The Telegram. — 1893-09-12 (Weymouth, Dorset, England)

CHARGE OF EMBEZZLEMENT AGAINST A POOLE POSTMISTRESS.  ALLEGED THREATENED SUICIDE. ' On Friday, at the Poole Police-court, Emily Jane Milledge, mistress of the Loneleet Poetoffice, was brought up in custody charged with traudulently embezzling the sum of £l, the money of the Postmasirer-General. MiHedge is well-known in the town of Poole, and belongs to a highly-respected family. One appeared to feel her position keenly, and was accomniodated with a seat.—Mr. Franklin G. Lefroy, of the firm of Messrs. Smith & Lefroy, of Bournemouth, prosecuted on behalf of the Crown, and Mr. W. H. Curtis, of Poole, defended.—Mr. Lefroy said the case involved a number ot charges, bus he only proposed that day to go into the one sum of £l. Up to the present there were 19 other cases IVOICO involved public and private money. Mr. Lefroy proceeded to state the facts of the case, and said that when money was deposited in the poet-office it was the duty of the postmistress or post-master not only to enter the sum received into the depositor's bank book, but also to enter it into what was called a savings bank account, whieli was bound to be sent up to the head office the night of the day following. In this care the lettings bank account was duly sent up, and it would be produced by all official from the head office, but it was there found that a sum of £1 paid in by a Mrs. Cook and entered in her deposit book, was not accounted for in any shape or form. Mrs. Jane Cook, wife of a sailor of Green Road, Poole, stated that on July 17th, at the Longfieet Post-office, she deposited ka with Miss Milledge to be placed to her secount. She did not receive any acknowledgment fur it. Miss Milledge shortly after sent for her to bring her book, and she asked witness to leave it furs few days out. lit was made right. She said that she had paid it away somehow, but she did not know how, but it would be made affright. —Mr. Edward Macdonald, an official in the Savings Bank Department of the Central Office in London, produced the savings bank account of the transactions at Lougfleet Post-office of the 17th July, but there was no entry or mention mu it of the .£1 paid in by Mrs. Cook. On Thursday, he sent for Mies Milledge to tome and see him at the Poole Post-otfice, and asked her for an explanation, and she replied that she did not knew that she had not reported the money, but she knew that she had received it. He afterwards gave her into custody.—By Mr. Curtis: He kept Miss Milledge at the poet-office from between 10.30 and 11 a.m, until she was given into custody shortly after 10 p.m. There was ILO sworn information nor any warrant.—Mr. Lefroy then asked for an adjournment of the case as lung as possible, as there were 80 many cases and so much evidence to work up. The Bench remanded prisoner till next Satunlay.—Mr. Curtis asked for bail, but Mr. Letroy objected.— Mr. Curtis said that there was no doubt but that Miss Milledge would appear at the adjourned 'fleeting and doubtless her explanation would satisfy the Bench. There had been some irregularities but not fraudulent intent on Miss Milledge's part. The Bench granted Miss Milledge bail, herself in £5O and two sureties et £5O each. These were forthcoming in Mr. H. Bu,den, jun., and Mr. W. H. Davis.—Mr. Curtis said he ought here to express his opinion of the way in which the prosecution had acted in this case. The arrest of Miss Milledge be held was unnecessary, and they had acted in an arbitrary and harsh manner in arresting her without any warrant, any sworn information, or any written information.—Mr. Lefroy said the central office in London regarded this as a very serious case, and he was strictly accurate when he said it involved a large number of cases. He dad not intend to raise this question, and be asked his friend just now whether it was true that Miss Milledge had threatened to commit suicide, so as not to raise it, but he must now do so. He was prepared to prove in the presence of a witnees that Miss Milledge had threatened to commit suieide, and the post-office officiate in London could not take the responsibility of allowing her to 'remain out for a night after Ruch a threat. This was a case in which an official of her Majesty had been dealing with public money, and he contended that they were perfectly right, though it might seem harsh, in the proceedings they had. taken in the matter.—Mr. Curtis said it was a rather curious thing On get Miss Milledge put in the sells for fear that she should commit suicide,