A PECULIAR CASE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1933, 30 January 1919, Page 3

A PECULIAR CASE.

One of the peculiar effects of influenza .came before (lie (,’hiel Justree (Sir Robert Stout) at Wellington on Tuesday. Cmin.-el (Mr M. Luekie) for the young woman, who had pleaded guilty to a charge that siie had wrongly opened postal packets (which she had then tailed to forward) when she was temporary post-mistress in a country district, explained that the girl was 01. a higiitly-respeetahie country iomiiv. She had no black mark against her. There was no accountable reason for the opening of t lit* postal packets, for she had not taken mil money nor anything else of material value. There was no suggestion by anvhody that she wished to injure anyone by delaying or stopping the delivery of postal matter to any particular address. The only feasible explanation was that influenza, from which she had suffered, had temporarily affected her, for prior to (his illness her work was satisfactory. Medical evidence supported (his view that the girl’s conduct was queer eccentricity rather than crime. His Honour said he recognised that it was not an ordinary case. There had been evidently no criminal intent, hut he thought that (lie Grown, which had been put (o minm expense in this matter, should he recompensed. He therefore imposed a line of £l9.