ART UNION TICKETS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 200, 21 May 1931, Page 11

ART UNION TICKETS

Missing Postal Notes

CHARGE OF THEFT

Man Sent for Trial

Shortly after the Easter holidays numerous complaints were received by the organisers of the “Lucky Dog” art union that people had not received tickets for which they had forwarded postal notes. As a result of investigations by the police, Valentine Charles Blake, a butcher, aged 35 (Mr. Sievwright) appeared before Mr. T. B. McNeil, S.M.. in the Police Court yesterday, to answer nine charges of stealing postal notes, money, and stamps, the property of the Post-master-General. Eleven witnesses gave evidence of having dispatched postal notes to the organisers of the art union, and of having to write again, through non-receipt of tickets. Notes Worth £4O. Joseph Norman, hotel porter, stated that on Easter Monday the accused, witness, and a man named Mason, went for a taxi ride, for which Blake paid. At the Central Hotel, the accused asked witness if he wanted to earn some money quickly. Witness asked, “What is the strong of it?” The accused said he had £4O worth of postal notes to dispose of, and offered witness £lO if he could return him £3O for the notes. Witness told him he would think over the offer. He saw the accused next day, and said, ‘‘Cut it out; it’s no good to me.” The accused said, “You’re too late; the lot’s gone off.” Vivian Claude Parker, showman, said that the accused had owed him 30/-, and on April had met witness at the Clarendon Hotel, and paid him the amount in postal notes. Later the' accused had redeemed 27/6 worth of the notes. Notes Cashed. Allan Joseph Greig, money order teller at the General Post Office, said that on April 7 he had been employed at. the Wellington South Post Office. On that day the accused presented forty 2/6 postal notes at the. office. Witness told him it would be necessary to sign each of the notes, and he took them to a counter and signed them in the name of “Ambrose.” Witness cashed the notes, paying the accused £5. Oliver Louis Alfred Sutton, clerk at Te Aro Post Office, said that on April 7 the accused cashed thirty postal notes, of a total value of £2/16/8. These notes were all signed “I. Helper.” Joseph William Claude Backhouse, clerk at the G.P.0., Wellington, said that on April 11 he acted as relieving postmaster at Molesworth Street. On that day a map had cashed ten postal notes of a value of 25/-, all signed “J. Sykes.” He could not identify the man who had cashed the notes. William Carter, barman,' said that the accused stayed at the Carlton Hotel on Easter Monday night. He purchased some drinks in the boarders’ bar, and paid for them with postal notes.

Convenient Way to Carry Money.

Nancy .Cecilia Carr, clerk at the Carlton Hotel, said that the accused had paid for his board at the hotel with postal notes. Witness remarked upon him having so many postal notes, and he said it was the most convenient way to carry money at holiday time. John Thomas O’Sullivan, assistant supervisor in the mailroom at the General Post Office, said that box 110 was rented by Hammond 'and McArthur, art union organisers. The mail for this firm was larger than box 110 could accommodate, and the overflow was tied up into bundles and placed on a sorting table under Hammond and McArthur’s box. These bundles of letters could be seen by anyone looking through the small door into the sorting room. Guthrie Oliver Beck, clerk employed by Hammond and McArthur, said the mails were always heavy toward the close of an art union. Witness cleared the box about 1.30 p.m. on the day before Good Friday, and did not clear it avain until April 7, when there was a heavy mail. Bertie Lawrence Hammond, of the firm of Hammond and McArthur/ organisers for the “Lucky Dog” art union, said there were three keys to the firm’s letterbox. On April 4 witness had one key, Beck had one, and McArthur, who was in Auckland, had the other. The firm’s office was closed from April 2 until April 7. Witness received about 180 complaints from persons that they had not received their tickets.

Thomas Joseph Hall, acting-detective, stated that on April 20 he saw the accused in Courtenay Place, and interviewed him at the Taranaki Street Police Station respecting the notes. The accused said he had got the notes from a man named Moran and a man natved Jim, who had gone to Australia. He also said he had received £3/10/- for cashing £lO worth of postal notes, and that two men he had been with at the Central Hotel had cashed some postal notes, and lie had then thought that there was something Witness produced the forty postal notes which had been cashed nt tile Wellington South Post Office, and the accused said he had not signed any noteii with the signature “A. Ambrose.” He also denied having signed any notes, “I. Helper” or J. Sykes." stating that these notes had been signed before he got them. The accused had remarked, “If I tell you people all I know about it, it may mean a sentence of two or three years for me ” He refused to give a signed statement. Detective Hayhurst had been associated with witness throughout the investigations. c Committed for Trial. The accused pleaded not guilty, reserved his defence, and was committed for trial to the Supreme Court at Wellington on July 27. Bail was allowed in a bond of £125, and one surety of a like amount, or two sureties of £62/10/-. A condition was made that the accused report twice a week to the police.