QSR1868/4/5/13a

Depositions of Arthur Thomas Webster, merchant of Luton. Thomas Gardner Attwood, clerk to Mr Webster. Edward Foster, linen draper of no.92 West Street, Leeds. George Judge, milliner of Leicester. William Pedder, straw hat manufacturer of no.17 Falkland Street, Liverpool. George James, Inspector of Police of Luton. In the case of Edwin Glenister accused of embezzling the sum of £8 and within 6 months obtaining futher sums of £12 3s 6d and £2 13s.

12 October 1868

From: 1868 To: 1868

Arthur Thomas Webster: a merchant and manufacturer at Luton. In the months of May, June and July the defendant was in his employment as a Commercial Traveller and had been from January. The defendant had a salary of £120 a year and £1 a day travelling expenses. The defendant’s duties were to sell goods in the way of trade, to received cash for the same, to inform him of the receipt and to pass the money to him immediately. He produced his ledger and at pg 581 it showed an account of £14 14s 7d due from Edward Foster. On 6 July he received a cheque from Mr Foster for £6 10s 7s. He did not received any other amounts towards the £14 14s 7d. He was able to produce his cash book and it showed no other entry for the account. The ledger and the cash book were in the handwriting and kept by his clerk Attwood. About June he had a conversation with the defendant in which he asked him if he had Foster’s money yet. The defendant said he could never find Foster home and he would advise putting into the hands of the solicitor. He told the defendant “mind you get it next time you go”. He asked the defendant about the account again in July and the prisoner said he had not got the money and could not find Foster at home. On 23 July he balanced with the defendant and paid him a cheque for £23 10s 0d, the balance of his salary. When he settled with the defendant he asked him if he had given him a faithful account of the monies he had received and the prisoner said he had. 2 days afterwards from information received from Mr Foster he sent for the defendant asked him if he had given him an account of all the monies he had received. The defendant said he had. He told Glenister he did not want to be hard on him but asked if he had received money from Foster. The defendant thought for some time and said “well, I think I did”. He told Glenister that Foster had written and told him he had paid Glenister 8 sovereigns. The defendant said he was very sorry for it. He told the defendant that unless it was settled immediately he would put it into the hands of the police. Glenister said he would get the money and went away. He saw him again the next day and told him he feared there was a lot more he had not discovered. He told Glenister that unless it was settled immediately he would get a warrant and asked if Glenister’s father-in-law could not be responsible. Glenister replied he thought he could. He did not see the defendant again until he saw him after the warrant was issued. He produced a letter marked ‘A’ from the defendant received on 5 August. On 6 August he received another letter from the defendant marked “B”. His ledger showed an amount of £12 3s 6d and 6s due from George Judge of Leicester. He had not received any part of that account and the case book contains no entries. The ledger also showed £2 13s 0d due on the account of William Pedder of Liverpool. He had received nothing on this account. He received information from Mr Judge and Mr Pedder after the prisoner had left his service. Thomas Gardner Attwood kept his cash book and made entries under his instructions on the arrival of the letter. All remittances were entered when received. The cash book only contained entries of money received. He entered receipt if Attwood was at home. The entries were made daily as money was received. Thomas Gardner Attwood: he was clerk to Mr Webster and kept the cash book. All money received was entered there. Mr Webster would call out names and amounts as received and he would enter them. The ledger showed £14 14s 7d due from Edward Foster, £12 6s 6d from George Judge and £2 13s 0d from William Pedder. He went on holiday in the later part of June and before he went he heard Mr Webster ask the defendant if he had received any money from Mr Foster and the defendant said he had called but could never find Foster at home. £6 10s 7d had been paid on Foster's account and no parts of Judge’s or Pedder’s accounts had been paid. He had not seen or spoken to the defendant about business matters since July. The defendant had not said anything to him about Judge’s account. He would take the travellers’ sale sheets and enter them. He showed the sheet to Glenister who agreed it correct. Edward Foster: he was a linen draper at 92 West Street, Leeds. On 12 May he paid the defendant £8 on the account of Mr Webster. He was able to produce the receipt signed by Glenister in his presence. George Judge: a milliner of Leicester. On 27 June he paid the defendant £12 3s 6d on Mr Webster’s account. He produced the receipt signed by Glenister at the Craven Arms Hotel. About a month later he received information that Glenister had left Mr Webster and as he happened to be in Luton for a few days he saw Glenister. He said to Glenister there was something wrong with his account as he had been written to about it when he had paid it all. Glenister said it was all right and he was going to the warehouse and would speak to the bookkeeper. He saw Glenister again the next day and Glenister said he had been unable to rectify it but it would be all right. He told Glenister he was leaving Luton directly and he would see Mr Webster before he left for Leicester. Glenister said he had sent the money to Mr Webster but they had omitted to carry it to the account. He did not recollect seeing the prisoner with some notes at the Craven Arms and cutting them in half. William Pedder: he was straw hat manufacturer at 17 Falkland Street, Liverpool. He paid the defendant £2 13s 0d on 6 July on the account of Mr Webster, less a discount of 1s 6d. The receipt was written by Glenister in his presence and he was able to produce it. He produced a letter dated 1 August in Glenister’s handwriting. Inspector George James: he apprehended the defendant in Liverpool on 19 September. The prisoner was at the police station on the charge. When told of the warrant the prisoner said he knew about it and could make it right and that he had not been able to make it right at the time and that had been the reason he had gone away. On being read the warrant, Glenister replied “they are sums of money which Mr Webster ought to have given me credit for but he did not do so”. Statement of the accused: “they are accounted for”.

item

Glenister, Edwin,
Webster, Arthur Thomas,
Attwood, Thomas Gardner,
Foster, Edward,
Judge, George,
Pedder, William,
James, George

LUTON, embezzlement, milliner, straw hat manufacturer, linen draper, merchant, Liverpool, Leeds, Leicester, clerk, commercial traveller