EXTREMELY FOOLISH.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 206, 31 August 1926, Page 11

EXTREMELY FOOLISH.

TAMPERING WITH LETTERS. A WOMAN'S CURIOSITY. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) HAMILTON, this day. "A piece of pure idle, feminine curiosity," was how Mr. Justice Stringer described the confessed deeds of a young married woman, Florence Chapman, in opening and reading letters which passed through her hands at the post office at a small place called Opatu, near Taumarunui, where her father acted as postmaster.

It was stated by Mr. Marsaek, who appeared for her, that accused wa3 just married. She had had a rather unfortunate existence through living in a district where there was practically no female companionship, and, her father being an invalid, she had had to do the duties of a male hand on the farm. Her father acted as postmaster, and accused often sorted the letters. She had now pleaded guilty to opening and reading some of these, which she later placed back in the envelopes and sealed up. In some cases, there had been valuables in the packages, but there was no suggestion of theft against her.

Mr. Gillies, for the Crown, agreed with these remarks. His Honor then made the remark above quoted, both counsel replying: "Yes."

His Honor told the accused that she had done an extremely foolish thing and might have got herself into serious trouble, as tampering with postal packets was regarded in a very serious light by the law. However, his Honor was satisfied that the acts were purely ones of idle curiosity, that there was no fraud, and that nobody was injured as a result. He convicted and discharged the accused.