APITI POSTAL CASE.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 3778, 3 May 1919, Page 2

APITI POSTAL CASE.

At the Supremo Court at Wellington, Sir Robert Stout (Chief Justice; presiding, .Mary Josephine Leo came up lor sentence on a charge of opening postal packets at Apiti, While admitting tJ IO seriousness ot the ordinary offence of this type, Mr C. Watson, for the defendant, claimed that this ease was not'so bad as the packets had not been opened with iniy hope of gam. »Sir Robert Stoul said it appeared that some people were courting, and this woman opened letters to see what was said between them—it was feminine iuquisitiveness .

Mr Watson said the man whose letter had been opened had apparently been ou yery familiar terms with the accused girl, but had changed his affections and written letters to' Ihe second girl, hoping that they would be opened.

Sir Robert Stout: He adopted a very clever ruse, putting into his letter a, little salt, which, when the letter was opened in the Post Office, dropped -out, so that when the letter reached its destination, the salt was missing, proving hat the letter had been opened.

Mr Watson handed in a petition from the residents of Apiti, testifying to the excellent character of the accused.

Sir Robert Stout said that had the offence been of the ordinary type, there would have been no option' hut to send the accused to gaol. It was not necessary, he thought, to place Leo on probation, and instead he would order her to come up for..sentence when called upon. She would not be so called upon if she paid £'3 3s towards the cost of the prosecution within six months.