CHARGES AGAINST PLUMMER.

Auckland Star, Volume XII, Issue 3540, 10 December 1881, Page 2

CHARGES AGAINST PLUMMER.

YESTERDAY CONtiLtfDKD,

The Police Court was occupied until a late hour yesterday afternoon with the charge of sending threatening letters to Dr. Philson, preferred against Frederick Plummer.

Kate Kelly was re-called, and questioned as to the time she saw the prisoner go through Mr Glover's yard. She said it was alter 12 o'clock, but she could not go nearer to it. Mr Pardy was the next witness, lie produced a letter which he found in prisoner's house at the time of his arrest. (Letter read.) It was a letter Irom Mr J. Williams, Victoria-atreet, to prisoner, regarding a proposal by the latter to purchase a property. John F. Harper, house decorator, and Joseph Williams, tailor, Victoria-street, both deposed that prisoner occupied a house in Brown-street owned by the latter, fie wished to purchase it. A letter was received, signed G. F. Bailey, offering £360 for it, but they could not swear that Plummer wrote the letter. Owen Mahon, drill-master, deposed that G. F. Bailey (Plummer) undertook to copy some parts ot a Mass which tbo choir of St. Francis de Sales were practising. He eublequently gave them to him, but witness could not swear that prisoner wrote them himself.

Mrs M. Hastings, Grey-street, deposed that prisoner lodged at her house in February last. Ho used to play on the piano in the evening, and had one musicbook (produced), which he left at her house. She believed this was tbe same book, but could not swear positively. Prisoner calle d for the book on the 3rd of October, but she was from home. She afterwards gave it to Detective Jeffrey.

Prisoner said "it might interest the Court to know that the book had been the property of Cyrus Haley. Constable Strathern deposed that on the morning of the prisoners arrest, he remarked on the way to the station that Jeffrey had a music-book of his. Fredk. Uattley, Secretary of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, deposed that he had been for nearly 20 years connected with banking institutions, and had great experience in comparing various handwritingo. He had compared together the letters written to Mr Williams and the writing m tho music-book, aad that in tho sheet music put in by Mr Mahon, and was decidedly or opinion that they were all written by the same person, and also felt certain that the three letters lent to Dr. Philson wore written by the name person who /rrote the music, and the letters sent to Mr Williams, and signed by G. F. ISayloy. The letters were all written on paper of the same size and ruling, and bearing the same watcr-matk. Tbo Court then adjourned.