Each, as a young man, was attached to religious organizations--Mallows was a sidesman at one of the churches, Chidforth was a Sunday-school teacher at one of the chapels.

Both had been fully and firmly trusted, and it appeared from the evidence that they had had what practically amounted to unsupervised control of the building society's funds.

And--the really important point--there was no doubt whatever that they had helped themselves to some two thousand pounds of their fellow-members' money.
All this was clear enough: it took little time for Brereton to acquaint himself with these facts.

What was not so clear was the whereabouts or disposal of the money.

From the evidence there appeared to be two conflicting notions current in Wilchester at the time.