A LETTER AND A TRAP.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 680, 3 December 1909, Page 7

A LETTER AND A TRAP.

♦ \ % CHAEGE OF LEVYING BLACKMAIL. (By Talggraph-l'read Asiool&tloD I < 1 . Auckland, December 2 In tne Supreme Court to-day Arnold Hare waa arraigned on a chaige of levying blackmail The actual charge made was that between August 28 and September 1 he stole a letter, tho property of Thomas Edwin Claikc, and did, with menaces, demand the 6um of .£25 of him, with intent to steal. Tho circumstances as detailed by tho Crown Prosecutor were that on August 28 prisoner found a letter on tho railwa) station. The letter vva9 addressed to Thomas Edwin Claiks, Care, of Messrs It 0 Clarke, Ltd, and it published, some passages in it might bo conbtiued in a. sense which would have tho effect of injuring tho private and commercial icSutation of the person to whom it wns adressed. Tho prisoner then wrote a letter to Clarke informing him that ho would sell the letter to him for JE2S, otherwise he threatened to publish its contents Clarke placed the mattci in the hands of the police. In his letters pusoner indicated the procedure whereby the money could bo paid over withoiit hie own identity being disclosed. Ho euggoeled that the money should be deposited on a sholf in n certain part of the Public Library. He also said ho wanted no "funny business," , and that ho did not liko euch a dirty, despicable bit of business, but was very hard up, and badly in want of money. Dotectives Holhe and Cox Investigated the matter, and bv comitly mg with one of the prisoner's 6uege4ioas they set a trap for him, and caught him. Evidence in support of these facts was tenderedi For the defence, Mr. Bloomfleld admitted tho facts, bat submitted that there hod been no offence Under the Crimes Act it was not an offence to send a threatening letter, as lone as the person to whom* it was sent was not accused of a crime Tho foots did not conntituto an offence under Section 2GB of tho Crimea Act The jury found prisoner "Guilty." His honour released Mm on .£SO bail, pending tho Appeal Couit'e decision upon ecrtair points reserved.