The Weekly Gazette for Middlesbrough, Stockton, Hartlepool and Cleveland District. — 1880-10-02 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE CHARGE OF EMBEZZLEMENT AGAINST A TRAVELLER.  On Wednesday morning, at the Middlesbrough Police Court, before Mr Coleman (Stipendiary), William E. Robson, traveller, was charged on remand with embezzling two sums of £l3 8s 6d and £6, the moneys of his late employers, Messrs Wills and Hornsby, iron merchants, Middlesbrough. George Bell Willis, one of the prosecutors, said that he was an iron merchant at Middlesbrough, carrying on business with Grainger George Hornsby, under the style of Hornsby and Co. Witness and Mr Hornsby took over the business of J. W. Dore and Co. The prisoner had been travelling for Dore and Co., and witness and Mr Hornsby re.engaged him on the 17th July last to fulfil that office. They told him that his duties would be to get orders for iron, collect accounts owing to the firm, and forward the same to witness or Mr Hornsby. His salary was fixed at £2 weekly and 5 per cent, commission on all orders—the prisoner to pay his own travelling expenses. He remained in their service till the 29th of August, when he was dismissed. On the firm applying to Geo. Martin, of Newcastle, for payment of £l3 18s 6d, and to Geo. Thompson, of Alnwiok, for £l4, sums then due, letters were received alleging that the amounts in question had been paid, in the first case wholly, awl in the latter case partly. The prisoner had never accounted for the stuns.  Cross-examined by Mr Meek prosecutor said that he frequently remonstrated with .the prisoner for not keeping daily accounts.  Grainger George Hornsby corroborated Mr Willie's statement as to the terms onwhich the prisoner was engaged, and added that the prisoner had never accounted to him for the accounts named.  George Martin, blacksmith and cab proprietor, Newcastle, produced a receipt for £l3 lEts 6d which he had paid to theprisoner, at whose request he gave him £5 in cash and a cheque for the remainder. George Thompson, blacksmith, Aluwick, paid £1 to the prisoner on the 24th of August and £5 on the 30th, on which latter day he received a receipt for the whole amount —which receipt he now produced. Mr Coleman : If you reoeived the receipt on the 30th, how is it the receipt is dated the 27th inst. ? Witness : I never noticed the date until the prisoner had left. Mr Coleman pointed out that according to the evidence of Thompson the major part of the £G had been received by the prisoner after his dismissal.  Sergt. Metcalf proved the arrest of the prisoner, on whose behalf Mr Meek, solicitor, Middlesbrough, said the defence would be reserved.  The prisoner was then committed to take his trial at the North&'Lorton Quarter Sessions; but, on the application of Mr Meek, he was admitted on bail, himself in one surety of £5O, and two sureties of £3O each.  The Paris correspniadent of the Times telegraphs :—A horrible murder was corn' mated a few days ago at the Hague. A boy, 14 years of age, the son of an impvrtant official in the Ministry of Public Works in Holland, was suddenly seized and dragged into a cab by a person who seemed about 25 years old, and who did not re-appear. His bory was found the next morning on the Downs, strangled. The assassin is believed to boa man who had been begging money of the boy's father, and on the latter declining t 3 give him any had vowed vengeance.