POSTMISTRESS IN COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 May 1921, Page 12

POSTMISTRESS IN COURT.

CHARGED WITH OPENING MAIL.

MAKES A CONFESSION.

Greymouth, May 6.

A somewhat peculiar case has been before the Police Court here. A serious charge has been preferred against a postmistress and during the hearing of the case some interesting facts were elicited. At the conclusion of the preliminary trial application was made that the further hearings of the case be taken at Christchurch. The charge against Julia M. Fitzgerald, who was postmistress at Blackball, was that she had opened a postal packet. Mr. J. Park, who prosecuted on behalf of the Crown, said that a lettercard addressed to a man named Gilmour, of Blackball, had been opened and gummed down again. The accused on three occasions denied opening the leter-card, but later made a statutory declaration confessing to having done so.

Charles Larcombe, postal messenger, and William Moore, cadet, of the Blackball Post Office staff, said that the postmistress picked up a lettercard from a bundle of letters, saying, “This is one of Jack’s letters. It’s from one of his old girls. I’d like to have a look at it.” She took the card, with a gum bottle and paper-knife, into the operating room. When she came out she said, “This is from one of Jack’s girls. He’s had a row with her.” She read the letter to Moore, and then put the card back on the bundle. John Gilmour, carrier. Blackball, said that, when he received the letter-card, which was from a young lady, he had to cut it open with a knife, owing to its being gummed. The same evening, :n the presence of Lareombe and Moore, he charged the accused with opening the card, but she deniad it, passing the idea off as a joke. John Redmond, senior inspector of the Postal Department, said that he went to Blackball on March 19th to interview the accused. He first asked her if I she knew certain people whose cprres- \ pondence it was stated had been tam- • pered with. She denied tamperijig with i their correspondence, stating, ‘•They’re ithe scum of Blackball!” She also deIn ied opening Gilmour’s letter. Half an hour was given her to consider her position, and, after much hesitation, she eventually made a written confession.

The accused reserved her defence. Mr. Jack asked that the trial take place at Christchurch, in face of numerous miscarriages of justice on the Coast in the past, and on account of the amount of feeling existing in the present case. Police evidence was called in support of this contention. It was stated that witnesses for the prosecution had been approached to go back on the statements already made by them, also that the P.P.A. was moving in the matter. Mr. J. W. Mannan, who appeared on behalf of accused, strenuously objected to the change of venue, which, however was granted.