The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-03-03
TWO MAIL BAGS
WERE SLASHED

/
ment of Justice secure the conviction
of the persona on the Island of Hav ali
! who slashes registered mail pouches
open with a knife. the postoffice de-
partment may take into consideration
the advisability of having registered
packages for the Kawaihae route
transmitted in burglar-proof safes or,
at the least, in pouches lined with
sheetiron.
1t appears that the registered mail
pouch from which $4,000 gold or there
about was extracted. supposedly while
in transit from kawaihae landing to
Kamuela postoffice, Waimea, Hawaii.
and which was shown to the postoffice
inspector with a slit in 1t, was not .
singular case of the kind in that
region. A suspicious circumstance has
been noted in connection with that
postal robbery, which was that the
orifice in the pouch was too small to
package of coin through 1t.
That particular ground of suspicion
is rendered more ugly for the handlers
Of mail at Kamuela by the fact that a
registered mail pouch from that office
was received at Honolulu. about a
month before the mail robbery in
question, with a slit about five inches
long in 1t near the top. Advices en-
closed told of a registered package
containing $3.50 in the pouch. An ex-
animation of the contents showed that
no such package was there.
Here was an obvious case Of mail
robbery, with nothing wanting but the
capture of the thief. Before, however,
the authorities had time to lay any
plans to that end a wireless message
was received by the postmaster of Ho-
noiulu from the postmaster of Kamu-
ella. 1t said that mistake had been
made in the advices sent with the
registered pouch. The package of $3.50
had not been enclosed. Somehow it
was overlooked in dispatching the mail
and had been found safely reposing on
shelf In the office.
So there were two Kamuela register
ed pouches slashed within the space
of about one month.
Moses Koki, postmaster of Kamuela
when these things occurred, was ar
rested following the $4,000 robbery.
What he was charged with was en-
bezzlement of postofflce funds, and for
this bound over to the grand Jury ses-
sion Of the present special term of the
Federal court. The cause of this COM
initial was a shortage in his accounts
prior to the robbery which, though
made good, remained against him I'M
der the statute as the offense of en-
bezzlement. 1t is generally supposed.
however, that the authorities meant to
probe his possible connection with the
robbery to the bottom.
1t this connection some talk, has
leaked out respecting checks drawn,
as high as $1,000. on a local bank with
the name of Koki upon either the
front or back of them. Joshua D. Ko-
XII. brother of Moses, accompanied
the latter when arrested to Honolulu
and. after weeks stay, returned to
and took charge of the Koki
store. He has been assistant post
master at Kamuela, according to the
directory, Moses being deputy tax as
SCISSOR as well as postmaster. No doubt
the Federal and the Territorial offices
in addition to keeping the
store, required an assistant.
Marshal Hendry is expected from
Hawaii in the Kinau this morning,
bringing Joshua D. Koki under a sub
ooena to appear before the grand jury.
His evidence may be very valuable
With regard to the methods of handling
registered mail matter at the Kamuela
1ostoffice, if it does not have some
elat'on to the brand of pocket cutlery
lsed by the handlers Of pouches on the
mail route.