POST OFFICE ROBBERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 1 September 1909, Page 33

POST OFFICE ROBBERIES.

TRIAL OF WIMSETT. WELLINGTON, August 30. The trial of Arthur Frederick Wimsett, which was commenced on Friday last, was continued at the Supreme Court to-day, before Mr Justice Chapman and a jury of 12. Wimsett .^is charged with having been intimately concerned in the breaking and entering of the parcels office of the Post Office, and in the stealing therefrom , of two registered parcels containing jewellery -aid sundries; also £31 iWs 9d in , cash, a postal note for 15s, and 406 cancelled bank notes, and furjiier with having aided and abetted JanSes Hemingway is "at present servng a sentence of imprisonment in regard to the same crime) by providing him with the keys of the parcels office, thereby enabling him totake wax impressions of them and make duplicates. Mr M. Myers prosecuted on behalf of the Crown, and the Hon. T. W. Hislop, with him Mr PetheTick, appeared for the accused. The evidence in the cross-examination of James Hemingway was continued, and he was cross-examined by Mr Hislop at considerable length. Hemingway seemed to take up a recalcitrant attitude from the commencement of his cross-examination. Difficulty was experienced by Bench and Bar alike in getting anything like straightforward answers, and his story in the main was a repetition of the tedious expression, " I don't remember,"' but his evidence included some statements that were new to the case. He said that Wimsett had told him that there was £28,000 worth of Bank ot New Zealand notes coming down from Auckland (probably cancelled notes). There were four parcels of them. He had an impression of the key of the Chubb lock on the safe in the parcels office, but he could not remember whether he personally took the impression of the key or whether Wimsett took it. All he remembered was that there were about half-a-dozen impressions taken. He asked Wimsett to give him his key for the purpose of making an impression of it, and Wimsett handed it over without making any objection so far as witness could remember. Witness said he got the red sealing-wax upon which the impressions of the keys were taken from Wimsett, who had taken about a pound weight of tlie wax from the Post Office. This sealing-wax was left on tha dresser in Wimsetfs kitchen, and no doubt Mrs Wimsett could have seen it. Mr Hislop : -Do you remember telling Mrs Wimsett that it was very funny that she had told your people that you had broken into the Post Office parcels office? — Witness : I don't remember. Did you say to Mrs Wimsett that you were going ; nto the box to help to get Arthur (the accused) five years, because he had got that term of imprisonment for you? — I believe I did say something like that. 6 In answer to further questions, witness said he had not had anything to do with the robbing of the Karori Borough Council Chambers, or with throwing away certain documents, the property of that corporation. The sy&tem he had adopted in making wax impressions of keys was to warm the sealing-wax, let it cool", and then place the key upon it. When he got the impressions he cut the " blanks " until they were of the same size and form as the oiigina 1 key. It wa.s shortly after tlie Poto t Office fire that his first dishonest translation took place, and it wa< some time in May when he asked Wimsett jf it were possible to -rPt the key of the large parrels room. Wimsett had told him that he had not been well treated over the Post Office fire. Some money had been shared out amongst the Post Office officials, and he

reckoned he should have received a portion of it which he did not. Then the ac- ! cosed became discontented, and he fell in/ with witness's idea of " burglaring " the ' Post Office, and the agreement was tLat witness was to " burgle the parcels office ■ and with the accused share the proceeds. • Witness was aware that the accused had been suspended from his duties for .some small irregularity, but had subsequently been reinstated. When he was in Sydney witness wrote to his mother telling her that if Wimsett did not keep his tongue quiet : he would get into trouble. Hemingway's cross-examination was not concluded when the court adjourned for the day.