BLACKMAIL ALLEGED.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 172, 23 July 1929, Page 9

BLACKMAIL ALLEGED.

VOICE OVER THE THONE.

jjAN COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.

"ACTING FOR ANOTHER."

Pleading not guilty, and reserving his gefence, Harry Cooper Douglas, aged 57, /escribed as a railway employee, was yesterday committed for trial at the Supreme Court on charges of demanding Bums of £7 and £2 10/ by menaces. The case was heard in the Police Court before Jlr. S. Brittain Bull, J.P., and Mr. A. J. Stratford, J.P. Complainant, a Grey Lynn business man, said he was at his shop on July 7 when he received a telephone call, in which a man, whose voice he did not know, told him that he had a number of -tters written by witness' wife to a business man in the city. The unknown man also said he had photographs of the other man leaving witness' house, and suggested that witness would not like the "letters to be made public. Witness asked the man at the other end of the • ire who he was, but he refused to state. He agreed to an appointment at Grafton Bridge, but failed to keep it, although witness was there at the appointed time. Witness described a further conversation over the phone with the unknown man, who finally made an offer to obtain the letters and photographs for £2 10/. Complainant arranged to send his assistant to town on Saturday last, it being settled that a messenger should be at the entrance to Palmerston Buildings at 9.30 a.m. The meeting with accused was described by an employee of the complainant, who said he entered the doorway of Palmerston Buildings, and after waitin" a few minutes was approached by accused, who asked him what he ■wanted. Witness, said: "I don't know; somebody is to give me some papers." Further conversation ensued and accused left witness for a few minutes. When he returned he said his "bosses" were very' hard, and he could not get the papers. Detective-Sergeant Doyle, stated that last Saturday about 9.30, following a complaint, he visited Palmerston Buildings, where he saw both complainant's assistant and accused arrive, the latter from the direction of the wharf. After accused had met the young man twice witness followed accused down Queen Street, accosting him and questioning him. Later at the police station accused made a statement in which he admitted ringing complainant on the telephone, but stating that he had been acting for another man, with whom he had previously worked. This man had at first asked £7, and had then stated he would take £2 10/ for the letters, as he was out of employment. Accused further stated that he did not know where the other man was at present, nor-where he lived. The reason he had taken an interest in the matter was "because he knew complainant and his family. Accused was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. No application for bail ,was jnade.