MAIL TRAIN ROBBERY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19744, 17 September 1927, Page 10

MAIL TRAIN ROBBERY.

EXTRADITION OF. FOSTER.

DEPARTURE BY THE RUAHINE, NO POLICE ESCORT GOING. Arrangements have been made for the departure on the Ruahine for London today of Joseph Foster, who was apprehended by the Hamilton police recently in connection with the Cardiff-London £IO,OOO mail train robbery on Februarv 2.

After the hearing of the charge against Foster in Wellington on August 25, an extradition order was granted by Mr. E. Page, S.M. It was stated then that 14 postal packets were mado up at Cardiff Post. Office for despatch to the East Central Post Office in London. Four of the packages, each containing £2500 in currency notes, were involved in the robbery. They were being sent by the Cardiff branch of Lloyds Bank to the head office, London.

Foster arrived from .Wellington yesterday morning in charge of a constable and was placed in custody at tho Auckland police station. He will bo escorted to the Ruahine, which sa ; ls at seven o'clock this morning. It is understood ho will travel without police escort, no officer having been sent from England for tho purpose, but that the captain of tho Ruahine will accept charge of him. Masters of British ships are vested with ample authority .by Imperial shipping statutes to take measures for the safe custody of prisoners placed on board their vessels, and are under a duty to deliver them to the proper authorities on arrival at the port of disembarkation. It is believed these powers are being utilised in the present instance. The Ruahine calls only at Panama in tho course of her voyage.