CITY POLICE COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 4209, 23 August 1876, Page 2

CITY POLICE COURT.

Wednesday, August 23. (Before A. Mercer, Ee^., and J. Hislop, Esq.,

Alleged Robbery by a Post-office Servant. Charles Thomas Horan was charged with stealing, on or abont August 12, while employed in Her Maj esty’sjßistoffice, certain printed newspapers—vis., one ‘lllustrated London News, and one ‘New Zealand Advertiser and Literary Miscellany/ of the value of Is 3d.—lnspector Mallard ; May it please your Worships—from certain facte which came under the notice of the Chief Postmaster at Dunedin, he deemed it his duty to communicate with the police, and the result of that communication led to a search warrant being granted upon the sworn information of Detective NeU. The search warrant was placed in the hands of the detective, and he, accompanied by one of the clerks in the Post Office, Mr Price, visited the house of accused and effected a soarch as directed for certain newspapers, the property of the Postmaster-General of this Colony. In the course of that search a file of illustrated papers were found—presumably taken from the Post Office, However there was not sufficient to warrant the prisoner being charged with stealing the whole, but amongst that file was found one paper—an ‘ Illustrated London News * for April, 1876—bearing upon it the Dunedin stamp. That paper which I now hold in my hand is the property of the PostmasterGeneral. This one (a ‘Saturday Advertiser ) bears the address, Mr Walter Cairncross, bookseller, Atchen street, Oamaru, and is dated April 29, 1876. That paper also is the property of the Postmaster-General. Now in consequence of having found these two papers Mr Price swears to your Worships that he has cause to suspect, and does suspect, that these two papers are the property of the Postmaster-General, and have been stolen by the prisoner. All despatches belong to the Postmaster-General while in transitu from the Post Office. Under the Post Office Act, 1858, the offence was a very grave one indeed—in fact it was a misdemeanour, and if sufficient evidence was adduced prisoner would have to be committed for trial. But to-day I cannot do further than ask for a remand. I will put Dectective Neil into the witness-box to prove that he found the papers in the prisoner’s house, and I consider that together with the sworn testimony of Mr i rice, the Post Office official, justifies me in asking your Worship to remand the case. Detective Neu said that, accompanied by Mr Price, he searched the prisoner’s house last evening. The warrant directed him to search for ail letters, newspapers, and other property belonging to the Postmaster-General. The papers produced were found in a box in prisoner’s room. There were two files of the ‘ Illustrated London News ’ for March and April. One of the papers produced would complete the file for April,—lie further hearing of the case was then adjourned for a week, their Worships taking time to consider an application for bail by the accused. Vagrancy. —Ah Lay was charged with having no lawful means of support. Prisoner had been remanded from Port Chalmers, as an interpreter could not be obtained there.—From the statement of Constable Murphy it appeared that accused had for some time been in the habit of entering tho various restaurants and hotels in Port Chalmers, being supplied with his meals, and walking out with paying for them,— Inspector Mallard stated that in July last prisoner was charged with a similar offence at Christchurch, He was an outcast amongst the Celestials there, and they subscribed to send him away.—He was sent to gaol for three mouths.