STAMPING OUT STAMP FRAUDS

NZ Truth, Issue 1103, 20 January 1927, Page 5

STAMPING OUT STAMP FRAUDS

Magistrate Deals With Dishonest Dunedin Dealer

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Dunedin Representative.) A collector of stamps by trade, William Lawrence Hooper collected more Jhan he expected at the Dunedin Police Court recently.

THE cunning tricks he got lip to could only be described — despite their seriousness — as paltry m the extreme. He caused the postal authorities "endless trouble, with the result that they asked for the maximum penalty, to" be inflicted. Hooper, a big stamp dealer, trading under the name of Wilcox, Smith & Co., was charged with haying fraudulently fixed. used stamps upon postal packets. The case for the postal authorities revealed that on November 16 three packets had been posted by Hooper, each bearing — according to the postal authorities — used stamps. Further similar packets were posted on November 18, and December 1 and 3. These included fourpenny, sixpenny, ninepenny and • four-shilling stamps. Hooper admitted haying stamped the packets and accepted liability. But m a most aggrieved voice he hotly denied having used the stamps with any fraudulent intent. He even went so far as to reprimand the police for their 'ridiculous" charge against him. "In my business I exercise the greatest care. The stamps were carefully examined m my office and I found no fault with them." "I yamv am not hard up. It is ridiculous of the police to bring this absurd——." The Bench: That will do! Just confine yourself • to answering questions. The Chief Detective: "Are these stamps m the same condition as when you used them?" y Hooper (airily) s "Yes, I don't impute any -mean trick to tl.e postal officials." In support of his claim that he was unaware the stamps were used, Hooper called three witnesses, members of

the Philatelic Society, of which he is a member. j Each carefully examined the stamps. Two stated that they would have used the stamps, holding that there was nothing wrong with them, y The third said he was doubtful about using two, which appeared ' to have marks through them. 1 However, the postal authorities took an entirely different view. -The Chief Postmaster stated that although the present^ charges, lasted t over 17 days only, they had been troubled by Hooper for a considerable period. All his parcels had to be carefully examined. Later, he proceeded at some length to outline how some people were not satisfied unless *theyfixed the stamps on to a stamp mount, which would account for the double • edging. Magistrate Bundle' summed up briefly. He was convinced, he said.that anyone with normal eye-sight would have no doubt that certain stamps had been used. He found that there" had been fraudulent intention. • On behalf of the postal -authorities, Chief . Detective Cameron then asked that the maximum penalty be inflicted. Hooper, he said had given the postal authorities endless trouble and it was difficult to say to what extent the country had been defrauded. Hooper had been m Court before, but apparently had not learnt his/ lesson. In October, ,1915, he was fined for usingan official stamp, and- on December "11, 1916, was fined £50 on a charge similar to the present one. Two charges were dismissed. On the other four, Hooper was * fined £50 on one and £25 on each of three others, with Court costs.