"ROY OF KAEO."

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 224, 21 September 1929, Page 9

"ROY OF KAEO."

LETTER AS MAIN EXHIBIT. ATTEMPTED PERVERSION CHARGE. * ACCUSED SENT FOR TRIAL. A letter which he had admitted writing, figured as the principal exhibit in a case heard at the Police Court late yesterday afternoon, when William Bobbett, a labourer, aged 36, appeared on a charge of unlawfully attempting to obstruct, pervert, or defeat the course of justice , by attempting to persuade Ivy Mary Moselen to give false evidence. It was alleged that the letter was written in connection with a charge against Jessie Morris of unlawfully using an instrument on Mrs. Ivy Mary Moselen. Chief Detective Hammond prosecuted, and Mr. J. F. W. Dickson appeared for accused. Husband's Evidence. Arthur Roy Moselen, a carrier, residing at Kaeo, near Whangaroa, said he was the husband of Ivy Mary Moselen, who recently gave evidence in the case of Jessie Morris, now awaiting trial at the Supreme Court on a charge of procuring abortion. Early in August witness received an anonymous letter. At that time his wife was in the Whangaroa Hospital suffering from septicaemia, and was waiting discharge to attend the Magistrate's Court at Auckland to give evidence. The letter, which bore the postmark of Symonds Street Post Office, referred" to Ivy, which was his wife's name. Witness knew accused, who formerly resided at Kaeo. Accused knew Mrs. Moselen. Witness handed the letter to Constable Dale, of Whangaroa, on August 29. The Letter. The letter was as follows:— v "Dear Roy,—l imagine you wili be surprised to receive this from me, but when you read it you will understand. Of course, I do not know your 'eeiings in the matter, and it is rather a delicate matter to write about. The lady (you know who I mean) is very worried, of course, a,s she does 'not know what course of action you and Mrs. 'J-fosaten are going to take, whether to help her, or against her. I know her fairly well, and found her to be a good sort, always ready to give a help in trouble. Well, Roy, the position is this: If you are going to try and help her, the best and only thing to do is for Ivy not to be able to recognise her. In the course of the proceednigs the lady will be in a room with several other women, ana Ivy will be asked to pick her out, and if_ she makes up her mind riot to recognise her that will squash the whole business and end it, as far as Ivy is concerned. On the other hand, it means seven years for the woman. The reason I am writing like this is because I feel sorry fro her. She did me a good turn when I was in a mess. Well, Roy, as I have already explained, I don't know your feelings about this matter, but I sincerely hope it all ends without trouble and worry for you. I know for sure this can happen so long as Iyy is positive that she does not know her, and cannot recognise her. Wishing you all the best of luck. * Yours sincerely.— Bill (of Kaeo long ago.") Constable Thomas Dale, of Whangaroa, said he knew both Mr. and Mrs. Moselen. Witness, on receiving the let tar from Mr. Moselen, forwarded it to the Auckland police. Detective's Inquiries. The next witness was Detective-Ser-geant P. J. Doyle, of Auckland. As the result of inquiries made about the letter, on September 9, in company with Detective O'Sullivan, he interviewed accused at his home, 12, Carlton Gore Roal. When told of the inquiries about the anonymous letter, accused said he lived at Kaeo many years ago. He admitted that he knew both Mr. and Mrs. Moselen, ' adding, "but I have no interest in their ! business." Witness told accused that the letter had some bearing on the case against Jessie Morris, charged ,with procuring abortion. Accused agreed to write several words at witness' dictation. • He wrote the following sentence, "I know her fairly well and found her to be a good sort." He also wrote the word "Ivy," "wishing you the best ol luck" and "yours sincerely, Bill." In the letter the word Moselen was spelled Moslen, and another was wrongly spelled. Accused made the same error in specimens dictated to him. When-his attention was drawn to the two errors and told that the letter was, in witness' opinion, in his handwriting, accused said, "I know the woman 'Jean,' which name Mrs. Morris is known by." He added that he had no interest in the woman "Jean." It did not matter whether she got seven years or got off. He got nothing out of it. Bobbett said he did not write the letter to her. However, he then made a statement admitting he wrote the letter. Accused's Statement. Bobbett; in his statement, said he was a married man with five children. He first met "Jean" in July, 1928, when he was asked to ring her up by a person and make an appointment with her on Grafton Bridge. He had met her since then in the street and had seen her driving her car. It was two months since he last saw her. "I .had," he wrote, "a great desire to see that no Court case resulted in connection with the matter between the woman Jean and Ivy Moselen, as'l did not like the publication of names—l mean, an ordinary feeling to see Mrs. Moselen's name was not published. I have no interest In the woman 'Jean' who is charged with the offence. I have not been approached by Jean and asked to write a letter to Mrs. Moselen's husband to stop the Court case. I have not been asked to do so by Mrs. Moselen's sistp-rs or any member of that family. The letter is" in my handwriting and was written by me with the object I have stated and not in the interests of the woman Jean, who is nothing to me. I admit that the contents of the letter suggest that I am interested in Jean." Accused was arrested on September 9. He made no reply to the charge, but pleaded' not guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail was allowed.