POSTAL OFFICER IN TROUBLE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2781, 27 May 1916, Page 9

POSTAL OFFICER IN TROUBLE

\ t THEFT i' iilD RETENTION OP POSTAL PACKETS. By Tol< igrapli—Press Association. Cln istchtirch, May 2G. lu the 'Si iprcnie Court to-day, before Air. Justice Denniiton, Charles Brown appeared i'ou sentence on a charge of tt«eft and detention of a large number oft 'postal packets entrusted to him for dcili very in his capacity as a lotter-carripi':.. Accused appeared in tho uniform of in corporal of artillery. His Honohtr : I sea him in the dock i-a His uniform. What is his actual position? lir. li-aynnuul (Crown Prosecutor): He is not disehni'rired. His Honoui'": Is he going to be? Mr. Ray mo.'aid: Not up to the present. In another ca'se last session it was ascertained that a : soldier was bound to appear in unifoi /Jir until discharged. Mr. Fleshcr ! isaid the accused came of a good family.' Accused came to Christchurch as a lot bw-carrier in 1914. and was employed as si It'll until March last. He onlisted in Scjt it ember last after the offences wcro ctV. emitted, and was then rejected, but 1 vs> got leave of absenco and went unck-i * on operation, and was in hospital from; ' October until December 5 last, when he : re' -sumed duty as a lettercarrier. In Mar :cl i he was accepted, and sent to Trenthain as a gunner, and had done his work w-.5i 1, and 'the Camp Commandant desired I '-O havo him back again. His Honour sai d accused had been on probation before. 1 • Mr. Raymond s. ai'.d that was only probation by tho Pos it al Department. From the police point cf if view there was nothing against him. His Honour sak'i that although nondelivery of politicals - circulars was a grave breach of duty, tlu*. most serious feature ot' 'tho case was Ihe 4'.bst Taction of articles from postal packets by accused. Mr: liaymond sai?! accused was an efficient soldier. 'J) b.< > police, however, thought accused mi |[ lit give information concerning other art »ilos which had been taken from postal ] buckets. His Honour said , ;.ihe suppression of postal matter might lead to irreparable ii.jury. Under ordincii ry circumstances he would have sentenced.- accused to a term of imprisonment, but • in view of tlio circumstauce. that accusal 1 had qualified himself to fight [or hiftii country and was willing to do so ho vs» ould take a lenient view of tine matter, and order accused to come up for sentc iice when called on. It must b» itnderstoc x 3 , however, that accused would havo to >give ihe police every assistance in."tracing i .certain articles which wero reports'! lnissui'igj