A THEFT TRACED.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 November 1918, Page 3

A THEFT TRACED.

The theft of pennies from the slot- | boxes of the doors at the Auckland j Railway Station lavatories has been | traced to an elderly man, Thomas , Webb, a nightwatehman at the station and a railway employee of over 52 years service. For some time past, reports tiie “Star,” there has been suspicion | that tho pennies in the lavatory slots j were being systematically tampered with, and as the result of police effort, Welil) was found in possession of certain marked coins, which 'had been put into the slot-locks. Ho was also found to have a key to open the locks. , It was part of Webb’s duty to examine the Main Trunk train after it arrived at the station in the morning, and when Webb’s bouse was searched, after his arrest, a number of articles like spectacles, gloves, brushes, etc., which might have been left in the train, were found there. These articles should have been handed in at the railway station as lost goods. Accused, a married man with a grown-up family, admitted tampering with tho locks for about a month only, and stealing about 10s, but the Railway Department by comparison of tho returns, was of opinion that the theft, had been going on for a period of two and -half years, and that about £OO had been taken. Air. E. D. Mosley, S.M. imposed tho maximum penalty allowed by the section under which the charges was laid, by fining accused £2O, in default, three months’ imprisonment, for the theft of .the pennies. On jhe other charge of theft, accused was con- ! victed and discharged.