PROHIBITION LITERATURE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 74, 20 December 1919, Page 11

PROHIBITION LITERATURE

FOUND IN THE HARBOUR CHARGE AGAINST POSTMAN DISMISSED Recently a quantity of prohibition Jiteraturo containod in stamped and addressed envelopes was foipd in tho harbour, and the matter was placed in the hands of tho police. Tho contents of the envelopes, addressed to people in tho ■ city, comprised literature dealing with tho l'cccnt prohibition campaign, and ■wero sent out through tho Post Office by 1 tho New 'Zealand .Alliance. a' •Tasult of investigations, n letter-carrier Immod Joseph Murphy was chargod at .'tho. Magistrate's Court yesterday with losing a postal packet. Mr. P. L. Rollings was on the bench. Detoctive-Sergeant Rawlo prosecuted, and Mr. H. F. O'Leary appeared for the defendant.

. Evidence was given to tho effcot that ' b large number of packages containing prohibition litcraturo was received at tho Post Office,' and duly sorted. In tho ordinary course <r' events tho matter for delivery by Murphy would be placed in his box. The packages found in the harbour woro for delivery on Murphy's Tound, but tho Postal officials could not gay definitely that the particular packages were actually placed in Murphy's ■box.

Detective-Sergeant Andrews stated that ho mot tho defendant in Aro Street whilst he was delivering letters, and took him to t!w detective offico. Witness showed him the letters, and told him that they had teen found in tho harbour. Defendant said that tho letters wero sorted up to him and he took them out on his round. He could not account for ihem being found in the_ harbour. Ho must have dropped them in tho street. Counsel for tho defendant said that it "had not been actually proved that tho defendant received the particular letters. In tho ovdinarv course of events Murphy would receive the letters, but thero was the possibility that he might not have received them. The defendant, in evidence, said that •fro went to the war and was a prisoner of war in Germany for two yenTs. and a balf. Ho Tesumed. work at the Post Offico in August last. -When nt the detective office he 1 was shown the letters and admitted that they were for his round, with tho exception of four. In reply to'Deteofive-Scrgeant Andrews, he had stated that in the ordinary course lie would get the letters, but he did not eay that ho received these particular letters. To Detective-Sergeant Rawle: He admitted that, in tho ciroumstances, it could be assumed that he would be given the letters for delivery. Detective-Ser-geant Andrews was incorrect when he said that defendant had stated that he must' have dropped tho letters in the street. It would not be possible for a man to drop tho letters, which wore _in n. bundle weighing 31b., without knowing It.

His Worship remarked that it was a criminal prosecution, and tho only evidence he had against tho accused that Tie received the • letters, was that of Detective-Sergeant Andrews, hut the defendant had explained his statements to tho detective-sergcant by saying that he only answered mixtions. There was a very gr&vo doubt about tho. matter, and such be'ng the case lie would dismiss the 1 information.