A Rushden Office Burgled
Trusted Clerk Arrested Next Day
Nearly £200 Missing

A startling burglary took place in a Rushden factory on Tuesday night, and the next day, as the result of smart police investigation, a surprising arrest was made of a trusted clerk in the same factory.

The engineman at Messrs. Nurrish and Pallett’s boot factory in Shirley-road, Rushden, going to work early on Wednesday morning, discovered signs of the office having been entered. The matter was reported to the police, and Inspector Hankins made inquiries on the spot which led him to suspect someone in the office. Scratches were found on the outside of the window.

After interrogating the office employees, Inspector Hankins arrested one of the clerks, William Frank Denton, aged 20, of Queen-street, Rushden, who has been in the employ of Messrs. Nurrish and Pallett for some years and was, it is reported, well treated.

Sums amounting to nearly £200 were found to be missing, but after the arrest a good part of the money was recovered. The prisoner was formally charged before Mr. F. Knight, J.P., on Wednesday afternoon with burglary and remanded on bail to Friday’s Petty Sessions at Wellingborough.

Denton was charged at Wellingborough Petty Sessions this morning, and the case was adjourned for lunch as we went to press.

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Rushden Echo, 9th January 1925.

Rushden Clerk In Trouble
Holiday Money Disappears
Committed to the Quarter Sessions

William Frank Denton, clerk, of Queen-street, Rushden, who, as reported in last week’s Rushden Echo, was arrested on charges of theft from the offices of his employers, Messrs. Nurrish and Pallett, was brought up before the Wellingborough Magistrates last Friday. He was charged with entering the factory of Messrs. Nurrish and Pallett, Ltd., Shirley-road, Rushden, and stealing the sum of £122 10s. on Dec. 31st. He was also charged with embezzling from Messrs. Nurrish and Pallett, Ltd., the sum of £44 7s. 7d. between Aug. 16th, 1924 and Dec. 30th, 1924, and further of embezzling £15 during April, 1924. - Mr. J. C. Parker appeared for the accused.

George Harris, of 22, Brookfield-road, Rushden, secretary to the firm of Messrs. Nurrish and Pallett, Ltd., shoe manufacturers, said the defendant was a clerk under him, and it had been the practice of witness to pay to the defendant the holiday money received from the employees and the firm. Between Aug. 16th and Dec. 20 he had paid accused varying sums each week totalling £179 19s. 4d. The defendant should have paid this into the bank each week, but the bank pass-book (witness produced it) contained only one entry of payment between those two dates, and that was Sept. 1st., the sum being £9 10s. 8d.

On Dec. 31st, witness said, the factory was entered during the night, and £3 6s. 3d. was left in the office after it was supposed to have been robbed. This, added to the sum in the bank, to 4s. 2d. defendant had paid to a workman, and to the money for a cheque-book, made a total of £13 1s. 11d., so that

The Money Actually Missing

was £166 17s. 7d. The matter was at once reported to the police.

In reply to Mr. Parker, witness said he did not know who should have possession of the bank pass-book for the holiday money. The money belonged to the firm’s workpeople, and two of the workmen signed the cheques drawn on the holiday fund.

Replying to the Bench, witness said that a portion of the money was paid by the employers and the other portion by the employees.

Questioned further by Mr. Parker, witness could not say who the bank considered they held the money for. He could not say the money belonged to Messrs. Nurrish and Pallett, it belonged to the holiday fund.

The Bench at this stage recorded their decision that the holiday fund money belonged half to the workpeople and half to the employers, and the information was so amended.

Replying to the Clerk, witness said the men had not received their holiday pay.

Questioned again by Mr. Parker, witness said prisoner took over the holiday fund job from another clerk. He never got the prisoner to initial the sums or give receipts. Witness could have seen the holiday fund pass-book at any time within the six months. There were payments of over £52 at one time in the bank pass-book. Had he seen the pass-book he would certainly have asked what was the matter. He did not think the account was audited. Accused had been in the employ of the firm over five years, and his present salary was £1 a week. Accused was 19 years of age, and it was part of his duty to fetch the wages, from £300 to £350 a week, from the bank, and, excepting on one occasion, the money had been all right. Witness agreed it was not desirable that a fund which had accumulated to the large amount the holiday fund had should be under the charge of a young fellow of 19, receiving £1 a week, without any check upon him. Defendant entered the firm’s employ when he left school, and started at about 10s. a week. In five years he had had two 5s. rises. He had always regarded defendant as a very good lad, and up to now had found

Everything Satisfactory

in his work.

Harold Victor Whitby, clerk, of 6, Wentworth-road, Rushden, said he had charge of the holiday scheme until twelve months ago, when accused took it over. The accused had a right to keep a reserve in order to pay out a man who might leave the town. He had known the prisoner since schooldays and had never missed a penny. When witness kept the fund he always paid in weekly.

When shown the paying-in book, witness agreed it was correct that he had paid in one amount of £41 81s. 8d.

Walter Davis, clerk in the National Provincial Bank, proved the bank pass-book entries.

Charles Perkins, engineer, of 20, Grove-road, Rushden, said that when he entered the premises in the morning of Dec. 31st he found a door open and the office in disorder. He at once informed the police.

Inspector Hankins, of Rushden, said he went to the factory in response to the call and found signs of the factory having been entered by a window, and the office door had been opened by a key. After a little investigation he questioned the prisoner, who said: “I will make a clean breast of it. I broke into the factory and took about £130.” The prisoner took witness to his home and handed him £122 10s. in Treasury notes. Prisoner took them from the bedroom chimney, remarking: “I took the money because the workmen were to receive their money on Dec. 31st, and it was not all there. I thought other people would be

Blamed For Breaking In

and stealing it.”

In reply to Mr. Parker, witness said the window was left open and proved very easy access to the factory.

Prisoner was committed for trial on the first charge at the Quarter Sessions.

On the second and third charges, George Harris said that from Jan. 5th to Dec. 31st he had paid holiday money to the accused weekly, except two weeks when he was ill. On April 5th he sent Denton to fetch the wages from the bank in return for a cheque for £380. Denton called attention to the fact that one bundle of Treasury notes was £15 short, and witness communicated with the bank, who gave another £15. At the pay-out of the workmen’s holiday fund just after this event the fund was apparently correct. On Dec. 31st there was a deficiency on the holiday fund of £44 7s. 7d.

Inspector Hankins said that he spoke to accused in custody about the £15 short from the bank in April, and accused admitted that he had the money. He took it, he said, to make the workmen’s holiday paper out, as he had spent some of the holiday money. When handing over the £122 10s., Denton said the £44 7s 7d. deficient in the money was true. He had spent the money a little at a time.

The accused was committed for trial on these charges also, bail being allowed.

At the Quarter Sessions

Yesterday at the Northants Quarter Sessions, Mr. Henderson prosecuted, and said that prisoner had the sole control and management of the holiday fund of the firm of Nurrish and Pallett. He misappropriated some of the money and on one occasion broke into the office and stole the sum mentioned in the charge. Previously he had borne an excellent character.

Mr. Sandlands said the Rev. R. H. Hanson, Curate of St. Mary’s, Rushden, had written that the young men of the Church Institute would give Denton all the help healthy friendship could bring if the Court decided to bind prisoner over.

Inspector Hankins said that Denton bore an excellent character before he committed the offences. His parents were most respectable.

The Probation Officer said that Mr. C. W. Horrell, a well-known Rushden manufacturer, had offered to take Denton into his employ.

Mr. Sandlands pleaded for leniency on account of prisoner’s youth and the extenuating circumstances in that temptation was put into his way.

Denton was placed on probation for twelve months.