South Yorkshire Times, December 23, 1932

Missing Letters

Goldthorpe Postman Sent To Prison

A lapse by Goldthorpe auxiliary postman, hitherto of unblemished character, resulted in his being sent to prison for six months by the Doncaster West riding magistrates on Saturday.

The accused was Harry Stott (34), of Goldthorpe, and he was charged with having stolen a postal packet containing £3. There were alternate charges of stealing seven postal packets and of detaining the post. He pleaded “Guilty.”

Mr. C. R. Marshall, who prosecuted, said prisoner was an allowance deliverer at the Goldthorpe sub- office. He was employed for 16 hours a week, for which he received 13s 1d, and he also worked at Barnburgh Colliery, where his wager averaged £2 1s. a week. He had been employed at the post office since May 5th. 1921. In consequence of an abnormal number of missing inward letters at the Goldthorpe sub- office inquiries had been in progress for a considerable time, and suspicion fell on Stott. A test letter containing three Bank of England notes, the numbers of which were kept, was addressed to a Goldthorpe woman on Dec. 8th, and was specially collected by the sub- postmaster, who kept at in his possession until the next day, when when he transferred it to a postman employed at the same office. This man, in accordance with instructions, placed the packet with letters which the prisoner had to deal with, and Stott should have handed it back to him as a mis-sort, hut but did not do so.

After Stott had gone on his morning round the postmaster was unable to find the letter. On returning from his Guillory the accused was questioned by an official from London. He said he had not seen the letter nor the three notes, but when he consented to show the contents of his pocket, the notes were found in them. Asked if he had anything to say, he replied – “Nothing. I am sorry, too sorry.” He was searched and seven letters which had been opened were found on him. He said “I opened them. They did not contain money. I don’t care what the letters say.”

Mr. W. L. Crawford (defending), described the case as a very extraordinary one in its way.” Until the unfortunate lapse Stott had an irreproachable character. He was employed at Barnburgh Colliery for a long period before the war, and served oversee with the Army for 12 months, being wounded twice, upon which he returned to the colliery. The Company gave him an excellent character, and he appeared to have done the work as an assistant postman satisfactorily until this occasion. He could not give any explanation as to why be did that foolish thing, for he did not want the money and he did not bet or drink. He (Mr. Crawford), could only think that it was a case of panic, that having opened one letter Stott was afraid of returning the others.

The Chairman (Mr. G. E. Cooke – Yarborough), said an offence of that kind was always regarded as very serious, because it was essential to the commercial life of the country that the Post Office could be relied upon. Men accused of the offence were usually committed for trial at the assizes, but in the circumstances, Stott not being a full-time postman, the magistrates had decided to deal with the case summarily. They would be failing in their duty, however, if they sent him to less than six months’ imprisonment.