POSTAL OFFICIAL'S THEFT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14391, 9 June 1910, Page 6

POSTAL OFFICIAL'S THEFT.

~< A CALLOUS CRIMINAL. '..'':' ■ J '■/■■'■■■■■'■: '■''■■'■ '■"'■ '- ■'■-''." — '■:' '" ''■■■■-.'-: 1 '"V•;■-■■';■'.;■. "■-■■V^.V^'-', : [by telegbaph.—press association.] "■'.'.) WANGAmrr, Wednesday. • ; In the Supreme Court this morning' Mr,,./. Justice Edwards, in sentencing a, postal * official named Beattia for the , theft of a *\ \ postal note from the''Marton- post office." *&?M said that from the time of the passing of .'; ] the First Offenders Probation Act he had intimated that in no circumstances would l.^,''l postal officials convicted of stealing a letter "•:".'. passing through the Post Office he admit- ?■''•'!si; ted to probation. Such thefts might have, ';';'ffi and did have, an effect far beyond that at- : . : . taching to stealing money under ordinary - circumstances. ' • " ':' In this country, where so many men had f? to seek the maintenance of themselves and their . families in remote country district, - r and where the breadwinners had to remit to their wives and families the sums they earned, it might follow that, if a letter '-" containing remittances from husband to * ! wife were stolen in the Post Office, the wife : % '_. ■ might be driven into the arms of another ' man. Families might be broken up, and "•"' lives endangered by such thefts- * " . In such cases it was absolutely essential **i that ? correspondence .passing through the : JJ* Poet Office must be kept sacred. - '' , J In the present, case, said His Honor, the -* - prisoner nad; -shown " every . indication of '"** ■; callousness and inhumanity. He had . stolen a letter containing £1, which an old "' woman,,tottering on the verge of her grave, had eent' to her son, who had been the'/', victim of an accident. Knowing this, he"'/* took the paltry sum, kept it for some ■'; months, and then devoted it to purposes".' of gambling. His Honor said he would give full effect, to the recommendation for leniency, and" sentenced ■ prisoner to nine months' hard T.'.'labour. ■ ======= : *,v; i