POSTAL WORKER’S FRAUD

Taranaki Daily News, 13 January 1932, Page 9

POSTAL WORKER’S FRAUD

LETTERS TO BOOKMAKER. PENSION OF £4OO LOST. Alexander Clarke Macdonald, a postal worker, who attempted to obtain money from a bookmaker by sending him letters apparently posted before the results of certain horse races were known, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment at Glasgow Sheriff Court. An agent pointed out that Macdonald, who entered the Post Office in 1921, would lose about £4OO superannuation as a result of the offence. The type of offence, said the Fiscal, was one which could only be committed by a person in the Post Office who had access to the sorting tables. Macdonald wrote an address on an envelope in pencil, and this was posted in the ordinary course t-o his own house. He then rubbed out the pencil address and. wrote the address of a certain bookmaker on the envelope, which bore the official Post Office stamp.

Kuowino- the result of a certain race, he put tlie name of the winning horse on a piece of paper, and, together with some money, put it in the envelope, which was then placed on the sorting table among other letters for delivery. The booiemaker received the letter, and in one instance the accused was successful. The discovery of the offence was made when the bookmaker received a letter bearing a date showing 1 that if it had been properly posted it would have been delivered earlier than was the case. Subsequently the accused was arrested. It was stated on his behalf that Macdonald committed the fraud because money-lenders were pressing him for payment. He had obtained about £B.