The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-03-08
CUNHA ONLY A TOOL,
- OFFICIALS THINK
Stories Told Concerning Postof-
flee Thefts May Absoke Him
. From Guilty Completely

\
Yonua Frank Cunha became involved
in the postoffiee robbery of which Harry
Melim, the hormer night utility post,
office clerk Is accused, by merely act
ing rs the agent in disposing of a piece
Of platinum, think federal authorities,
who have heard the stories of the two
young men.
According to United States Attor.
ney. =. c. Huber, both Cunha and Melim
tell the same story as to Cunha's i'm.
plication, which many think will prove
him to have been entirely innocent.
4 Cunha, the officials say, was mp
preached by Melim on December "a,
two days after the principal parcel post
'heft AZ the postofice. and asked what
the platinum was which Melim now is
reported as having admitted he took
from a package addressed to Fl. F.
Wichman 4 Company.
ait looks like platinum Cunha
IL said to have replied, the fact that
Counter Jewelry store giving him this
knowledge.
Melim is then reported to have ask
ed Cunha to dispose Of the ore, explain,
ing, IL Is said, in the presence of at
least one witness, that il had been
| riven to him nv Chinaman on one Of
the vessels calling here. to he sold
After this explanation, Cunha is re
ported to have agreed to dispose Of
the platinum and took it to Arthur II
"vhre manufacturing ieweler with
whom he formerly worked Mt the Coun
ter jewelry store, and offered it for
| sale =
When Myhre inquired how much was
wanted for the metal, Cunha is sail
to have replied that Melim had fixed
the price at seventy,fve dollars. but
Myhre wrote out a check payable to
Melim for eighty dollars Followin"
the depositing Of the check to Melim =
account, Cunha admits that he was
given a "tip" Of ten dollars and was
surprised at what he thought was a
large amount for the services render
ed.
"This is practically the story told
w both Melim and Cunha regarding
Cunha's part in the sale of the plati
num-" said Attorney Huber on Tues
day, the day when warrants were is
wed for both Melim and Cunha. Melim
Is now. at liberty on a 1880 bohd and
Tunha on a bond Of $500.
Fearing evidently that the platinum
night not have come legally into the
possession Of Melim before he purchas
ID it. Myhre is said to have gone to
he Honolulu postoftiee few days af
ter buying it and inquired il, there had
Neen any renort of the loss of a pack.
Nge containing platinum At the time
- report had been received of the
theft and he was answered in the
negative.
The piece Of platinum is about as
'hiek as q half dollar and about two
" three inches in size. The real value
# this piece of platinum is said to be
1850.
Inquiry Causes Arrest
It was Myhre's inquiry regarding the
possible loss Of some platinum which
so speedily led to the apprehension of
Melim. This followed the complaint
II Merle johnson of WIchman & Com
pany about the missing platinum, which
lit had been established had been sent
here unregistered from San Francisco.
William Peterson, acting postmaster.
says the report that there had been
'osses from the registry department at
the postofice was a mistake and that no
-egistered valuables had been lost
since J. f. Higgins was convicted late
'est year of rohbing this department
Il the local postoffice. for which he
vas sentenced to five years imprison-
ment.
"All the losses recently have been
from parcel post packages and from
| 'recial delivery cnvelopes,' he saws.
Reports of missing sums Of money
nd packages have been most frequent
turing the last three or four months,
Ne adds.
The acting postmaster says that sew
raj of the special delivery envelopes
/ 'rere found in Melim 3 room, and that
he has admitted abstracting small
sums of money from them.
II may develop, as the investigat on
| continues the authorities think, that
Melim had hit upon a system of taking
articles from parcel post packages,
then reseahng the packages and leaving
| hem In the mail. There have been
reports Of packages received which were
'nrefrllv tied up, but which contain
cd nothing more than wrapping paper
when received by the persons to whom
| addressed.
1t wos rnv""Ird nv the investigation
of the postoffice robbery yesterday
hat Cunha was still In the possession
# the recent given nv Melim to Myhre
Cor the eighty dollars paid for the
platinum,
When the receipt was first written
it was for "eighty dollar check reCeiv,
'd". This receipt was returned to
Mybre who at first accepted it, but af
FER couple of '"vs is said to have
communicated with Cunha and asked
rim 70 get Molim to write "for plat.
| num- upon the receipt.
| This Cunha is said to have agreed Ia
10. but when the receipt was found
N his possession by United States Mar.
ahal Smiddv. he explained he had never
heen able TO catch Mehm and get the
'hange made. which Mvhre wanted
The passing of the check and the re.
'eint occurred nearly two months and
= half ago.
Cunha said last night that the receipt
vas signed, "Chang. by Melim", the
Chang presumably referring to the fir.
ticious Chinamun of whom Melim claim
ed to have gotten the precious piece OF