1938-11-26 — Page 19

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH,

SATURDAY,

Former C.O. Tried By Court-Martial on Five

Charges Of Fraud

Safe To Camp Because He Dare Not Run Risk Of Anyone Opening It

Said To Have Taken Office

Major Allan James Levinge Whyte, formerly Officer Commanding the 4th Fortress Company Royal Engineers at Fort Monckton, Gosport, appeared Fort before Q Court-Martial' at Monckton recently,

Seven officers composed the Court. The president was Major-General 6. S. Butler, Commanding the 48th South Midland Division and the South Midland Area.

Mr. C. L. Sterling, the Deputy. Judge Advocate, appeared to advise the Court, The "prisoner's friend" was Major J. S. Carsell. The number of witnesses who attended was 43.

NO EVIDENCE

Major Whyte pleaded guilty to five charges of fraud, but not guilty to sixth charge of Bron-selting fire to an office with Intent to injure or de fraud, causing damage and destruc tion to the extent of 2305.

No evidence was offered on the sixth charge of arson, and the couri found him not guilty of l

The first fraud charge was that on or about February 28 last Major to his own Whyte misapplied £103 use when he was meer in charge of administration of the School of Elec tric Lighting and Fourth Fortress Company, Royal Engineers.

MESSING ACCOUNT

of making a Another charge was fraudulent statement on May I this year in a certificate signed by him re- inting to the soldiers' messing ne- count It was alleged that he cert- fied that the bank balaner was £139 19. id., whereas he well knew it was £32 10. 1d.

Other charges mentioned various sums said to have been misapplied.

"They are very serious charger which makes him ilable to a maxi mam sentence of penal servitude, vormented the Deputy Judge Ad- vocata General.

Captain Lord Russell (prosecuting) said that Major Whyte, when he took over the dulics of officer of adminis- tration, also took over varicus C- counts.

Whyte had said he did not wish to produce the key until he was able to raise some money privately.

Major Whyte had slated that he because post- was short of money dated cheques had been given to him by certain officers, but these officers denied having done this. After dealing with the first two charges, Lord Russell said "the prose cution say that Major Whyte took the nt Wyke Regls, Weymouth, although office safe with him to a camp there were no cash payments to be made down there.

OFFICE FIRE

"The prosecution say that the rea- son why he took the safe with him on was that he did not that occasion want to leave It behind for anyone having the key to find that there was not £270 in the safe," commented Lord Russell.

He learned that there were two- keys-one with Major Whyte and one in an envelope in the adjutant's zale.

In the early morning of July 25 there was a fire at Major Whyte's

control. office, but the outbreak was got under

"We are not concerned now with the fire or with the cause of it," add- ed Lord Russell. "All the prosecu Lon are now concerned with is whe ther, when the fire took place, there was in the safe, as there should have been, £324 and a few shillings."

Describing what happened when the safe was first opened after the Are, he said, "One would have ex- pected Major Whyte to show over- whelming desire to get out anything of value before it could be burned beyond recognition.

+

SUNDAY JOINT

"He opened the safe. Some of the contents appeared to be smouldering. shut and the safe was Immediately again.

"No steps were taken to save any notes which were there.

"It was rather like a cook open. Ing an oven, seeing that the Sunday joint was not quite cooked, and shutting it again, thinking it migh need another

от Len

twenty minutes." The court-martial ended, and the be announced In duc findings will

Lord Russell described a number of Bnancial transactions, and cald that one officer had stated that he would insist on having the key of the anfe from Major Whyte, but Major course.

No One To Say 'I Consent'

Recently eighteen-year-old Evelyn Stevens, of Darwin-road, South Ealing, W., could find nobody to give legal permission for her to marry her sweetheart, Joseph Lawrence, aged forty, a Wandsworth engineer. The difficulty arose because Evelyn was not legally adopted as a baby. After seeking advice at Brentford and Ealing police courts, and Ealing and Wandsworth register offices, she to Sir Sylvanus P. Vivian, Registrar-General of Marriages, at Somerset House.

wrote

The Registrar-General's personal secretary said that Sir Sylvanus had power, under the Guardianship of Infants Act, 1925, to give.consent to the marriage. He udded:

"We shall see that Miss Stevens gets permission."

Plain and Fancy Lying

THERE'S A LEGEND THAT A LIAR CAN'T LOOK YOU IN THE EYE---WIN SOME OF THE BEST LIARS WE KNOW USE THE POWER OF THE HUMAN EYE TO PUT THER. STUFF OVER.

Slim, smartly dressed Evelyn said, "Oh, that's grand," when told at her home later.

She explained: "Nobody objects to the marriage, but I must get per- mlsalon because I am a minor.

"When I was three weeks old my with Mrs. Young, mother left me with whom I have lived ever since. "I have known Mr. Lawrence for a year, and I am very much in love with him, despite the difference in our ages. We are to marry soon.

NOVEMBER

26,

1938.

This is the historie Damascus Gate through which 1,000 British Coldstream Guards entered to put to rout the Arabs that for some time had carried on hostlifties in the Old City. Troops wore rubber- soled shoes for sure footing on the ancient cobbled streets. Bombs and bullets met the soldiers, but there was no organized resistance. Other troops aided the Guards.

SOLUTIONS

INSPECTOR PLAYFAIR Coughnaught alone among the four nispecia wrote down Slatterley Park,"

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oul of Cryptogram: every five noe for taxes and, what' more, some of 'em don't even come in, for the Raine reason.

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VIGNETTES OF LIFE

By J. NORMAN LYND

"LISTEN HERE! YOU!! I SAID TO HIM."

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WHAT THEY SAID TO

THE BOSS AND HOW THEY SAID IT-

IS. THE TIME THEY'RE AT THEIR

BEST.

"MR. F. FLUSHER IS

IN SOUTH AMERICA

AND WONT BE

BACK FOR TWO MONTHS---YES HE WILL GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU - AND SEND YOU A CHECK-WHEN HE

RETURNS*

SQUE OF THEM ONLY TELL THE TRUTH BY ACCIDENT-FERJURY COMES NATURALLY TO THEM AND THEY WERE SITTING UP WITH A SICK FRIEND-IN ANOTHER TOWN ON THE NIGHT THE BANK WAS ROBBED AND THE COP WAS BUMPED OFF."

"AND YOU MIGHT SAY THAT ANY

SUCCESS | HAVE. ATTAINED, I OWE TO THE LITTLE WOMAN...THAT'S ALWAYS A GOOD

LINE AND

PLEASES THE WOMEN

THE DARNEDEST LIARS ARE

WEIGHING MACHINES)

AND THE OWNERS

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TO SWEAR TO THEIR

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IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU WITH US- COME AGAIN ·

YOU TELL THE DEPARTING GUESTST -MEANWHILE WISHING THEY

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© Ledger Syndicate .....

NORMAN LYND.