EXTENSIVE ROBBERIES.

Hastings Standard, Issue 20, 19 May 1896, Page 2

EXTENSIVE ROBBERIES.

MANIPULATION OF RAILWAY TICKETS.

Melbourne, May 18. Two extensive robberies came to light during the week. In one case a railway booking clerk is alleged to have ingeniously manipu- v lated the tickets issued to overland travellers to Sydney in such a way as to put 50 per cent, of the proceeds in his own pocket. Some time ago a bundle of Melbourne-Sydney tickets were missing, and was never discovered. It was with these tickets presumably that the clerk worked the oracle, and in order that the method may be understood, it must be explained that the practice in issuing a child's ticket is to cut off the lower portion of the ticket, which is to enable a tally of the money and tickets. The clerk is alleged to have issued a full ticket, pocketed half the amount, and then cut off the bottom part, one of the missing tickets being handed in with the cash. How long the process would have gone on it is hard to say, but for the authorities being struck with the abnormal number of children travelling, and comparing notes with the Sydney authorities, by which means the fraud was discovered. It is known so far that £9OO are missing. » The second case is more of toe sneak thief order. An American named McKay, posing as a journalist, has been in the habit for the past two and a half years of calling at offices on some trivial pretext, and, it is alleged, r contriving to annex unconsidered trifles. The appropriation of a gold chain led to his arrest. The man had a room in town, and a search revealed a perfect curiosity shop piled with goods, valued at £450.