(Semeenced to six months imprisonment)
Shanghai, Aug. 23.
Seathing comment on the Shanghai Gas Company's treatment of old employees was delivered from the bench by Judge P. Grant Jones during the trial of Henry Cyril Davies, former ledger clerk: of the Shanghai Gas Ca., in HM, Supreme Court yesterday morning. "Davies, faced. with 22 charges of fratid, pleaded guilty on three counts and was given a sentence of six months" imprisonment after a Drier' Anat which lasted less than half an hour, Mr. Vielor Priestwood, Crown Advocate elected to proceed on the first three charges and these were read onl to the accused by H. M. Registrar, Mr. C, H. Haines as follows:
"Between October 12 and November 7, 1938, being a clerk or servant the Shanghai Gas Ca,, with intent to defraud" made. an alteration in the ledger belonging to said Gas "Ca, his employers, pur rrorting to' show that a sum of $783: was dite from the 'Shanghai Evening Post and Mercury' for October, 1988, contrary to Section 1, of the faisificaton of accounts et, "1875."
"Between October' 11 and 31, 195 being a clerk or servant of -the Shanghai Gas Ca, with intent to defraud, made an alteration in the ledger belonging to said Gas Ca,, his employers, purporting to show that the sum of $51.86 had been received on August 1, 1988, front the 'Shang hai Evening' Post and Mercury' contrary to Section 1 of the falsifeation of accounts act, 1875."
"Between October 12 and November 7, 1998, belie a clerk or servant of the Shanghai Gas Ca., with intent to defraud made an alteration in the edger, purporting to show that the stim of $57.88 had been received from the "Shanghai Evening Post and Mercury' on October 12, 1938, con trary 10 Section 1 of the falsification of accounts act, 1875, The Accused pleaded guilty "under forced circumstances" to these three charges, The Judge then asked him IE he had anything to say in answer to the charges and the slightly built, former ledger clerk stood up in the dock and said have always been an honest and hard-working man and I have render ed steady and faithful service for 23 years, with {he Shanghai Gas Company," declared Davies, in a sharp, tense voice, vibrant with emotion. "In spite of my years of experience and faithful service T was told, in October, 1937, by Mr. W. J. Brown, a member of the company, that Mr. 'W. J. Baker, the Engineer in Chief, wished to dispel: the company could easily obtain the services of a much you at q reduced salary.
Here the Judge Interrupted with Yemarke "Zt would be. very un= fortunate for some of us if all walks of life followed the same prin" ciple:
Davies told how he had worked nis way up, step by step through various pay grades, to the salary of $500 per month. News that he was be cut to $300 slaggered him, he said, and he applied for retirement asking for the pension which had been given in other cases. "They refused me any pension" he said bit terly, "and there was nothing T could do but accept the $300 per_month, Thave a wife and four grown chile view of the fact that It Is your frst offence, however, the least sentence T can pass upon you is six months imprisonment.
The Jury sat in court during the trial but was not empanelled, being dispensed "with when the scoused pleaded guilty.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.