ALLEGED BLACKMAIL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLII, Issue 9372, 29 October 1921, Page 2

ALLEGED BLACKMAIL.

GIRL'S STRANGE STORY.

An unusual story was told at the Stratford Police Court, England, recently, when a young woman, Mary Levy, described as of no occupation and no fixed abode, was charged with conspiring with tyiree men m custody, named Montigny, Douglas and Moody, m attempting to obtain £500 by menaces from Mrs Florence Blake, it is alleged that the men, who are on remand, threatened to expose what they declared was a photograph of Mrs Blake's husband and a woman unless she paid them £500. Detective Hilder said he arrested the woman Levy. When charged she said, "I thought it was for a divorce." Later she made and signed a voluntary statement m which she declared that she first met the prisonefcJDengjfls" m the West End, asked* her if she would- "g**^ orf" with a man. She asked hjir^if the man wanted a divorce 7' Xwished her to act for him, .but—La only replied, "I have got a grudge against the man." Later Douglas pointed out to her at Stratford Market Station the man she now knew was Blake. She followed Blake into a railway carriage, and they got into conversation on the journey to Custom House. She told him she was a typist. Afterwards Douglas gave her money for her expenses, and said, "You must travel down by that every morning until he asks you to go out with Mm." She consented to do so, but it was not until a fortnight later that she again met Blake m the train. At their third meeting she asked him to take tea with her at her mother's house, and he accepted. When she told Douglas of this he said, "That's all right. We must now find a place to take him to." On the morning of August 15 Douglas took her to a house at En-