THE POST OFFICE ROBBERY.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 173, 25 March 1896, Page 2

THE POST OFFICE ROBBERY.

'rm: Accused Oo.M.\irrra>. At (lie police court on Friday', before Lieut-Col. Roberts, S.M., Thomasßardie and James Stern appeared on remand elmrgod willi breaking'and cntorinsr the Rotorua Po'st Office and stealing ihercfroin the sum of £2-16 10s 2d the property of the Postmaster-General. All the available space in tin; courtroom was occupied and the evidence was listened to with the closest attention throughout, although at times the details were somewhut tiresome'. Const Brennnn of Cambridge prosecuted and gave- a brief outline of the ease, before calling the witnesses. At the request of accused all witnesses were'ordei'0d to leave the Court. E. D. Dansoy, postmaster, Stated that he had no previous knowledge of accused ii]) to their arrest. On March loth last he left the office at 7.:50 p.m. in company with Mr Mueller, Commissioner of Crown Lands to attend a meeting of (he Town hoard' at Mr Malfroy s residence. Before leaving the office all registered letters for mails (lien about to he mado up were handed to the officers to he (Enclosed in the mails. Registered letters and packets received for delivery here, and those registered here to be forwarded to other places wore loe cd up in the safe by witness, along with all cash and other securities. From that time (he keys never left bis possession until (hey were abstracted from his bedroom, lie returned home at 10.30 p.m. in company with Messrs Brent and Mueller and never left the house afterwards. He woke up at 0.25 a.m. and in dressing missed the keys of the safe from under his pillow. Not finding them in the pocket of his clothes, and noticing the door of the room ajar, be concluded that sdmething serious had happened and crossed over to the' post office. In passing through the dining room he noticed a plass with some liquid in it which he could not account for. On entering the instrument room lie noticed that a window facing Font on street was wide open and a pane of <ihiss broken which woiihl allow the catch to be released. In his own office he found the safe door open and the keys in the lock. Ho missed the two cash boxes. Ho- examined (he seals of the outgoing mail hags but found, them intact. On further examining the safe ho found the cash till of another cash box with some silver j money in it had not been touched, as al- j so some registered packets. He locked the safe and went for the police. "With Const Whehrn a close examination was made of the post ofiiee premises, and whileengagod in doing so the surfaceman, Macnamara, came up. From what ho said Const Wholan; witness and others 'went to the corner of Rooa'tson's paddock in Hinemaru street and there found the principal cash box with its contents scattered about. The. envelopes of the registered letters had been torn open and the contents abstracted, with 'the exception of three, (wo of which contained ohequ is ami the third a deed. In another opened envelope was a hank deposit slip showing (bat it had contained a remittance of Mr "Wake's of £2B in notes and £7 10s 3d in cheques. This letter had been registered oh the previous afternoon and had been placed by witness in the safe the name evening. Another registered letter addressod to Mr G. B. Nnnkivell was found torn open. It contained a, letter from the Union Bank giving the numbers of ton £o-notos enclosed. Other registered envelopes, one hearing (be stamp of "Waihi, and in the hufldwi'itirig of Richard Curtis, and another addressed to W. -T. Bcale, Auckland, had contained £1 each. A roll of £2O in notes was got near the cash box and another registered letter containing two post office orders. Const Wholan also picked up the Keys of tlio court; house which had been with the safe keys on the previous evening. The cash box had contained besides the letters £122 Is 3d comprising approximately, gold, £32 10s ; single notes, £o", two £o-notes; £lB liia Id in cheques and £■!

