CHARGE OF EMBEZZLENIENT AGAINST
THE SECRETARY OF A FORESTER'S
LODGE.

At the borough police court on Friday before the
Recorder (Mr. F. Filliter), Ifcrer, Bright, late a 'clerk
in the employ of Messrs. Marshfield and Hutchings,
and secretary to the Court Alexandra, No. 4:193 of the
Ancient Order of Foresters, was charged with
embezzling certain sutra of money, the property of
the said Court. Mr. H. 'l'. 'rrevanion appeared for
the prosecution and Mr. Howard defended. Mr.
Stephen Holloway stated he was a contributing
member of Court Alexandra of the A.O.F. The
society had been registered under the Friendly
Societies Act, and he produced the rule duly certified
by the registrar. He also produced some altered
rules duly certified on the 18th May, 181E1 He war
authorised by a resolution of the 30th July to prefer
the charge. He produced the resolution signed and
Keeled with the seal of the society. The trustees
were Mr. J. A. Penton, Dr. Boreham, and Mr. T.
Randall, and had been so for 12 months. Monies
paid to the secretary became the property ,d the
trustees. Was present at a meeting on the 17th
January, 1876, when Bright was elected as secretary
and declared as rich. He commenced duties on the
31st January, 1876, and signed the minutes of that
date. He continued as secretary till the 20th January,
1877, and received 9.1 per head per annum from
contributing members l'he prisoner ought to have
rendered some returns to the officer; of the district in
December, but failed to do eo, awl the Court was
fined 10s. In consequence of 3 letter from the officers
of the district, Bright was advised to resign, awl on
the 12th February he tendered his resignation and the
same was accepted. He did not give up the books at
that time and they hadi some trouble to get them.
When they got them they were not made up. After
the audit witness cake I the prisoner to meet the
auditors, of whom witness was one, to explain some
discrepancies. He produced an extract of the accounts
which chewed £5l 19s. 51. deficit. On being spoken
to prisoner said there must be some mistake, it could
not be so much as that. He promised to meet
the auditors on the 12th or 13th March, but
failed to do so, and after writing to the district
officers for advice, a resolution was passed on
the 13th March requiring prisoner to
_give up
all books and effects. Saw the treasurer Pridle go
with a copy of the notice. On the 17th March, in
pursuance of an authority pmclucd, witness applied
for a warrant. No half•yearly account was rendered
by prisoner in July, 1876, or January, 1877. There
was no audit in July, 1876. In consequence of the
money not having been returned as paid several mem-
bers ran out of compliance. He produced some mem.
berecarde with entries dated 17th July,llth September,
25th September. awl 6th November, 1876 in prisoner's
handwriting. These were court nights, and it was the
secretary duty to receive contributions from members
In court. —Henry Searley, a member, paid witness
6e. 6d. which he paid to prisoner on the 11th of
September, and received the receipt on the card
but this was not entered in the contribution book.
There ie also no entry in the same book on the 17th of
July to the credit of Mr. Elmes, although 55. apposes
n paid by the receipt on the mem-
ber's have been paid. Also, no entry to the credit of
Robert Selby on the 25th of September, although 3s.
bees card. Also, no entry to the credit of John G.
Hawkins on the 16th of November, 1876, although
examined by Mr. Howard There should be a com-
mittee to cause a balanebaheet to be made out and
signed by the auditors in January and July, and the
auditor; should report on the same by rule 13, and by
neoe:of
July.
society,ni
oniyue
auditor,
received
a e balance
n nd nw:ndoatnct—t6n6dildy"lhnt him
on orerEnnrnd7i,:wthriactwhoeata.crevilrend by
lansonar
on
that
date.
Cross
id
monthly, and supply the secretary with duplicate.
Tttlii:inkuwetashisr,
their duties. By the statement peoduced it showed a
deficiency of £2 Bs. 3d. up to June. This was found
by comparing the contribution book and the secretary's
cash-book. Any auditor could have discovered it.
On the 27th March £308.. 10Id. was entered in the
contribution book and £29 4s. 91d. hi prisoner's cash
book, and in the treasurer's book, E..`A le 3d., and
that 'hewed prisoner had retained £1 2s. Old. At
the time of audit he saw the treasurer about
this, and found £2l Is. 3d. was the correct
inns receivedsil him. The secretary would have
to do with from about 215 members.
The money received=im would not be checked by
anprislc= In OM the treseurer credited the
with more than he took oredit for paying.

Prisoner had been ill since Chrietmas. The satthcrity
to proms:lite wee signed on the morning of the 17th
March, and he immediately went and took out •
warrant, and got Dr. liorehani to sign it. - James
Newbery stated on the 7th July, i76, he paid ris. to
the prisoner on behalf of Mr. Ehnen, a member. It
was paid in the Court-room, and he took the receipt
on the card produced. —Croes.examlneil lie received
the money froin Sarah Ehnes, who he believed to be
the mother of Mr. ?Imes. He paid the money in the
(7ourt•risim to Bright. Cont.! not remember if he
pail any of his own money that night. He could
, not any if there were many pe pie paying money to
the secretary at the same time. Silas If arvell stated
he knew Robert Selby. a member, and on the 2:ith
September he paid ss. to Bright on tielby's behalf In
the Court-room. Bright signed the receipt ou the
card. Selby gave him the money on the previous
Sunday. Croseexamined : At the time he paid
Selby's money he Pail four other lots, including him
own, amounting to nearly lA. 'rhere were very few
present at the time; hut ail a rule there were a
number of members paying, at the same time.-Ann
Hawkins said George John Hawkins, her son, was •
member of the Curt, and on the oth November she
paid Ga. 70. on his behalf to prisoner at the Court-
room, and received the receipt on the card. She
received the money from her non.—Cross-examined :
She did not stay long in the Court. There were a
few present ; Mr. Bright took the money. She knew
nothing more, did not know if there was anyone near
when she pahl. —Prisoner was then committed for
trial at the next Sessions, the Bench agreeing to
accept bail—himself in ViO, and two sureties of £l5
each.