THE-POST OFFICE ROBBERY.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 184, 10 June 1896, Page 2

THE-POST OFFICE ROBBERY.

Trial of the Accused. At the Auckland Criminal Sessions on Friday last before His Honor, Mr Justice Connolly, Thomas Hardie' and James Sk-o-ii were charged that ou the 10th of March they broke.into tlie counting house of the post office at liotorua, and stole therefrom two cash boxes and £'2:2-7. 13s Id in money, the property of Her Majesty. A second count charged them with having 011 the same date at Okoroire received the money, knowing it to have been dishonestly obtained.■ Both prisoners pleaded not guilty. MiCooper appeared for Ilardie, and Mr AVhitaker for Steen. Mr Tole prosecuted for the Crown. The right of challenge was so freely exercised that the panel was exhausted when 10 jurors had taken their seats. Mr Tole asked for a brief delay to see whether the other jury would return ! before falling,back on two of those whom he had ordered to stand aside. After half an hour's delay His Honor intimated that it would be necessary to proceed. Mr Tole submitted thct the panel had not been exhausted as the jury which had retired were part of tho panel, and he submitted that tho Crown should not be called on to show cause until the panel was exhausted!- His Honor said he could not consider that jurors wh.i retired to consider another case were available' for the purpose of trying this case. Mr Tole ultimately applied to have the case adjourned until Monday, to which the counsel for the defence agreed and the case was deferred accordingly. Both prisoners were again brought before the Court 011 Monday when Mr Cooper announced that he was not now concerned in the case and that Hardie would conduct his own ease. Mr Whittaker again appeared for Steen. Mr Tole opened the case for the Crown and related the circumstances of the robbery as given in the evidence taken before the Bench at Rotorua. At the request of the accused ITardic witnesses were ordered out of Court. It. _D. Dansey, postmaster, gave details of the discovery of the - robbery. The total amount missing so far as had been ascertained was £2*27 0s 2d. The witness was cross-examined, first by Hardie, and subsequently by Mr Wliitaker, the latter gentleman stating that his defence- would be entirely distinct from any which might bo set up by Hardie. The other witnesses in support of the indictment were George Holland, chemist and storekeeper, who identified the 17 notes as a portion of tho money he was transmitting to the bank at Auckland; B. Atkinson, coaclidriver, to whom the £1 note had been paid, which was afterwards identified as a portion of the missing 2S notes; Mr Brent, boarding-house keeper; Mr McNaruara, surfaceman in the employ of the Town Board, who discovered the cash-box; and Constables Vr'hcluu and Brennan, who arrested the prisoners. All the wit nesses were cross-examined at considerable length by Hardie. In answer to Mr AVliitaker, Constable Whclau said that none of the numbers of the notes found on Steen corresponded with the numbers on the list in Mr Holland's daybook, but in answer to Mr Tole 110 said the number of the note given to him by the coaclidriver, and which he said he received from Steen corresponded with one of tho notes on the list. Mr Dansey, recalled by His Honor said that of the £122 in the cash-box about 57 were in £1 notes. This closed the case for the prosecution. Hardie elected to give evidence 011 his own belinlf. He said he arrived at Itoto111a on the stli of March, and ist-aycd at Mr Brent's who gave bim p. rcoui in the cottage, and he also gave Steen a bed in the same room, and it was there that he made Steeu's acquaintance. He was in Stceae's company on two or three occasions, but did not remember ever being

near the Post Office in his company. On the night of the 10th of March, about seven o'clock, in the smoking room, he told the agent o£ Mr Robert son, coach proprietor, that he was going to Okoroire on the following morniug. On the afternoon of the 10th of March he (Hardie) called at the Post Office and changed £2O as there was no bank in Jlotorua. On the morning of the 11th he induced Steen to accompany him to Okoroire. In the morning Ilardie paid £2 to Mr Brent for his board, and going into the smoking room he saw Steen and told him what lie had done, and that he must hurry; so Steen gave him £2 to pay his account and lie handed it to Mr Brent. When paying the coacli-drivcr the fare for each was 10s and Steen giving the driver 10s he (Ilardie) took it and gave the coachdriver a £1 note. Tho accused then gave his version of what transpired at his arrest. In conclusion, in- - aid he knew nothing about the robbery at the Post Office, and he did not refuse to give the-police his name. Mr AVhitta.ver did not cross-examine the prisoner. In reply to Mr Tole he swore that it was a note for £2O he changed at the P.otorua Post Office, but he did not think it was ilr Dunsey who gave him. change. Unless this note was given to some person it must have been in the cash-box on the night of the 10th. While in liatorua he saw the baths and Whakarewarewa, and had a trip round the lake, but did not go outside Itotorua. He had been in a court of law before, but had not been convicted of assault and robbery. He was in Woodvillo, but declined to say whether he was convicted of vagrancy in 1893. Correcting himself the prisoner said lie .had never bun convicted of vagrancy in any part of Hie world. He had never been convicted of assault and robbery. Mr Tole : Were you convicted of any offence ? Accused : I decline to answer such questions. They do not affect the- case; His Honor: They have much to do with it. You have put yourself forward ■ as a witness and you-must answer. Pressed by Mr Tole prisoner admitted that he had been sentenced to 12 months' imprisomont at Wellington in 1593, for having no lawful means-'of support. On being pressed he said his name was Buckley. Hardie addressed the jury, and Mr Whita'.er followed, pointing out that Steen was in no way connected with the .robbery except with regard ti> tho £1 paid tho driver, regarding which the driver may have been mistaken, and Hard is had admitted it was his note, not Steen's, that was given, for lie said Steen was paying 10s for liiy fare when he took it and handed the driver £1 to pay for both, and this was the note which" was identified. Ilis Honor summed up, pronouncing Hardie's evidence to bo absurd and worthless. The jury need not trouble themselves with the second count, and the only evidence in favor of Steen was that of Hardie, a man who had only been released from gaol at the time of this robbery. Practically the evidence was I .the same against both of them, for both of them wore found in possession of a portion of the stolen property. Tho jury retired at l.l'fj to consider their verdict. Not having agreed on a verdict at six o'clock, His Honor ordered refreshments for the jury, and when tho Court resumed at seven o'clock, the jury returned a verdict of guilty against both prisoners. When challenged, Ilardie made no statement, and Steen said it was his first time in gaol. Detective Grace said that he had known Hardie for a number of years, and had never known him do any work. He had been frequently convicted, and was a criminal, and an associate of criminals. Steen was a native of Sydney, and was a stranger here, but ho found he was an associate of spielers in tho South and in the other colonies. lie had been shearing at Woodville. He had been tried in I> T ow South Wales-witli others for attempted robbery of a bank, but was acquitted. His Honor said that ho had no doubt > they were both experienced criminals, al- j though not so much was known about I Steen here as of Ilardie. They were each ! sentenced to bo imprisoned and kept to I hard labor for a term of three years. His Honor made an order that the I money found on the prisoners bo paid over I to the Postmaster-General.