SEQUEL TO RAID

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 May 1930, Page 7

SEQUEL TO RAID

TELEPHONE INTERFERENCE ?

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

NAPIER, May 5.

Arthur Joseph Yeo was charged at the Napier Magistrate’s Court, before Mr A. M. Mowlem, S.M., to-day with wilfully interfering with. the telephone wires at his residence in Roslyn road. His wife was similarly charged. The male accused elected to be tried by jury, but his wife, Mona Yeo. elected summary trial. Evidence was given that Mrs Yeo was the owner of the house and the lessee of two telephones. An employee of the Post and Telegraph Department said he had found wires leading from lead-in wires attached to two cup hooks in the bathroom. If a piece of metal were placed across the wires at this point the telephones would be put out of order. He had also found that the wires had been tapped between the insulators and the lightning guard, led down through a recess by the chimney and connected -with two switches in a cupboard in the kitchen. By anyone operating these switches the telephones could be rendered inoperative or normal at will. Evidence was given to the effect that after the readjustment of the telephones several messages in connection with betting had been received by Detective-Sergeant Fitzgibbon, who also described the wiring system.

The detective-sergdant also stated, in answer to his Worship, that the charge had been brought against Mrs Yeo because she was the owner of tiie house and lessee of the telephones. The discovery of the interference with the wires was made during a police raid in connection with a bookmaking charge, on which Yeo recently was heavily lined. No evidence was offered for the defence, and the Magistrate reserved his decision.