PLEA OF GUILTY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20075, 23 October 1939, Page 5

PLEA OF GUILTY

THEFTS AT MORERE MAIL BAG ROBBERY OFFENCES AT STORE MAORI FOR SENTENCE (Hr raid Oorrcspondrnt.) Pleading guilty in the Police Court in Wairon to two theft charges, Fred. Ratoru Kirk, aged 24, married, was committed to the Supreme Court in Napier for sentence. Kirk was charged firstly with breaking and entering the shop of Lawrence Papahia South at Morcve and stealing property to a total value ol £8 7s . lid, and secondly with dialing four mail-bags with intent to search, the property of His Majesty's Postmaster-General for New Zealand. The offences were committed on the night on which the combined post office and store at Morcre, occupied by Mr. South, was destroyed. Messrs. J. Corkill and M. J. Gcmmell were the presiding justices, the prosecutor being Detective K. W Mills, Napier.

William Hyde, a transport driver employed by the Napier-Wairoa-Gis'borne Transport Company, said that on the evening of Saturday, September 30, lie drove a truck carrying mail from Gisborne, arriving at Movere at about 8.30 o'clock. A maii bag was put in the Morcre post office box, which was locked before witness left. The nature of the lock was such that it was impossible to go away and leave it unfastened without leaving the key in it. Witness drove to Wairon and later drove a truck back to Gisborne. On the return trip lie stopped at Morcre at about 2.20 a.m., delivering three mail bags there. The box at the Morcre post office was in good order when he saw it and the lock was intact. There was no sign of life at Morcre and no sign of fire at the store. Found Store Ablaze The proprietor of the store, Lawrence Papahia South, said that he was postmaster at Morcre, the post office being run in conjunction with the store. On the evening of September 30 he was last in the store at about 8.30 o’clock and left to go to his home adjacent to the store. There was no sign of fire about the store. At about 4.15 a.m. next day he was awakened by noises and, on getting up, found the store ablaze. The flames had a good hold on the southern side of the store. Witness aroused two nearby residents, but they were unable to check the flames.

It was suggested to him that he should trv to save the mail bags and witness went to the mail-box, finding it empty. From inquiries made later he learned that there should have been four mail bags in the box.

ITe had known the accused for about two years, Kirk being indebted to him to the extent of about £43 or £44. Witness had an order on a scrub contract on which Kirk was working and about a week before the fire he fold Kirk his credit, was completed.

Witness said he had fold Kirk that he was stopping his credit, and identified property exhibited in the courtroom' as his property, this including a tin of master-lock keys. Fie knew that nis --hoo-assistant found nine rings similar to those used on mail bags m the debris after the fire, As a result of ’he ire he had been a heavy losei’, estimated at about £3OO in excess of his insurances. The loss to the Post and Telegraph Department also would Pe considerable, a large quantity jf equipment owned by the department being destroyed. Vera Edith Park, an assistant in South's store, gave evidence as to the finding of the mail bag rings. Police Inquiries Evidence as to his inquiries and searches carried out at the scene o. the fire was given by Constable W. Houston, Nuhr.ka, A party of police searched the scrub in thr vicinity of where Kirk was living, witness being one of the searchers, and finding some of the stolen articles in the scrub, ihe property found being several packets of chewing gum. A further scare.o was carried out hitei and the remainder of the stolen property was found. Timothy Joseph Aloysious Morrison, postmaster at Waiioa, identified rings produced as those used on mail bags.

Formal evidence as to his investigations regarding the fire and the missing nags was given by Detective Mills, who said that in a statement made to him in Napier on October IS Kirk said that on the evening of the fire lie had had several drinks and left for home at about 8.30 p.m. Late at night lie went back to Morerc for more lio.uor, but only got as far as the store and made an entry through a window. Witness drank a bottle oi soft drink and ate a tin of tongues iLater lie secured a lever and forced file mail box and went through the letters, later throwing the bags back into the store through the open window. The accused then stole all the other property, using wax matches to light his way in the store. He had no intention of setting fire to the store, and when lie left it there was no danger of fire.

The accused also stated that, lie had no knowledge of previous mail-bag thefts in the district.