SUSPICION'S FINGER

NZ Truth, Issue 1216, 21 March 1929, Page 8

SUSPICION'S FINGER

y Letter C^ried by Mistake Leads To Arrest „ i.. ■. ■■■'■■■- ■ ■ ■' = ALLEGED THEFT CHARGE (From "N.Z. Truth .'s" Special Dunedin Representative): By. inadvertently opening a -private letter collected from his". ..'fim'svietfer-boXi the sales-manager of J. Rattray & Sons, Ltd., Dunedin, was primarily responsible for the arrest of Henry George "Parsons, storeman, and William Stewart Scott, tobacconist, on charges of stealing £50 worth of tobacco.

THE letter; which contained a cheque for &13 and a list ' of cigarettes V arid 'tobacco (m the form of an order), was addressed to Parsons, and indicated that it had been sent by W. Si Scott, tobacconist, of Mosgiel. ' y - Following .- the sales-manager's mistake m opening Parson's mail, the Arm conducted 'a stock-taking .of its tobacco supplies; It was disclosed that a considerable quantity was missing, and matter -was handed over to the police. -.'..■ When the two accused oam'e,before Mr. H .W. Bundle at the city '.' police court, Mr. Ai C. Hanlon ap-'. peared for Scott arid Mr. B. S. Ir-;,. . win for Parsons. A nurhber : of witnesses .-were', called by Chief -detective '"Cameron, 'the main evidence being given by Detectives Russell and Roycrbft, who conducted the police Inquiries. In tho course, of . their evidence; the detectives stated that, when approached on the matter. Parsons .- admitted that the cheque and order were for himy -and that, , on . hehalf of a man named J. Thompson, he was selling to- *■ bacco to -Scott. The, tobacco, 'however, was riot coining from Rattray a;nd "'" Sons. V ■>" :" VParsonß had stated that he did not fc&ow Thompson's permanent address,

and all lie knew about him was that he hawked 1 clothes about the country. He told the detectives that hehad become involved, m the traffic with Scott at the instigation of a man named Percival Rodgers, who had left Rattray's employ . about . twelve months ago. When interviewed by the police at Wellington, Rodgers, said Detective Russell, had denied that he knew J. Thompson or that he had received parcels •of tobacco from such a man. . Nor had he made any arrangement for Parsons to hand parcels to Scott. Following the evidence of eight more witnesses, both 'accused pleaded not guilty and were committed for trial at the, Supreme .Court, bail Vbeing fixed at £50 and one 'surety of £60 each. ;