ALLEGED THEFT FROM A LETTER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2165, 19 February 1891, Page 2

ALLEGED THEFT FROM A LETTER.

y At the Resident Magistrate’s Court* Timaru, yesterday, James Dickson, a y lad of 15 or 16 years of age, was f charged, on the information of 0 Detective ijivingstone, with stealing from a registered letter at the Orari . Post Office on the 3rd inst, a Bank of a New Zealand £5-nofce. Mr Raymond v appeared for the accused, and Mr 1 W. White on behalf of the Depart--1 ment. * Sergt.-Major Mason asked for a ' remand, as the accused had only been [ arrested the previous evening, and he I was not prepared to go on at once, . one witness having to be brought from Christchurch and another from Orari. He understood a remand to Friday would suit Mr Raymond, and it would suit him. The question was raised as to whether the case should be heard in •imaru or Temuka, and, after some discussion, it was decided to take it in 1 imaru, as being most convenient to both parties. Mr Raymond asked for bail. The accused’s connections were of the greatest respectability at Milton. His Worship asked if two sureties of £SO each could be got. Mr Raymond thought he could get one. His Worship asked who would take charge of him in the meantime. Mr Raymond undertook to see that the lad was placed with some respectable person, and His Worship agreed to take one surety. He said the lad Had better also report himself every day to the police. Mr Raymond agreed to this, and the case was remanded till Friday. Sergt.-Major Mason hoped the accused would be placed with some responsible person, tor be really thought the boy was weak in the head.

The facts of the case are said to be as follow:—The accused had been employed as a cadet at the Oran Station and Post Office. On the 3rd inst, Mr W. Mason, a tradesman at Orari, posted a letter to the Bank of New Zealand at Temuka containing two £5 notes and j ' a cheque, registering it through the ( accused. The banker, on receiving / the letter, found only one note, not two, as advised in the letter, and be supposed that Mr Mason had made a mistake. Mr Mason was written to, and he reported the loss to the postmaster, the latter informing the chief postmaster, who communicated with the police. Detective Livingstone went to Orari to investigate the matter, and the lad admitted that he had abstracted the note and sent it to Christchurch in part-payment for a bicycle. The abstraction was cleverly done, as the envelope bore no trace of having been opened.