CLERK FOR TRIAL

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20913, 19 September 1939, Page 2

CLERK FOR TRIAL

LOSS FROM POST OFFICE BURGLARY AND THEFT CHARGE EVIDENCE ABOUT £5 NOTE (Special to Time*) AUCKLAND, Monday A charge of breaking and entering the Runciman Post Ofllce on August 26 and stealing £29 Is 8d and a telephone directory was preferred against Arthur Dominic Plunkett, clerk, aged 40 (Mr Aekins), before Mr F. He. Levien, S.M., in the Police Court today. Accused pleaded not guilty. Evidence brought by Detective-Ser-geant McHugh showed that on August 27 it had been discovered that two doors of the post office had been forced open. A safe in an inner room had been blow open with explosives and £29 is 8d had been removed. A witness identified by the number a £5 note produced which had been placed in the safe. Albert Sydney Dye, barman at the Newmarket Hotel, said that when accused tendered a £5 note in the hotel bottle store on August 29 for a bottle of brandy witness told him to get change at the office. Accused asked why he should do this and witness replied that there were “a number of crook fivers around.’’ Later he saw accused hurrying through tlie bottle store to the street. To witness’ question whether lie intended to take the brandy with him accused replied “No.” Numbers Correspond A in the hotel uffice said that the £5 note which accused asked her to change corresponded with a number which had previously beeii given to her. On her instructions another clerk left the office. To accused witness remarked that ’ this note was the one.” Accused asked her to give it back, but when she refused he left. Detectives gave evidence of a call to the Newmarket Hotel and a subsequent search for accused. To Detective Roddick, who arrested him in Symonds Street, accused said: “All right. You have got me. Where do we go now?” Later at the detective office accused said he had nothing to say about where he was on the night of August 26. Detective Hunt described an interview with accused in which the latter said a man prohibited from entering hotels had given him the £3 note, with a request that he should purchase a bottle of. brandy for him. Accused had described the man, but the police had been unable to trace him. Accused was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.