THEFT OF POSTAL NOTE

Evening Star, Issue 14512, 2 November 1910, Page 8

THEFT OF POSTAL NOTE

A MESSENGER COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE.

Frederick Alexander Urqnhart appeared before Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M., in the Police Court this morning to answer a charge that on or about September 27, at Dunedin, he, being a post officer, did steal a letter, containing a postal note valued .€l, the property of the Postmaster-General, being an indictable offence. Mr Hanlon appeared for the accused. Chief-detective Herbert .said that the accused, was employed in the Postal Department at Dunedin, and when this offence was traced to him by his superior officers ho made a written statement admitting .the theft.' The statement would bo put into court as evidence. Edith Smith, of Invercargill, said that on September 27 a Miss Elizabeth Agnes M‘Killop gave to her £1 to procure a postal note. She also got a letter addressed to A. and T. Inglis, Dunedin. Witness obtained the postal note, and posted it within the letter to A. and T. Inglis. She posted it in time to catch the afternoon train. Eric Urquhart (12), a brother of tho accused, deposed as to receiving a postal note from his brother to have it cashed. He cashed it at Caversham Post Office, and gave the £1 to his brother (accused). Thomas Mitchell, telegraph messenger at Caversham Post Office, said ho cashed the note to tho previous witness. About ten days or a fortnight afterwards witness met accused, who said to him that he had lent £1 to a chap. This chap, accused went on to tell witness, had met him in town, and had given him tho postal note for tire £1 lent. Accused also said that later on he saw the number of the stolen postal note posted up in tho boss’s room, and the number corresponded with that on tho note. Accused mentioned to witness that he was in trouble, and asked him to do him a favor by not reporting tho matter. Witness went on to say how accused wanted him to tell the postal officials, if they came out to see him, that he forgot who brought the note in to be cashed.

Frederick Perrin, chief mail clerk, Dunedin Post Office, also gave evidence. Witness stated, inter alia, that he had occasion to make inquiries into missing letters, and had asked accused to give him assistance in making inquiries. Accused had said that ho had always acted straightforwardly and as a gentleman. Pressed by witness, accused told a story about a man, who was accompanied by a lady, coming to him ono night as be was closing the doors of the post office, and asking him to cash a postal note. Accused had said that ho cashed the note. Accused had also told another story about finding in a waste paper basket the letter containing the postal note. Eventually accused made a written statement, in which he admitted taking the letter containing the postal note from A. and T. Inglis’s private box and cashing the note. He offered to refund the money and to resign his position. Detective Ward also gave evidence.'

Accused, who pleaded guilty, was committed to the Supremo Court for sentence. Mr Hanlon asked that bail be fixed. After reference had been made to His Honor Mr Justice Williams’s reported opinion on the matter of allowing bail to prisoners who might not be admitted to probation, His Worship fixed bail at £2OO for himself, and two sureties of £IOO each, a condition being that one of the bondsmen must not be a relative.