POSTAL THEFTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 July 1923, Page 3

POSTAL THEFTS.

ACI I'SEP .MAKES STATKAI ENT. CHEISTCHFRCH, July I. At the I'nlice Conn to-day. Alurtin Alauliew Holland v.a- ,-barged on live ,•minis with theft of postal packages when lie was employed a- postal of’i- ]!, ■ tlive PJiekeldiie- said tile ol-fem-os alleged r -ver-'d a period of five years, e, mu,cm iug when accused was at I fuvaiiehi-iho- Rost. Oillee. and not l- t'ininc I ing till the day of his arrest at. pill field. 11l all, 70 lotto, -. te!ogiaic- an! mil -r I -id [inekages w ere -I in that period. Afost of tile charges related to pariiol‘l. It was d dlieii 1 1 tl del erm in" how much moneyhad 1„,-II ,-iolen from the packages. Detective iticker-like -aid. that on June in company with Ah- Broad foot, ( hid' po-tmr-’.er at Chri-tchurch, he made inquiries at llartiehl regarding i r i- -1 -1 g lel ter.-, and interviewed the acI. The rei-u-,- 1 admitted several oli'cii,"-. end he made a statement. Wmie.-- then arrested him. and charged him with the ollenee-'. Alterwards he searched the accused's room, and I". i', u; ml C>s:t letters and telegrams, all of which he h:ol detained, and - line of wliieh he had "letied. The accused, i-i his - • aieincnt. said that lie had destroyed two or three tiles. He said he had been drinking, but he did not say he had been in any t'onb'e. Air Broadfoot, Chief Ro«tmaster. s lid i here wa- an inijires-ion that a large number ol 1 -tters had been .stolen. 'Hint was m-t the case. Alesl of the documents taken were offieial dt-pai tmental eonvspoiideni'o. addressed to the R.Al's. The theft- of ordinary letters was not -o great as has been the ease on some previous occasions, i!,- made this -taieim-nt. in order to rea-sure the public. Tile accused pleaded guilty, and was committed to tho -bipreme Court fot --etitem e.