POSTMAN’S BAG ROBBED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20045, 18 September 1939, Page 5

POSTMAN’S BAG ROBBED

MESSAGE BOY’S THEFT COMMITTED TO STATE (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. While delivering parcels around a suburb, a 14-year-old message boy removed 71 postal packages from a bag on the postman’s cycle outside a shop and. taking them home, opened them in his bedroom and removed cheques, postal notes, money orders and stamps of a total value of £2fi 12s 4d. Later, he used some of the money orders. The day before lie .stole four books of art union tickets from a shop counter and. after selling some of the tickets at the 2s Gd each, destroyed the others.

On Saturday lie pleaded guilty in the Children's Court to the theft. "It is obvious you are a thief and a consistent thiei', and we would he failing in -our duty to the community if we did not place some restraint on you,” said the Magistrate, Mr. F. F. Reid, m committing the boy to the care of the State.

Detective-Sergeant Hakrow said that the youth had been employed as a message boy. While on. his round ne had removed the packages from the postman's bag. He opened the letters in his bpdroorn, removed all the cheques, postal notes, money and stamps, cashing some of the money orders. Of this money he had spent 13s 7d. He had destroyed three cheques and all the letters and others had been hidden in a woodshed. He had been before the court in 193(5.