LETTER BOXES RIFLED.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3548, 9 October 1926, Page 3

LETTER BOXES RIFLED.

YOUTH’S EXTENSIVE OPERATIONS. Auckland, October 7. In the Magistrate’s Court to-day a youth of 17, whose name was ordered to be suppressed, pleaded guilty to ten charges of having stolen stamps, money and postal notes, the property of various business' firms in the city, of a total value of £l4 12s 2d, also a signet ring and silver plate worth £l'l3s Gd.

Senior-Detective Hammond said that numerous thefts had been reported from private letter boxes at the Chief Post Office since early in July. Accused had been employed as a junior clerk with a large city firm, and his duty was to collect mail from the firm’s letter box hourly. He admitted having operated on twenty different letter boxes. Sometimes he would post letters again when he found that no money was contained; sometimes he would leave them in the lobby, or else throw them on the railway line, but more often than not he would remove money or postal notes and destroy the letters. In one case he cashed a cheque which he had taken from a letter. Although nothing previously was known against the youth, he had given the Post Office officials and business firms no end of trouble. Whenever he found that a key was left in a box he would always open the letters in it. The Magistrate (Mr Hunt), in placing accused on probation for two years, warned him that if he got into trouble again he would be consigned to gaol.