YOUNG MEN CHARGED.

Shannon News, 24 April 1925, Page 3

YOUNG MEN CHARGED.

JOBBING THE MAILS. Two young men are arraigned to explain the disappearance from Mangahao on March .10, of last year of a mail bag with contents valued at approximately £l3O. One of these men, Douglas Gordon Hollis, confessed complicity in the affair and placed the blame for his transgession upon the other He pleaded guilty and was committed for sentence. The other man, William Robb, denied the allegation against him ,and suggested in a statement to the police that an old man was hanging about the place at which the theft was perpetrated. He was committed for trial. Messrs G. Kendall and G. Rumble heard the case at the Police Court Wednesday, Mr Cooper appearing for Robb.

The disappearance of the bag was recalled by Alfred H. Byrne, who was a cadet at the Mangahao post office in 1924. On Saturday, March 8, of that year—a few days after pay day at the hydro ■works— -he made up and sealed a mail bag, to be sent to Shannon, the contents comprising three registered letters ,one of which contained approximately £l3O in money, papers and letters. The mail bag, which had been compiled by Byrne, was accepted by Kingley Burrell ,a lorry driver for the Public Works Department, who gave evidence of having brought it from Arapeti Camp to Mangaore at 4.30 p.ni. on the day of acceptance, and of having parked the loi*ry, together with the mails, in a garage there. When he left the garage at 6 p.m., the mails were still there Slipper at the Hut. Eric Tuckwell Poole, who had been an engine-driver in the employ of the Public Works, recalled Sunday, March 9. of last year, when the accused Hollis, had accompanied him to Palmerston North on a motor cycle. They returned to the Mangaore Camp late at night and had supper with William Robb and others at Robb’s hut. During witness’ stay at the hut, Robb mentioned something about having shifted ■>. mail bag from one lorrv to a Mother, but the witness was not clear where the lorry would would be likely to go when taken out in the morning Depictive H. ltussell, telated the essential particulars of his journey to Sydney and the subsequent arrest of Holbs, after he had been detained on provisional warrant by the police there. When approached, the accused had replied “Yes, I am the man it is my intention to assist the New Zealand Government.” He later made a statement, :n which he confessed complicity in the affair. On March 9, he said, he had been to Palmerston North 'with Poole ,and on their return they had purchased some beer at Shannon, which, together with a supply Robb had secured, they consumed at the hut. After this the three —Hollis, Robb and Poole — had walked down to the power house go rage. Robb went in and then suggested something about stealing a mail bag. Both Poole and Hollis refused to have anything to do with this, and Poole shortly went away.

“Here is the Money.” Robb continued to invite Hollis to join him in the theft of the bag and finally prevailed upon him. The mail bag was taken about a mile along the road and opened. RoL>b found a parcel and said:“ Here the money.” There was exactly £1.30, and this was divided equally between them, no offer of a share being made to Poole,

who had ret used to assit in the theft. After the money had been extracted, the bag was thrown away.

Subsequently witness had searched the Reality in which the bag was supposed to have bewi thrown, but it had never been recovered. Where Did the Bag Go?

The evidence in the case against William Robb was largely a reiteration or that .adduced against Hollis, though further details were introduced by fresh witnesses.

Christopher Walter Tate, previously a lorry driver at .Mangahao, said in his evidence that lie usually conveyed the mails from Mangahao to Shannon On March Sof last year, however, Burrell had taken over this job, using his own lorry. In consequence of a conversation witness had with someone else he had asked Ko.ub on iho Monday wnat had happened to a mail bag, which had been there on the night before. Robb said he had shifted a box of stores from Burrell’s lorry to his own—as his lorry was to go to Shannon in the morning—and placed the mail bag in the box. A search in the garage, however, failed to reveal the lost bag. William Hughes, who was a shift engine driver at Mangaore in March of last year, said Robb had come to him at the power house on Sunday evening, March 9, and asked the location of the light switches in the garage. This was shown to the accused and witness left him at the garage. To Mr Cooper: Up to the date of the theft, the garage was accessible tc anyone King’s Evidence. The accused Hollis was placed in the box to tsetity against his alleged fellow conspirator ,and in his evidence, he reiterated the .allegations made in his statement to the police. The actual removal of the bag, he said, had been accomplished by Robb himself, who had emerged from the garage with it under his arm, to join witness outside. Wnen the money was removed, the bag and remaining contents were stuffed into a benzine ■ tin, and the whole thrown into a creek. On the morning after the tliefc witness met Robb and agreed to urecy him at Palmerston North on the fol-, lowing Saturday. Witness sailed for Sydney at the week-cpd, as he heard the police were after him. To Mr Cooper: While in Sydney, he had been sentenced to twelve months 'imprisonment for being an accessary to a robbery. This was the only occasion on which he had been in prison. Conversation in the Bar. Frederick Cadman, employed l at Shannon, gave evidence that he was with Robb in a hotel at Wellington when the latter asked him if anything had boon hoard, of the missing mail bag. W'dnors replied:' “I think you know .something about that,” whereupon Kobe admitted the theft, and described how iho crime had been perpetrated. He stated that Hollis had retained f.IOO of the money and given him the balance Evidence Avas also given by Detective Russell, who said he had interviewed Robb at Arapuni on April 6. last, and -showed him Hollis’ statement, which lie denied. He made a statement to witness ir, which he said that on the night of .March 9, he had called at the garage to prepare his lorry for the following morning’s run. While unloading the vehicle, he saw a mail bag lying on the floor of the Idrry and placed it, with a box of stores and placed them both on the truck. He did not see it again. There was an old man hanging around ihe garage at the time. Robb did not have anything to say prior to being committed for trial.