A POSTAL PACKET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16295, 30 January 1915, Page 13

A POSTAL PACKET

BRINGS SENDER TO COURT. (Peb United Pbess Association.) WELLINGTON, January 29. A man named Juciali Bars'ht found at the Magistrate's Court to-day that sending undesirable correspondence by the mail is rather an expensive procedure. The charge against him was that on December 24 he caused to be sent through the post a postal packet having thereon words of a grossly offensive character, an indictable offence. Chief Detective Boddam stated that the letter objected to had been forwarded to Mr Metz, a well-known business man, and during his absence had been opened by his brother, who was in charge of his shop. By a strange coincidence a detective was iii the shop at the time, and Mr Metz handed the letter to him to make inquiries. After reading the letter the magistrate (Mr D. G. A. Cooper, S.M.) asked Barsht for an explanation of his conduct. The defendant, who had pleaded guilty, said he had no explanation to offer. "1 leave myself to your mercy," he told his Worship resignedly. "You seem rather pleased about it than otherwise," remarked the magistrate. "No, sir, ; I am sorry"' he replied. His Worship : You'll be sorry when I tell you I am going to fine you £5 and costs (7s). The defendant was allowed 24 hours in which to pay the amount.