SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST A TELEGRAPH CLERK IN ENGLAND.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5469, 7 October 1878, Page 3

SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST A TELEGRAPH CLERK IN ENGLAND.

. Lately, at Hull, Tom Bay Icy, a telegraph clerk at the General Post Cilice, was charged, on remaud, with utt -ring a telegram to Messrs, Lambert and Smiths, commission agents, &c., Hull, with intent to defraud them of the sum of £2O. Prisoner was further charged with stmliug two telegraphs forms and an envelope, the property of the Post-master-Gene al. On the Irtt.of June prisoner sent out a telegram to Messrs. Lambert ami Smiths, purporting to have come from “ R. W. Arbufehnott.” He represented that it had. been sent through the Gresham House Post Office, London. The message was as follows : “Private. Kindly forward immediately, addressed to Mr. IT. Turner, Station Hotel, who arrives there to-day, four £s'‘notes owing to his having left his pocket-book hero in error. Have wired him. Will remit the amount by post. This is important. Reply there at 3.30 ” —Mr. Lambert, senior partner of the firm of Messrs., Lambert and Smiths, proved the i*eceipt of the telegram, and stated that their suspicious were aroused because Mr, W. R. Arbuthnott, who was hi the habit of continually telegraphing to his firm, always; sent in. the name of “ Arbuthnott ” simply, and not as the name appeared on the telegram.—Mr. R. W. Arbuthnott, of Loudon, denied sending the message, and' said he did not know any one by the ■ namo of Turner.—Miss Watts, a clerk iu 1 the Gresham House Post Office, London, said that no such message had been received at that office.— Mr. R. Bradford, of the Missing Letter Department, London, stated that ho had examined the instrument which the prisoner had charge 1 of, and also the telegraph slips, but could not find any proof of the telegram having been sent from-Loudon. The message appeared on the receiving slips at the Hull office, but the marking was different to the marking of a telegram sent through au instrument in the ordinary way. Witness came to the conclusion that the .message . had been prepared first on what was termed a “C M form, and then transcribed by means of the lever on to the slip instead of by the current The prisoner had been employed as au instrument cleaner, and would be able to do this. Witness afterwards saw him at the post office, aiid questioned him about the message. Prisoner said he received it from Loudon through his instrument. He made this statement several times, but eventually admitted that the message was a forgery, and that he transcribed it upon the slip by means of the receiver, and nob as witness supposed. He also told him that he employed a man to call at the Station Hotel for the letter, and that it was gambling that led him to commit the offence. Prisoner was then given into custody.—lt was stated that ho bad been twelve years at the Post Office.—Several other witnesses were examined, and prisoner, who had nothing to say, was committed for trial at the Leeds Assizes.