THEFT OF MONEY.

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18168, 5 November 1930, Page 4

THEFT OF MONEY.

POSTMISTRESS IN COURT. MONEY SPENT ON TROUSSEAU. A PATHETIC CASE. A young ‘woman, Margaret Galbraith Crawford, 20 years of age, expost mistress, of Horotiu, was charged before Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M., in the Hamilton Magistrate’s Court this morning with the theft of £73 7s 2d, t the property of the Post-Master-General. The money was alleged to have been taken between July’ 31 and October 23. Dectective A- J. White informed His Worship that he saw accused at Horoti.u on October 24 in connection with the shortage of money in the Horotiu Post Office. In a statement accused said she was 20 years of age, and was receiving £8 10s a month. The balance after paying for board was given to her parents. This left her no money to spend on herself and 1 seeing other girls enjoying themselves she felt “ out of it.” When the last .audit was made her account showed a discrepancy of £73 7s 2d. All this money had been spent un herself. She had taken £2 and £3 at a time. James Stewart Gordon, inspector of the Post and Telegraph Department, stated that an audit made by him on June 30 showed a shortage of £1 16s 9d. On October 24, a shortage of £73 7s 2d was disclosed. Witness considered that the money had been taken since September 7. His Worship commented on the shortage of over £73 in a matter of six weeks and queried how she could have spent £lO a week on herself in Horotiu. Detective White was commenting on the case as a most pathetic one when His Worship remarked that theft by young people was becoming too prevalent and convictions for offences of this nature had doubled of recent years'. Detective White further explained that defendant was a young girl on the verge of 21 years of age and was the only child of her parents at Rotowaro. She had the benefit of a good education to fit her for a commercial career. She had been in her present poistion as post mistress at Horotiu for a year and had. recently engaged herself to a young man in that distriot. The girl maintained that the money had been spent entirely on herself. I-lis Worship remarked that she could not spend £lo' a week- on herself at Horotiu, and intimated that he would adjourn the case until tomorrow to enable counsel to ascertain how' the money was spent. Detective White explained that full restitution of the money has been made to the department by accused’s parents. , His Worship pointed out that it sne wished to receive leniency she must be truthful. Mr W. J. King, counsel for accused, told the court that apart from the actual cost of her board her wages had been given to her parents. She was engaged to be married in a few days’ time to a young man with whom she had been keeping company at Horotiu and a portion of the stolen money had gone in the preparationl of . her trousseau. She said that this young man had nothing to do with any of the money she had taken. Counsel could' not account for,the £73. She said that some of the money had been fritted away. His Worship remarked that to a certain extent accused must be protected. The circumstances pointed to the young man being in company with her when some of the money was spent. -If she was worth marrying he should come forward to' help explain the position. . His Worship refused an application by counsel for the suppression of accused’s name remarking that the publie had every right to know of cases of this nature. Accused was remanded in custody until to-morrow.