!■•■ ira»—..i-J-:nr.TT,—-.TTTI'.-'- —— ~ ■- -_ : V.:i:^~~,j 6s 2d in silver, copper and odd slainpv: In Hinornaru street, hut nearer Brents' Boarding-louse, the second cash box whs picked ii]> —empty —the contents scattered about. It had contained a miscellaneous assortment of documents .•mil about i'l 12s Gd in cash j, two cheques wore found close by, one intact and the other torn in pieces. Amongst oilier documents won.' the wills of certain residents, the envelopes of which bad not been broken. A discussion arose as to whether the production of these do'ounicnts was necessary, but eventually the cash box and contents were produced as one exhibit. Witness, continuing, said hesulisequonlly received from Const Whelan the numbers of the notes contained in Mr Wale's letter. He ascertained that two persons had left for Okoroire and. from dnquirii c mndc at Robertson's stables ascertained that though the men had spoken to Mr Melville previously about going to ORoroiro their departure seemed to depend upon some contingency; To Constable Bronnan : In my opinion the Pcist Office was entered through the window us footmarks were observed on Ihi! sill and on the operating table ; the' letter containing Mr Wake's remittance was registered by Mr Holland, bis assistant, I hand in statement showing the total loss to be £220 10s 2d with the exception of the small amount in the other eashhox. The cover of Mr Wake's registered letter was forwarded to the Chief Postmaster. The non-production of these documents is owing to the departmental regulations which necessitate them being forwarded to their destination. By accused Hardie: I ascertained the numbers of the notes from Const. Whelan; they corresponded .with' the numbers in your possession ; Mr Wake's omployee, Mr Holland, registered the letter; I only know Holland as a chemist in Mr Wake's employment; I was not in his company on the night before 1 ho robbery ; Mr Forrest registered the letter; I was not at the counter at the time. I made up the j list of the money missing before 10 f o'clock in the morning and sent in my report, to the head office. lam not aware that there is a daily coach to Okoroire ; I was tofd by Robertson's people that you engaged a special. At first I thought there was only £l3O mining, when we pieced the cheques together and became aware of the contents of certain letters I found that it amounted to much more, . Charles Holland, chemist employed by Mr Wak.e, stated that he registered a letter for Mr Wake on March lOandgotthc receipt produced. The letter contained two cheques', eighteen £1 notes and one £lO note, which were being sent to the Bank of New Zealand, Auckland. It was the custom io tn.'-e the numbers of all notes sent away and enter them in the day- book produced. Witness identified sixteen of the £1 notes as being in the letter registered by him, out of. another bundle'of nineteen £1 notes he identified one'.By accused : Have been in Mr Wake's employment about six months; ho banked rcguh jly every ioonth;l placed the money in the letter during the morning. Mrs Wake was present; I gave a list of the numbers of the notes to Constable Whelan on the morning after the robbery was discovered. At accused's request witness pointed out the previous list of numbers of notes in the day book and the book itself was subjected to a close inspection at accused Hardie's hands. Richard Blackett Atkinson, in the cm-; ployriicht of E. Robertson and Co., stated that he drove both of the accused half way to Okoroire on March 11. They left at 10.15 and arrived at the half-way uhout 1 o'clock. The accused Steep paid him i'l for the two fares which he handed to Mr Robertson ; the note produced was the ope he got from Steon;' Constable' Whelan got the note on his vet urn to Rbtorua rind comparing it with a list which he hud in his hand said, " I identify this note and I impound it." By accused Hardie; I knew the note from the others just now became there is a hole in it ;' you did not pay me. Steon did; when I was paid I remarked that I hoped it was not one of the Pest Office notes ; I said it in jo>o as the conversation had been about the robbery. By accused Steon : I swear it wis you' who paid me. By accused Hardie: I passed two footpassengers on the road about three miles from tin; half-way when we were going there. They were in the bush drying their socks. They passed us again when the horses were feeding. Constable Wholiiu stated that'he had received information from Mi Dansey of the robbery on the morning of the Ihh and corroborated much of the evidence previously given. In regard to Hie ar-. rest of the men he said that after he hud found that the driver. Blackett, hud received one of the notes on Wake's list In procured a warrant and went to Okoroire telegraphing to Constablo Brennan to meet him there. On arriving at Qkcroire, Constable Breiirian, Native Constable Clark, and witness proceeded to the hotel and arrested the accused in their bedrooms, charging them with being concerned in tho'bui'glary. In Steen's pocket a sum of £2-1 was'f'ound and somo silver. In Hardie's possession 7s (id in silver was found and 2(3 £1 notes and one £.5 note. Among the notes were those identified by Holland, and which were on the list in witness's possession. Witness had noticed the accused standing in front of the telegraph offico on the day before the robbery; thev slept in a detached building at Batbgatd House. To accused Hardie: None of the £•"> notes found corn s] end with thenunibers missing. When I arrested ymi, you asked me if it was a joke; there wore not six warrants issued ; ! bud no warrants for others but you two. By accusd Steon: None'of tie notes found on you correspond with tin numbers on Wake's lis). ] know nothing about what you paid Atkinson; I was not there. Constable Brennan stated that he assisted in the arrest of accused at Okoroire.and corroborated the testimony of (he previous witness. Being duly cautioned the accused Hardie stated that he paid the coachman. With that exception he would reserve bis defence. Steen also stated that he would reserve his defence. Both prisoners were then formally coi iniitted to stand their trial at Auckir.n I the next sitting of tho Supremo Cov.M. On the Court resuming on. the following morning Constable Murray stated thai there was a second charge against the accused of breaking and entering the dwelling-house of R. D. Dansey. Tho ovidonco was the same. Hail was then allo.wcd on the application of accuse !. each in £2OO and'two sureties of L'lOfl each. Tho prisoners left for Aicklnnd on Monday in custody of Gonstabk Brennan.