A SUDDEN LAPSE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18513, 25 March 1922, Page 15

A SUDDEN LAPSE

POSTAL CADET’S DEFAULT. REMANDED FOR SENTENCE. The story of the sudden lapse of a postal cadet into serious wrongdoing was unfolded before Mr IT. W. Bundle, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday morning, when William Hedley Kitchener Hughes was charged with stealing, on February 10, the sum of £2lO in money, the property of W. A. S. Hislop, of Milton. Mr J. R. Lemon appeared for accused. Chief Detective Bishop asked that the information be amended to make it read that the money was the property of the New Zealand Government, and permission was granted. Chief Detective Bishop called Bertram Eustace Silke Brodie, Post Office District Accountant at Dunedin, who said that accused was a clerk in the Savings Bank at the Post Office up till March 2 last. On that date he was suspended for the theft of this £2lO, the property of the New Zealand Government. When , accused w r as spoken to about this money he drew it out of his pocket and handed it back. He had had it in his possession since February 10, about 20 days. Constable Hannafin gave evidence that he had obtained the following statement from the accused: “I am 23 years of ago, and reside at 41 Council street, St. Kilda I am a single man, and board with Mrs Wood. Up till the 2nd inst. I was employed as a cadet in the money order branch of the General Post Office, Dunedin. On February 10 last Mr Hislop, from Milton, called at the money order office with his bank book to make a deposit. Fie filled in the deposit slip for two hundred pounds, and did not put the figures on the slip. When I counted the money I found that it was £lO too much, and, with Mr Ilislop's consent, I affixed the words ‘and ten,’ making it £2lO in all. The entry for the ful amount was made by me in the pass book. I then took the book, and told Mr Hislop that if he would leave the pass book with me I would get the interest made up for him. I then addressed an envelope and inserted the pass book in it and put it to one side. The money I received I put in my pocket, and did not put it in the till as I should have done. That night I took the money home with me, and then I realised that I had made a mistake in taking-’ it. I did not use the money, but kept it in my pocket intact. Mr Hislop wrote to the chief postmaster in Dunedin, asking about his bank book, and I saw the letter on the examiner’s desk. The letter was sent to the Milton Post Office for them to ascertain if Hislop had an account with the Post Office. The morning the reply was received I was opening the correspondence, and toofv charge of Ihe letter until next morning. On the morning of the 2nd inst. I was sent to the district accountant’s office, and ho asked me about the money received from Hislop. I then pulled it out of my pocket and handed it to him. The money was just as I received it, and was made up of four £SO notes and two £5 notes. I was then suspended. This was done on the impulse of the moment, and after I had the money for a few days I realised my mistake, and was too frightened to sav anything, and I waited with the money intact and deposit slip until aai inquiry was made, and then I intended to hand it back. The reason that I took the money was that I was in debt for £l5O, which was caused mainly through advancing a friend money to furnish a house.” The accused pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Bail was fixed at accused in £IOO and one su.-ety of £IOO, accused to report daily to the police.—Mr Lemon pointed out that his client had never been arrested, and had presented himself voluntarily.