His crime was stealing funds belonging to a Squatting and Mining Company.

There was this extenuating circumstance: he could have replaced the money, which, as he said, he'd only intended to use for a few weeks.

But a personal enemy threw suspicion on him, accounts were examined, and though he showed he'd only used the money while more of his own was on the way to him, the Company insisted on prosecuting him.

For two reasons: because it was itself in bad odour, and hoped by this trial to divert public attention from its own dirty position; and because he had against him not only his personal enemy, but those who wanted to hit the Company through him.

He'd filched to be able to meet the large expenses of his wife's establishment.