ROBBERY OF BANK NOTES Melbourne, May 24.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 54, 14 June 1884, Page 3

ROBBERY OF BANK NOTES Melbourne, May 24.

There was great excitement here yesterday when it became known that an extensive robbery of bank notes had taken place from the General Post-office. It appears that as long ago as March 20 a packet of notes of the value of L 220, which was being Bent by post from an office up country to the National Bank, Melbourne, never reached its destination. Tlio packet was registered, and it was traced to the registration department of the General Post-office, where it was lost. As the notes were numbered, nothing was made public, so as to put the thief off his guard. After a few weeks one of tho missing notes was paid into the bank at Casterton, but the depositor showed conclusively that it came into his position in a satisfactory manner. After an interval three of the notes were traced to the family of William Mason, an officer in the registration branch of the post-office, and brother of Mr F. C. Mason, M.L.A. for South Gippsland. Mason was immediately suspended, and as he could not give a satisfactory account of how the money came into his family, he was told to resign, there not being sufficient evidence forthcoming to justify a criminal prosecution. Mason nas refused to resign, and the Government appointed a board to investigate the matter. No action will be taken by the police until the board has sent in its report,