THEFT FROM A LETTER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2167, 24 February 1891, Page 3

THEFT FROM A LETTER.

In our last issue we gave the result of tbe charge against James Dickson of stealing a £5 note from a letter at Orari. The case was heard at the E.M. Court, Timaru, on Friday, before Ci A. Wray, Esq., R.M., Mr White appearing to prosecute and Mr Raymond for the defence. The following is some of the evidence taken John May, statioumaster at Orari, said the boy had been in the office some eight or nine months. He gave him a very good character, but he was absent-minded and forgetful. He

/ had informed the manager twice that ■(/ the lad was unsuited for the work. Otherwise he liked the boy, who was always very civil and obliging. When asked if he had taken the money he admitted it at once. To His Worship: Supposed the lad knew there was money in the letter, because it was addressed to a hank and was registered. There had been some complaints since the lad had been in the, offiee of letters not beingdelivered. but hej suspected the. lad; had supposed they had been wrongly : addressed. There were also complaints of small parcels going astray. He . had no reason to suppose the boy took ' these. Had thought him rather stupid ; and forgetful; had often to ask him about money to be accounted for, received for parcels, but put it down simply to forgetfulness. Wv Mason, >who had registered the letter, gave the boy a good character, so far as he had known him, and he saw him every day. Mr Raymond here said the boy bad been in receipt of 21a 6d a week, out oi which he had to pay 12s a week for his meals, sleeping in a railway hut, and the balance his father thought would be ample to provide him with clothes and other necessaries, His father was not aware that the lad was "buying a bicycle. The accused told him that he bought the bicycle on time payments and through lending a few shillings to a friend he was short of rconev when tbe last instalment became’ due, and : knowing that the letter contained money be opened it And took out one note, the amount he wanted, and no more. The father was broken-hearted about it, and ths boy of courts lost his situation. The boy had been well brought up and the ends of justice would bo by dealing with him under the Probation Act ; he had a home to go to and careful parents to take charge of him. Dr Reid, R. Humphrey, and the Rev. W. Grilliea testified to the high (respectability of the accused’s family. Dr Reid had spoken to the boy and (found him vacant and forgetful—quite likely the Desultjof the fall.

His Worship said it was a very serious matter and be was doubtful whether be should let the accused out on probation, inasmuch as the offence seemed to imply a certain amount of premeditation. It might be, however, that the theft was committed under a sudden temptation. The public offices were very jealously looked upon by the public. Money and valuable documents were eutrusted to the post office, and it was an almost unheard-of thing for them to be purloined. Great reliance was placed upon the post office and the Act imposed heavy penalties for dishonesty in the office; The purchase of the bicycle seemed to be no excuse, as it was only robbing Peter to pay Paul, nor could he see that the injury to the head had much to do with it. The worst feature of the case was the lad’s inability to see the seriousness of the crime he had committed. Perhaps this was only an apparent inability, due to his reserved character. Sergt.-Major Mason here stated that there was no report from the probation officer, and he thought it bis duty to mention that when the accused was arrested he bad other stolen property in his possession. Mr White said he was aware of it but did not mention it, in the absence of any charge, and no ownership bad been proved. Under all the circumstances be did not think it necessary to mention it. When the boy was taken by Detective Livingstone to his but and a search made there, four memorandum boooks, value about 4s, and a leather pocket book worth about 3a, were found, and accused said he took them out of parcels in the railway station, but added "don’t say anything about them.” A bunch of 10 keys was also found, which accused said he had picked up at different times about the place. No complaint appeared to bays been made about the loss of the pocket books, and it seemed to him (Mr White) unnecessary to mention them. His Worship, after seme remarks, said the law allowed him to impose a fine not exceeding £lO. £lO would about cover the loss and the costs of prosecution, and he would impose a fine of that amount. The costs amounted to £S 19s, and Mr Raymond said Mr Dickson would pay any difference.