AN OPENED LOVE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1293, 23 November 1911, Page 5

AN OPENED LOVE LETTER.

AND A SUPREME COURT CASE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.! Auckland, November 22. The interception of a love letter from a girl in Hikuraugi to her sweetheart in Taranaki was the prinoipal circumstance in an unusual ease that came before his Honour Mr. Justice Chapman in tho Supreme Court.' Charles Berry Simmonds, a smart-looking youth, who pleaded not guilty, was'charged on several counts that at Hikurangi, on June 1 last, lie did, contrary to his duty, suffer a postal packet to be opened by one Joel Rowley, and that between March, 1000, and June, 1911, ho opened several postal packets. Simmonds, according to the statement by tho Crown I'rosecntor, was employed as a cadet and messcngor in the Hikurangi Tost Office oil .Juno 1 last, when a letter was posted by a young lady named Daisy Deeming to her sweetheart iD Taranaki. It transpired that Miss Deem inp had been keeping company with another young man named Rowley, a porter on tho railway, but sho had "cooled off," nnd was in correspondence with a Robert Craig in Taranaki. While her letter was in the post office it was alleged the prisoner allowed Rowley to take iti open it out, and read it, and then gnm it up again. That the letter had been opened was discovered after Rowley went to the girl's bouse and said: "You arc a nice one to write to llob. You said you would not." Tho girl thought these remarks strange and suspicious, and inquiries led up to the discovery that her letter had been opened. I'or the defence it was contended that the Crown had not proved that Simmonds had suffered tho letter to be opened. The Jury returned a verdict of guilty, and sentence was deferred till to-morrow. Joel Vickev Rowley, who had pleaded guilty, c-amo up for sentence on a charge of opening a postal packet. His Honour said ho would deal with accused in the courso of a few days. William Holmes Henderson, a youth 1" years of age, who bad been a messenger at the Hikurangi Post Office, came up for sentence on a charge of destroying circulars. His Honour'"Vfould ; deal with accused in tho course of a-fbw days.