The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-10-19 00:00:00

THE POST-OFFICE ROBBERY.

!HZ PILISOIRIL COlllll7=o FOE TRILL.

At the Town Hall, on Wednesday, before the Mayor (W.
Doran, Esq.). and G. Gregory, EU, • young man named
/Sepias House, of Trinity-etrest, Dorchester, employed
at the Dorchester Post-ofiloe, wu brought up in custody
on a charge of stealing a letter containing Ti postage
stamps and two half-sovereigns, the property of the Post-
master General. William Elwin Houma said : I am clerk
in the Kissing Letter Branch of the General Post-office,
London. In consequence of numerous complaints as to
the lose of lettess containing money and other valuables,
which in due course would pass through the Dorchester
PosioMos, I was Instructed by the Post-office authorities
to investigate the matter. On Tuesday. the 14th Inst., I
mode up a letter, in which I enclosed two half-sovereigns
marked, and 71 marked penny postage stamps which ware
In two .beets of 89 and 12 respectively. The envelope of
the letter wee addressed "Miss M. Lugs Church-place,
Batley, near Southampton." I securely fastened the
envelops, and at three m. the same day I banded the
letter with urban instructions to Edwin Butler. one of
the constables attached to the General Post-Ofilos,
From information received this morning I weiat
about RIO to the poisoner's house in Trinity-street, bei.g
accompanied by Sutler We found the prisoner in bed
upstairs. I said to him " I am from the General Post-
Mee, London. You must have heard of the loss of letters
=iagreqtbus=h the
to engDurrellinestr trhel2m"taernk"; Anedmladheanveo
reply. I mid "Were you on duty at the P.41-oEoe last
r He replied "Yes; from seven to ten, and again
thk morning from three to five." I said "Did you
dear the letters from the lotter-box He replied "Yes,'
end said he faced the letters, stamping some of
them. I then said to him letter address', to
Kiss Legm, Chureh-place, Bother. near Southampton,
was posted at the Dorchester Poet-Office at 8 15 lard night,
will& is missing. D ) you know anything of itr lie
replied "No." I naked hint whether ho had any objection
to the place being searched, and he sal sued be had none.
The officer commenced making a search of the room, and
in the meantime I went down to the wife of the prisoner.
Shortly afterward, the officer celled rue upstairs. When
I got into the mom he drew my atttot'on to the stamps
now prwluced by me, and which he held in his hand, and
said in prisoner. hearing " I have found them stature
folded up In a piers of paper on the top of this beam" (a
beam which went acmes the room over the bed) r said
to the prirner " Where did you get tha stamps from "
He said 'They were sent by toy wife's sister about •
month ego" [ applied the test to some of the stx
rops
sad found they bore my private mark which I had Piadli
upon the stamps in the letter I had willroteed to MIMI
:Kt=l said to him that I identified thorn the as being •
of some Amps that were missing from • letter,
when he again said be bad received thorn about a month
Mo. Prisoner then got out of bed, put on his trousers,
and shortly afterwards went to • box in the room, taking
from beneath it a folded pima of PsPer now produa&
and from the paper two half-sovereigns, which he haadmi
to Butler, saying " The? are the two half-toveraimas
which were in the letter. I now identify them. I after-
wards went downstate, with the officer and the Prisoner
and in the front room saw the latter take from behind a
Planar* hanging against the wall the V panne Postage
stamps now preineed, and which were banded to the
taker. Primmer said "Thom are the other stamps." He
wee then 1161111 to the polies-station. and I charged him
with Moan the lett/Jr.—The amused was remanded until
agenda morning.
At the Pollos-000rt, on Monday. beim) the Mayer
Durdan, UV), Mr. Alderman J. Gelp
m• end Dr. Aldridge, &epic, zi °use'
was charged on remand with steeling a letter, contain.
Igo postage stamps and two haH-sovereigns.
Welke prosecuted on behalf of the Post-office
sutheeities.
Mr, Houton confirmed the evidence given M the
bi last Wednesday.
rdbgn Butler, polies-officer, attached to the General
poet-office In Loudon, said on Tuesday last he received
• letter Goo IL,. Hanson. It was addresead "hfls
Liege, C/hnrch-plaste, Batley, near Bo•thampton."
It mos mow* Weaned. From instrootions received
hi posted it in the semi condition at Use Limbo*

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