QSR1893/4/5/1

Depositions of Edward Glaisyer, Aubrey James Collier, James France and Thomas Pratt. In the case of William John Riley, accused of 3 separate accounts of embezzling and stealing sums of money.

27 June 1893

From: 1893 To: 1893

Edward Glaisyer: a manufacturer of poultry and living at Leighton Buzzard. He became employed in this business in the early part of 1892 and purchased the business in which the prisoner was employed. In the business he keeps a waste book journal, a cash book and a ledger. In the waste book should appear a record of all the transactions of the day including orders received, cash paid and cash received, and goods dispatched. He also keeps a Railway Consignment Book showing goods sent out by rail. It was the duty of the prisoner or himself to enter all goods sent out into the waste book. The cashbook and ledger were kept by himself exclusively. In the spring/summer of 1892 an order was received from the Carlton Club of Leighton Buzzard. He was to supply the materials and the work would be carried out by his workmen. It was arranged that the account would be paid at the end of the season. The account was £10 10s with a special discount which reduced the amount to £6. In February he was away from home. On his return, based upon information he received, he examined his books and discovered that a brooder had been supplied and paid for, no record of which appeared on his books. He discussed this with the prisoner and the prisoner admitted he had done it. The prisoner was then dismissed from his service. He gave the prisoner £5 for his personal expenses and the prisoner left on the 23rd February. Soon afterwards he made enquiries and discovered that the Carlton Club’s account had been settled. Mr. Collier showed him a receipt for the money which had been signed by the prisoner for the company. He knew nothing about the special discount until he saw the receipt. Shortly after this he examined the railway Consignment counterfoils. He found that an ‘after brooder’ had been sent to Mr. France of Moat Castle Bromwich on 11th February 1893. He could not find any record of this transaction in any of the other books. The counterfoils were also filled out by the prisoner. He applied to Mr. France for payment of the account and for the incubator and brooder sent to him on 4th January 1893. He later received it back from Mr. France stating that both sums had been paid. Neither the receipts of the £6 nor the other sums were shown in his books nor has any part of them been accounted for. [Cross-Examined] He pointed out to the prisoner that the entries were not made in the waste book as they should have been when he was employed in his service. He made entries into his journal from the waste book, and found there to be several omissions. There were entries in the waste book which did not relate to the business. He believed that in a few instances orders had been entered twice. [Cross-Examined by the Bench] It was the duty of the prisoner to receive money on account of the company and to enter it into the waste book. [Re-Examined] Mr. Lucas was the accountant named in the agreement between the prisoner and himself. He is not sure that he had ever introduced the prisoner in Leighton Buzzard as his business partner. Aubrey James Collier: A banker’s clerk and living at Leighton Buzzard. He is an Honorary Secretary to the Carlton Club in Leighton Buzzard. In the spring of 1892 an order was given to Mr. Riley for the erection and supply of a shelter or pavilion for the club. The price arranged by the prisoner was £5 and afterwards an awning was added at the cost of 15s. In June he received the account amounting to the sum of £6 which he paid to the prisoner in cash on 27 December 1892. The prisoner signed a receipt on the account in his presence. He gave this to Mr. Glaisyer a short time ago and it was returned back to him. He agreed at the prisoner’s request to draw up the account in its present form. James France: An engineer and machine proprietor living at Moat Castle Bromwich near Birmingham. In December 1892 he ordered an incubator and brooder from the prisoner. The price was £7 6s 3d. It was supplied to be in February, but wanting it earlier he sent the cheque to the prisoner at Leighton Buzzard and shortly afterwards received the goods. He received an acknowledgement of the cheque and that it had been debited from his account. In February 1893 he sent an order to the prisoner for an ‘after brooder’ to be supplied to his sister Mrs. Walker. He received the goods and delivered it to her. He received a cheque for £3 10s 3d from his sister and sent this to the prisoner. He later received a receipt for the cheque from the prisoner. William John Riley: I am not guilty. Thomas Pratt: A carpenter of Leighton Buzzard. He first met the defendant in the Friends Meeting House in January 1892. Mr. Glaisyer was with the prisoner and Mr. Glaisyer introduced the prisoner as his business partner. He is now in the employment of Mr. Glaisyer.

item

Collier, Aubrey James,
Riley, William John,
Glaisyer, Edward,
France, James,
Pratt, Thomas

LEIGHTON BUZZARD, Castle Bromwich, carpenter, manufacturer, engineer, clerk, accountant, accounts, embezzlement, stealing, money