AN UNUSUAL CHARGE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21018, 6 May 1930, Page 8

AN UNUSUAL CHARGE.

; INTERFERENCE WITH. TELEPHONES ALLEGED. ; MAGISTRATE RESERVES DECISION. (Peb. United ; Peeks Association,} NAPIER, May S. Arthur Joseph Yeo was. charged at the Napier Magistrate’s. Court to-day, before Mr A. M. Mowlem, 5.M.,. with • wilfully interfering with the telephone wires at his residence in Roslyn road.' , His wife was similarly charged. The male accused elected to be tried by.jury, but his wife, Mona Yea, chose a summary trial. , Evidence was given that Mrs Yeo w?s the owner of the house and the lessee of s two telephones. An. employee, of thc Post and Telegraph Department : said he =had found wires leading from lead-in wires attached to. two cupdiooks ,in\ the bath; - room. If a piece of metal were piacod across the wires at this point the tele-' phones would 1 , be put out of order.; •He had also found that the wires had been . tapped between the insulators and a'lightliing guard had been led-down through a recess,by the, chimney and connected- with two switches in a'cupboard in the,kitchen. By anyone' operating' these: switches the telephones could be rcndered ’iuoperatue or normal at will. ' , Evidence Was given to the effect that after the readjustment of the telephones several messages in connection with bet; . ting were received ..by .Detective-Sergeant Fitzgibbon, who also desciibed .the wuting system. The. detective-sergeant also stated, in answer ,to the magistrate, „that the charge had-been brought against Mrs Yeo because she. was the owner, of the' house and the lessee of . the i telephones. The discovery of interference,,with the, wires was. made during a police raid in connection with a bookmaking charge ,on. wbich Yeo was recently heavily fined. . No evidence was tendered- for .the .'defence. ■ . , . ■ . : • . - _ , The magistrate reserved his decision.