AN OHAU CASE.

Otaki Mail, 29 January 1919, Page 2

AN OHAU CASE.

One of the peculiar effects of influenza came before the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) yesterday morning. Counsel (Mr M-'Luckie) for a young woman, who had pleaded guilty to a charge that she had wrongly opened postal packets (which she had then failed to forward) when she was temporary postmistress in a country district, explained that the girl was of a highly respectable country family. She had no black mark against her. There was no accountable reason for the opening of the postal packets, for she had not taken out money nor any thing else of material value. There wa« no, suggestion by anybody 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 this illness her work was satisfactory. Me'dical evidence supported thb view that the girl's -conduct was queer eccentricity rather than crime.. His Honor said he recognised that it was.not an ordinary case. There had' been evidently no criminal intent, bat he thought that the'Crown, which, had been put to some | expense in tbi» matter, should be re- j compensed. He therefore imposed a fine o«T'£lo.—"Post."'