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Military Hospitals Commission
Canada
District of Vocational Affairs

"2"

with the way things were running. On Christmas Eve, when I with-drew, as night policeman from duty at the morgue. Mr. Barnstead thought he had two good , reliable soldiers in charge of he citizens property, and I told him, if so, we did not need any more policemen at night, as there was nothing for them to do, that they were better needed somewhere else to protect the citizens property. I was to return there to the morgue until Christmas Day at 12 o'clock. Then I was to let the soldiers go to spend part of their Christmas Day. I was in my bed Christmas morning, when Chief of Police Hanrahan. called me up by telephone asking me if I was sick. I told him "No, that Mr. Barnstead and I agreed that I would come in at 12 o'clock Christmas Day, and let the soldiers go. Well he told me that the morgue had been burglarized the night before, by one of those men who had charge of the citizens property, and said that he wanted me to go right out there. I did so. On my arrival, I investigated and found that it was one of these soldiers that was left in charge of the property, whose name was Burpee. He had burst the trunk open, and stolen $200.00 belonging to the dead bodies, and had gone in town. While I was investigating, Chief of Police Hanrahan, sent Policeman Edward Barrett out to me and told him to report to me. So I called up the Chief and he told me I had better go home and change my clothes, and see if I could locate this man that stole the money. I then handed over to Mr. Barrett, and I did not go back to the morgue any more. This soldier, when the money was all spent, showed up at the Armouries when Assistant Detective Collier placed him under arrest. I then was failing very fast in health and had to come back to Kentville Sanitorium.

Yours very truly,
Police Officer Leo Tooke,
for the City of Halifax.

T/L.