1932: The Gregg Incident

Alf Gregg, Club Secretary in 1932, told police that he had been 'sandbagged' (hit on the head with a weapon which leaves no mark) on his way home from the Club late on Sunday night 31 October 1932. He said his keys, including the one to the Club safe, were stolen, and money had been stolen from it, the amount turning out to be £252. He was suspended from his position. Gregg was V-P in 1918-9 and Secretary from 1923 until his suspension, after which the position was filled by W. Moore, perhaps long-time President William Moore, who held the position until 1939. Gregg eventually admitted that he had embezzled the money, and charges were pressed.

SANDBAGGED

Workers Club Secretary

FREMANTLE, Tuesday.

Alarmed at the failure of her husband, Alfred Gregg, secretary of the Fremantle Workers Club, to return home from the office last night, Mrs. Gregg made a search and found him lying in South Terrace. He said he had been attacked by thieves while on his way home, struck on the head and sandbagged and his key stolen.
It was found that £100 was missing from the club safe.

Lismore Northern Star, 2 November 1932, page 4

CLUB SAFE ROBBERY

Committee Acts

SECRETARY IS SUSPENDED

Following a special meeting of the committee of management of the Fremantle Workers' Club last night, the secretary (Mr. Alfred Gregg) was suspended.
The meeting was called by the president (Mr. W. Moore) after disclosures by the club's auditor (Mr. J. S. Johnstone), which indicated that £252 10s was missing.
The meeting decided to relieve Mr. Gregg of his duties and to place the auditor in charge pro tem. A thorough examination of the club's books is to be made immediately. The preliminary audit of the books was made consequent on a report to the police by Mr. Gregg on Monday that he had been assaulted and robbed of the keys of the club's safes. When the police visited the club shortly after 4 a.m. on Monday the keys were found in one of the safes from which money was missing.
On Monday Mr. Gregg estimated that £146 10s was the amount taken from the safe.

Daily News, 3 November 1932, page 1

Club Secretary Suspended

MR. ALFRED GREGG, the secretary of the Fremantle Workers' Club. The Fremantle police were jnformed that while he was going home late on Sunday night, he was assaulted, and his keys stolen. Subsequently it was found that £252 was missing from the safe. Mr. Gregg has been suspended from the secretaryship pending an inquiry. A meeting of the full committee of the club will be held to-morrow.

Mirror, 5 November 1932, page 1

FREMANTLE WORKERS CLUB

The Secretary Suspended

Mr. Alfred Gregg, secretary of the Fremantle Workers' Social and Leisure Club, was found walking in a dazed condition in South-terrace, Fremantle, in the early hours of Monday morning last.
He later reported to the police that he had been struck on the head and rendered insensible in Howard-street, while on his way home from the club on Sunday night, and that the keys of the club's safe had been removed from his pocket.
A subsequent investigation revealed that the safe had been opened and Mr. Gregg estimated that funds amounting to £146/10/ had been removed. An auditor's check, however, revealed that a sum of £252/0/10 was missing.
Mr. Gregg stated that the bunch of keys stolen included the keys to the safes in the office of the club, but not that to the front door of the building. He apparently suffered no serious ill-effect from the assault, but he stated that he must have been unconscious for about four hours.
As a sequel to the affair, the president of the club (Mr. W. Moore) said on Thursday that Mr. Gregg had beensuspended and the club's auditor placed temporarily in charge.

Sunday Times (Perth) Sunday 6 November 1932, page 3

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This page incorporates material from Garry Gillard's Freotopia website, that he started in 2014 and the contents of which he donated to Wikimedia Australia in 2024. The content was originally hosted at freotopia.org/clubs/freoworkers/Gregg.html, and has been edited since it was imported here (see page history). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.