SUPREME COURT. CRIMINAL SITTINGS. Yesterday. (Before His Honour the Chief Justice) THE STAMP CASE.

Evening Post, Volume L, Issue 142, 13 December 1895, Page 2

SUPREME COURT. CRIMINAL SITTINGS. Yesterday. (Before His Honour the Chief Justice ) THE STAMP CASE.

In the stamp caße against Bernard Watts and Alexander G. Fabian, charged with the theft of defaced postage stamps from the 'elegraph Department, the following evidenoe was heard yesterday afternoon : — Ihomas Johnston, mail-bag maker, said he had seen Fabian in the room where the messages were baled, and Edward Clark, storeman, stated that Fabian removed a small parcel, like waste paper, whioh had been found by an expressman among eaoks whioh were being sent baok to the Pobt Office. Thomas Palmer, storeman, said that after his arrest Fabian told wilneßS that he bought the set of stamps found in his possession from Watts. Henry G. Carmen, clerk to Whitcombe and Tombs, said he had had dealings in New Zealand stamps with Watts, aud reoently bought two lots of New Zealand "postal fisoala " from him. Tho first lot of 100 h« bought for 25s and for the Becond lot of 125 ho paid 35a. The stamps wore marked 1891, and ranged from 2s to £3. When buying the first lot he asked Watts if the ttamps were part of a lot taken from the Post Office in 1891. Watts replied that he bad made arrangements all over the oolony for g tting these stamps. To Dr. Findlay— Witness know Watts aB a dealer iv stamps, and saw nothing unusual in bis declining to say where he bought them. Charles W. Fr a•, porter at the Canterbnry Club, said he bought several lines of fiscal stamps from Watts. Tho complete set produced (found on Fabian), ranging from 15s up to £10, was worth as much as £10. W. H. Hastings, of Dunedin, said he bought a line of fiscal stamps from Watts for £6. Before paying for them he told Watts that there was likely to be trouble about them, as the Telegraph Department was making enquiries. Watts replied that the stamps were part of a lot which had previously beon taken from the Post Office by a man who had " got the sack," and there would bo. nothing farther heard of them. To Dr. Findlay -Witness had bought similar linaa of stamps from other people. William L. Hooper, Dunedin, said Watts cold his fi-m stamps, whioh he said were some of those which had been taken from iho Post Office in 1891. He did not Bay how he got them.< Charles B. Mann, assistant storekeeper in the Telegraph stores, save evidence of cablegrams being missing from tho bags opened by Mr. Blaok and himself. Detective Campbell said that before he arrested Wntts he asked him where he obtained tho stamps he bad been selling. Watts replied that he got them in a general way, from persons passing through the city, and whose names he did not know. After the arrest witness took Watts to Inspector Pender'd house, whore he said he had got the stamps from Fabian, and later on, at the Polioe Station, he said he was very glad it had been found out, The first time he knew there was anything wrong with the stampi was when he found that Mr. Gray was making enquirieß about them. Witness found the stamps produoed in Watts' possession the same day he arrested Fabian, who denied that Watts had got any stamps from him, or that he knew anything about them. Witness found some stamps in a pocket-book, and also in an envelope which Fabian said contained a letter to his sister At 6.10 p.m. the Court adjourned till 10 o'clock next morning. This Dat. v On resuming this morning, Frederiok Bißhop was examined, as the last witness for the Crown. His Honour, in answer to Mr. Jellicoe, said he thought that looking at the high v»lae of the stomps found in Fabian's possession, and the circumstances under whioh they were found, there was a case against him to go to the jury. Dr. Findlay and Mr. Jelliooe addressed the jury ia defenoe, but did not call evidenoe. The jury retired at 1.15 p.m., and returned in 20 minutes with a verdiot of Not Guilty. The aooused were accordingly discharged from onatody. THIFT. Henry Coombo pleaded Guilty to the theft of various artioles from the warehouse of Sargood, Son and Ewen, and was remanded on bail till Monday, to await a report by the Probation Officer. I Left sitting 1