DOMINION NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 90, 7 April 1914, Page 5

DOMINION NEWS.

AMERICAN'S BAIL ESTREATED.

[Per Press Association.] Auckland, April 6.

Walter Gray, a man from America, seems to have gone away and left the Justice Department of New Zealand a little present of £l2O. During the New'Zealand v.- Australia cricket match at Eden Park on Saturday week, Detective Hammond picked Gray out in a crush round the luncheon booth, and arrested him on a charge of attempting to pick pockets in the crowd. On tho prisoner, a little man, 33 years of age, were found a purse belonging to a man who had lost it at the cricket match, and £127 in money. On the following Monday the prisoner was remanded for a week, and was let out on bail,on his depositing £l2O with the police and promising to report to the police daily. He reported that Monday night, and since then has not been seen. He did not appear when the charge was called at the Police Court this morning, and his bail of £l2O was estreated.

A SERIOUS OFFENCE.

Auckland, ""April 6. | Mr Justice Cooper took a serious view of the offence committed by Arthur Gordon Anderson, a youth of 17, brought up for sentence in the Supreme Court to-day for stealing from postal packets while employed in the post office at Kawakawa. His Honor was reluctant to apply the provisions of the First Offonders Act in this case, even though the amount involved did not exoeed £5. Thefts had been going on for six months, and in many cases letters were destroyed. "It is a very serious thing to tamper with the post," said the Judge. "No one can gauge the effect of destroying letters in this way. Some unfortunate woman may be expecting money from her husband, or some relative may be anxiously waiting to hear news. Lives may be wrecked in this way. This is an offence which in the interests of the public should not be treated lightly. It is one of the most serious offences, this interference with letters by a postal official. Letters are supposed to be sacred. I have not yet decided what I shall do with the accused, and shall remand him until May 25, so that in the meantime inquiries may be made from his relatives." The Crown Prosecutor mentioned that his Honor's attitude to such cases was exactly that of Mr Justice Edwards. His Honor: The Judges are agreed 'on the seriousness of this offence. There must be strong reasons before a' postal official who beti-ays his trust can escape punishment.