MISSING MONEY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 118, 20 May 1914, Page 8

MISSING MONEY

POSTAL OFFICER CHARGED WITH THEFT WITNESSES FROM HOBAHT. Three charges of theft were brought against a postal officer, Frederick David Plimmer, in the Magistrate's Court, today, before Mr. W. G. Eiddell, S.M. The charges were that lie stole : (1) On the 15th May, 1913, a postal packet, to wit, a letter addressed to Miss May Hannan, 13,, Martin-street, Wellington, which contained written matter and two postal notes for 10s and 5s respectively ; (2) on the Bth October, 1913, a letter addressed to Mrs. D. Kitto, 47, Ma'tairoad, Hataitai, which contained written matter and two one pound bank notes and two postal notes for 10s and 2s 6d respectively; and (3) on the 11th October, 1913, a letter addressed to Mrs. J. Hastings, Roseneath, which contained written matter, two one pound bank notes and one 5s postal note. Chief-Detective Broberg, who appeared for the police, said that he did not propose to offer any evidence with regard to the last charge, referring to a letter addressed to Mrs. J. Hastings. With the permission of the Magistrate, the charge was accordingly withdrawn. Mr. W. Perry appeared for the accused. Mi's. Annie Hannan, who resides in the Taumarunui district, said that on the 15th May, 1913, ; she wrote a letter to her daughter. Miss May Hannan, addressing it to 13, Martin-street, Wellington. Enclosed in the letter were two postal notes for 10s and 5s respectively. Cecilia Hannan, daughter of the previous witness, deposed to having posted at Taumarunui the letter addressed to her sister at Wellington. May Hannan, of Matapuna, Taumarunui, said that she had never received the postal notes said to have been enclosed in a letter sent to her by her mother while she (witness) was living in Wellington. Evidence was then taken in connection with the remaining charge. Maggie Mildred Hughes, schoolteacher, residing at Shannon, recalled having purchased two postal notes, which she enclosed in a letter which she addressed to Mrs. D. Kitlo, 47, Matai-road, Hataitai. Witness produced the counter-foils of the two notes. Mrs. Olive C. Kitto, of 47, Matairoad, Hataitai. said that she Ind not received the letter or the postal notes which Miss Hughes had stated she had posted to her. Joseph Hardie Fletcher, clerk in the G.P.0., said that the accused was a letter-carrier's sorter at the Chief Post Office, Wellington. Witness produced the letter-carrier sorters' time-book, shewing that on the 16th May accused was on duty from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a tea hour between 5 and 6 o'clock. A letter posted at 3.30 p.m. on the 15th May at Taumarunui would reach Wellington at 4.50 p.m. on the 15th. The accused would assist in sorting that mail.. ' The accused was on duty during the same hours on the 7th October. On the 7th October he was on duty from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m., with an hour oif for breakfast. If a letter was posted at Shannon at 4 p.m. on the 7th October it would reach Wellington at 7.23 p.m. The accused would assist in sorting that mail. Two letters addressed to residents of Hobart on 3rd August, 1913, and 13th November, 1913, containing postal notes, were produced. Leslie Holmes, a clerk in the employ of Laery and Co., Allen-street, said that on the 13th November, 1913, he received a postal note (now produced) from a Chinese named Young On in payment of goods supplied to him. The note was issued at Matapuna on the 15th May, 1913, and numbered 589058. Young On, manager for Sing on Tie, Cuba-street, said that some time during the month of November, '1913, he received in the ordinary course of business the postal note produced. EVIDENCE BY TATTERSALLS' CLERKS. John Johnson, officer in charge of the letter carriers in the Chief Post Office, produced tln'ee official documents, each of which contained some • of the accused's handwriting. Witness said that any letter-sorter would have an opportunity of stealing letters passing through the post office. Henry Vernon Anderson, clerk in the employ of Tattersall's, Hobart, identified the envelope now shown to him, which he said was together with an ap--'ication for tickets for the "Eileen" indicate received by him at his private address^ He , remembered the letter by 4lie v writing and by the name of the syndicate. On receipt of the letter he nanded it in to Tattersall's office. He received a second letter which he did not open, handing i^ to Tattersall's office. Dorothy Alice Allan, an opening clerk in the employ of Tattersall's, Hobart, said that in August last she received the envelope (produced) addressed to the last witness. It contained a postal note for 10s, issued at Matopuna, New Zealand, on the 15th May, 1913, numbered 269.953 together with the following application : Please allot me two tickets in your next sweep : Eileen Syndicate, Donald M'Leanstreet. Wellington, New Zealand. There was no chance of the postal notes being mixed. Each letter was dealt with separately. During August and September last year only one application marked "Eileen Syndicate" was received from New Zealand. Witness identified a postal note for 10s issued at Shannon, New Zealand, on the 3rd October, 1913; also an application form which read : "Kindly send three tickets for next sweep, and oblige F. Davidson, Normanby-street, Wellington, New Zealand." The books at Tattersalls proved that the postal note (produced) accompanied the application. Ihere was no doubt of this. Alexander Forrest. 30 odd years in the employ of the Bank of New Zealand, said ho had had great experience with hand-writing. He had examined specimens of Plimmer's writing in the official documents, and the writing of the application to Tattersalls from F. Davidson, Normanby-street, Wellington. In the opinion of witness the documents and the application were written by the same person. STATEMENT TO DETECTIVE. Detective-Sergpant Rawle said that on the 30th November last he interviewed the accused with respect to the alleged theft from Miss Hannah. Accused made a signed statement. In this he said that li& had purchased a postal note for 10s from a woman, a stranger, in the General Post Office. This he had sent to Tattersalls in the name of the "Eileen" syndicate. Witness added that the accused lived at 12, Normanby-street, tho address given on the application to Tatlersalls. Accused pleaded not guilty, reserved his defence, and was committed to the Supremo Court for trial. Bail was allowed in two sureties of £50.

Khandallah residents aro reminded that the first meriting ol tho Literary and Debating Society will be hold to-morrow overling in Iho Presbyterian Schoolroom. Subject.' "That International Disarmament is in the best interests of tho British Empire."