A POSTMASTER’S LAPSE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19836, 8 July 1926, Page 7

A POSTMASTER’S LAPSE.

SEVEN CHARGES OE THEFT. TWO YEARS’ REFORMATIVE TREATMENT. (Peb United Pbess Association.! CHRISTCHURCH. July 7. Trying to live up to the standard of his friends landed Frank Hardy Francis, postmaster, in trouble. He got into debt and toon money which did not belong to him, and then in an effort to replace it took to gambling, all the time getting deeper Into the mire. Between February, 1925, and September, 1925. he misappropriated amounts ranging from £l3 to £IBO. This morning, in the Supremo Court, before Mr Justice MacGregor, he was sentenced to reformative treatment on seven charges of theft. The offences had been committed in the south, but an application had been made to have Francis sentenced at Christchurch. . , , Mr C. S. Thomas appeared for accused. He said that prisoner was 45 years of age, and was a married man with three children. Francis had a long and honourable career in the Government service, which he had entered at the age of 13. Prisoner eventually had risen to the position of postmaster, which he had held at Waikouaiti Roxburgh, and Otautati. Mr Thomas said that the cause of the trouble was that prisoner had mixed with a circle of friends who lived at a higher standard than he. He had gambled and lost, and then he took money. Later he started to drink, and so he get deeper Into the mire. Mr Thomas asked his Honor to take into consideration prisoner’s long anld unblemished career with the Government. Prisoner had been an exemplary husband and father. When the police saw him he had admitted his guilt and had told the whole story. His Honor remarked that It was one of those cases which unfortunately were becoming common. Prisoner had pleaded guilty to seven charges of taking money which did not belong to him. There was no excuse. It was possible that accused would reform himself if he were kept away from his associates. Francis was sentenced to two years’ reformative treatment.