MISSING MAIL BAG

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 119, 22 April 1925, Page 5

MISSING MAIL BAG

YOUNG MEN CHARGED. ONE PLEADS GUILTY. The disappearance at Alangaoro in March, 1924, of a mail bag amt contents valued at ±ll3O, the properly of tho New Zealand Government, resulted in the appearance of two young men —Douglas Gordon Hollis and William Robb—at the Police Court this morning on separate charges of theft, Alessrs G. Kendall and G. Rumble, J.P.’s, wore on the bench. Hollis was not represented by counsel, while Air Cooper appeared for Robb. Tho case against tho former was taken first.

Detective-Sergeant Quirke who conducted the oase for the police, stated that Hollis hud been employed at the power house at Shannon in March of last year, and that during that month a mail bug for transmission between Alongahao and Shannon had gone astray. After enquiries had been made Hollis had been arrested in Sydney. The first witness was Alfred Hamilton Byrne, telegrapliist, in the employ of tho Post and Telegraph Department, who deposed that in March 1924, he was a cadet employed at the post office at Arapeti. On tho Bth of that month he made up a mail bag for Shannon containing three registered letters, in one of which there was a remittance to the valuo of £l3O. The bag was sealed in tho usual way before it left the office. Frank Kingsley Burrell gave evidence that in March, 1924, he was employed by the Public Works Department as a motor lorry driver at Alangahao. On March 8 lie had been given a mail bag by the previous witness, and after signing for same had placed it on his lorry. Between four and 4.30 o’clock that day he garaged the lorry at Alangaore, and when ho left the mail bag wa3 still on the vehicle. Eric Tuckwell Poole deposed that in Alarch of last year ho was employed as an engine-driver by the Public Works Department at Mangahaj. Witness knew the accused, Hollis, and on Sunday, Alarch 9, went with him to Palmorston North on a motor eyeb. On returning after 10 o’clock they had supper with Robb and others, when Robb mentioned that he had shifted a mail bag from one lorry to another.

Detective Russell gave evidence that he saw Hollis at the Central Police Station, Sydney, on Alarch 27 of this year, when he was then in custody, having been arrested by the Goulbourn police on a provisional warrant. Witness told accused that he had a warrant for his arrest, whereupon Hollu replied that ho was the man wanted. Accused had been shown a statement made by him while confined in the Goulbourn gaol and admitted that it was correct. In the statement Hollis averred that on Alarch 9 after partaking of supper late in the evening, Robb, Poole and himself went down to the power house, wher> they eavv the mail bag. Robb suggested that they should take the mail bag, but Poole and accused refused to have anything to do with the matter and returned to tho hub. Later Robb suggested that ho and accused should open the bag, and this had been donr. They had abstracted bank notes, but not postal notes. Continuing with his evidence, witness stated that on April 2 last he accompanied Hollis to Alangaore and had been shown the place where tho bag had allegedly been opened. This concluded the case for the prosecution, and accused pleaded guilty. He was accordingly committed for sentence at the sittings of tho Supreme Court in Palmerston North on May 5. CASE AGAINST ROBB.

In the case against Robb, Burrell, Byrne and Poole gave similar evidence to that against Hollis. Christopher Tata deposed that ho had been, employed as a lorry driver at Alangahao ill Alarch of last year, and that ho usually took the mail bags into Shannon. Burrell, however, had collected the bag on Alarch 8, and witness on the Alonday, two days later, went to the garage and found that tho bag was missing. He had asked Robb if he knew where it was, and hud been informed that he had shifted it from Burrell’s lorry to his own. A search, however, failed to find it. William Hughes, engine-driver at Mangaoro, deposed that, oil Alarch 9, ho was on shift trom 4 p.m. to 12 midnight. Accused came to the power-house while witness was on duty and asked to bo shown where wero tho switches for the lights in tho garage. Accused stated that ho wanted to attend to his lorry. Witness conducted him to the garage and after switching on the lights, left him there. In evidence, Hollis, the accused in the first case, stated that he and Robb, at the latter's instigation, went to the garage and took the mail bag away. Witness could not remember who opened it. Postal notes and letters were put back in the bag, but bank notes were abstracted. Tho money was divided half and half, and the following Saturday witness left for Sydney by tho Alaunganui. Cross-examined by Air Cooper, witness stated that, after arriving in Sydney, he was sentenced, to 12 months’ imprisonment for robbery. That was the first time that he had ever been imprisoned. Frederick GVdrnan deposed that he had worked with Robb at Alangahao, and that some time after Alarch he had met accused in Wellington and had a talk with him. Robb had told him that lie and Hollis had taken the bag and shared the money. Detective Russell, in evidence, stated that, on April 6 last, he had interviewed accused at Arupuni, and hud. shown him the statement made by Hollis. Accused denied being imolicated in the theft and was arrested and' formally charged. Later, he made a statement admitting that he had been to tho garage and had shifted the position of the mail bag, but denied that he had taken it. Accused pleaded not guilty and reserved his defence, being committed to tho Supreme Court for trial. Hail was allowed in self £3OO and two sureties of £l5O each.