A MASONIC SIGN

Evening Post, Issue 25, 30 January 1935, Page 21

A MASONIC SIGN

GIVEN TO A JUDGE?

ENGLISH INCIDENT

A claim by a woman against tha Commissioner of Police, Lord Trenchard, for damages following the seizure of certain documents at tho house of Clarence Guy Gordon Haddon, at Gibson Square, Islington, failed at Clerkenwcll County Court recently, says the. "Paily Telegraph." 'Judgment was given for the Commissioner, with costs.

The claim was biought by •MissrHelen Anderson Black Murray, giving the sanie'address, who also sought the return of ceitain letters.

Another claim for damages, brought by Haddon, was adjourned. The actions arose out of a visit to Haddon's room on November 23, 1033, of police officers, who searched the room.

When the jury had retired, Judge Earongcy said to ITaddon: "It has been reported" to me that you have made a statement in the corridor of this court that you saw a Masonic sign passing between me and someone else. t naddon: X did not say you. I saw it 'given by Mr. Engelbach. I do not know to whom it was given. Mr. Engelbach (indignantly): It is utterly untrue, the more so because 1 am not a Mason, and do not know what * Masonic^ sign is. The Judge: One can gather the valne of such\an attack, when one knows that Mr.'Engelbach is not a Mason and does not know what a Masonic sign is. Turning to Haddon, the Judge said: sternly, "Now you may go." Tho jury answered questions in favour of the defendant on three of the four points involved, and on the fourth the Judge said he should" havve found in law in the defendant's favour also. Thena would be judgment for the Commissioner with costs.

- Miss Mnrray: I will appea'l to a higher Court. "

1 The Judge: You will require leave to I appeal. Miss Murray, giving evidence, said that tho police- seized letters by which. 6ho was trying to raise funds for an appeal on behalf of Haddon to the House !.q£ Commons and to the League of Naj "io-nst ~'Cj;oss-ex4imined by Mr. A. Engelbach (for'the Co-m-missioner), she said: "Mr. Haddou pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to save furtheT public scandal." ■{.'- ,'f 'PLEADING,LETTEES." ' TVIr. Ungelbach: The person who was blackmailed was tlie'KingI?—■lt was not I blackmail. Mr. Haddon wrote pleading Vetteis to the Sing. A plea for money1? —No, a plea for justice; for a helping hand. What are yon going to do with the letters you ai-e claiming back? —I am going to keep them. They are of value to me, even sentimental value. Sentimental value to- know,you ha.va a friend who has threatened'to publish blackmailing letters, against-the King? -_Agaia I object to the word "blackmail. " ...

■"What do yott really -want by this action against Lord Trenchard?" asked Mr. Kngelbach. " Justiee," icplied Miss Murray. Haddon, grving evidence fot Miss Murray, referred to the conditions of his being bound oveT, and. in reply to Mr. Engelbach said: "I only pleaded guilty on the advice- of my counsel to save a publics scandal, and not of my own free wiil." He added that he was bound over to be "of good behaviour and. '' to refrain from making- any statement that you are the son of ." "I have to leave that blank," he explained. Mr. Engelbach showed a. document to Haddon, and asked: "This list contains the names of a number' of very eminent people-—du&es aud editors of various newspapers?" . , plead for justice; that is nil," Teplred Haddon., Mr. Engelbach submitted that when a person was arrested in such circumstances no search warrant was required. "You might jast as well leave in the ,hands of a raving madman a loaded pistol, as- leave these documents in the hands o£<a % man. who hfls already sent out 250 of them," he declared.

He maintained that the documents woi'o of such a nature that i\ was in the 'interests' of the State and of the public that they should not be put into the hands of anyone who could use tliem. They were capable, he suggested, of being libellous and defamatory letters in. themselves. One document was scurrilous.