THREATENING LETTER

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2132, 25 April 1914, Page 6

THREATENING LETTER

TO A MAYOR DURING THE STRIKE, (By Telegraph.—Presa AsaoekiioiU Clirlstchurcli, April 24,. During the rccent strike trouble the Mayor (Mr. H. Holland) TOa the recipient of several anonymous letters, all containing threats against him and his family. These threats were of aii a larming naturo, somo being worse than others. Reference to this matter was made by the Mayor in tho course of an address last night, but his statement that ho liad received sweh documents were received with cries of unbelief and derision by Social Democratic partisans. To-day tho Mayor, in response to a request., handed to a reporter oiio of tho letters which ho had received. Tlie letter, which was written in a scrawly, uneducated b«nd, read as follows: — "To Mayor Holland, "Mr. Mayor.—By oil accounts, and by appearances, you havo turned a Masseyito at last by encouraging tho town and country to flock to Christchurch,'as —with tho bludgeon and pistol, aftd also it is reported that your—aK» backed up to break up our meetings in Victoria Square. • If you allow this kind of conduct to be carried out, you look out for yourself; also for your own cottage. ' It will be bad for you to be calling in tho —; — to protect you. This is a wariiitis:, *'(Sgd.) SHOPKEEPER'S WIFE." "This letter is by no mean? the worst which I received," said tho Mayor. "It was the first to como to hiind, and I sent it to the police. Others. came ; afterwards, but theso I destroyed. Tlmy contained threats against me personally, ■ threats to bum down my house, threats to waylay and assault. too, threats against my family, and other threats of a liko nature. In fact, the letters were most intimidating throughout, but I took no further notice of them. I threw them into tho. fire. Most of the threatening letters wore mi.sta.mped, and I accordingly gave instructions that I would refuse to take delivery of any such unstamped letters in future, so that there might havo been other threat* ening letters sent me which I did notreceive. Tho' one quoted' above-lias been in thopossession.of tho polico until now, When the statement as to niy receiving these letters was challenged ! got-this one back, and now quote it in proof of what I said."