TERRORISING A DENTIST.
A YOUTHFUL EXTORTIONER. On June 30 J. J. Forster, a well-known dentist in Swanston street, Melbourne, tooeived the following letter: — Dear sir.—Just a line to order you to send rue £SO for a time being, as I know you have more than you can spend. Yon had better not ask or tell the police \ or detectives, or anyone else, for I will have you watched, and if you do a bullet j or a bomb may be shot at you, for it is I better to lose £SO than to lose your life. 1 If you accept ray terms, you must put in Saturday's ' Age,' in the" lost and found column, "I will accept them," and I will forward you a line letting you know how and where to send them. If you don't, beware, and oblige me, an unknown friend to you. Don't forget not to give it to the police, and no harm will come to you; on the other hand, there will. Mr Forster forwarded the letter to the J Chief Commissioner of Police, who in- i structed Detective Hawkins to investigate j the case. He asked Mr Forster to draw r out his unknown correspondent, end ar- c ranged an answer in the paper on July 5, I c which read : i Will accept. Says knows I have more ' \ than I can spend. Only my boast to j keep creditors in sight; my liabilities , great. Doing up old place* and borrow- 1 ing at big interest to full extent has « been my ruin. Banks demand furthers©- i cnntiesj none to offer; go insolvent. Although suffering severely from rheu- ' niatioG, could not afford even enough to ' trip from the winter. [ s To this came the following reply by \ post :^ Dear Dr Forster,—Just a line to tell ' you to send £4O in gold to the Post ? Office, Prahran, as that will be the best, ] I think. Now, I want you to understand \ that I am not a rogue or a rascal, for I ( intend to return you your money before j six months, with £lO interest, so you will make a profit. You had better tie it into a cardbox box, and make it secure, as it is a good weight. If vou don't intend to do this, beware, for 1 won't be fooled with, and as for what you eaid in the papers, you are increasing your wealth. For it, good luck to you, so I must now close.—J. Bell, Post Office, Prahran. P. S.—Excuse writing. For the purpose a parcel was made up by Detective Hawkins, and sent, registered, to the Prahran Post Office. Before, the trap had been properly set came the third letter, which read : Dear Sir,—Juct a final notice to lot you know about that money, for I gave you a fair chance, and if the sum of -£6O is not deposited in the Post Office, Brunswick, before noon, Wednesday, beware, for the band will know by then if such is not the case, and your life will not be safe for more than one week. You have got to put the gold in a nice parcel, and % forward it by post to the Post Office, Brunswick, and there I will get it. But don't forget. No monkey trick, for I may add a couple of noughts to that amount now. Mr Forster, you had better answer by post en Tuesday inorninj» in the lost and found, and don't be too
sarcastic. If the amount is not there,' beware! Don't forget not to let this get public, or I will finish the whole family off. If any of my men get taken a lcsof one life will occur. Now, be careful —" The Head." Then comes the unekijful drawing of th Cardiac accident, and, lastly: "Beware yotrr last chance."
An announcement in the paper from Mr Forster answered this threat of the im patient "Head": "I will accept; sent ti. Prahran," it said, and the trap was laid Detective Hawkins hung round the Prahro Post Office. Then came, the day after th appearance of the advertisement, at th' telephone a message: "Is there a parcel fo J. Bell, Brunswickr The detective answered that theTe was one for "J. Bell. Prahran." "Send it on to Brunswick" replied the voice; "I am too busy to ca'l for it to-day." The postmaster declared that a letter of authorisation must be sen 1 before it could be forwarded to Brunswick The letter came next day, and Detective Hawkins went to Brunswick. That afternoon a lad called for the parcel. He in formed the detective that a man in Boiirk street had given him half a crown to call for the parcel, and that he was waitinr for him in Brunswick road. When further questioned, the boy, who gave his nam---as John M'Coll, admitted that he hr.d written the letters. He said he had done :; plumbing job for his father in some of M ■ Forster'e property, and had conceived tho idea of obtaining the money from him by this means. He had not intended to kill Mr Forster, and had intended to pay the money back. M'Coll was charged with sending threatening letters demanding money. The lad is sixteen years of age.
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Bibliographic details
Evening Star, Issue 14118, 22 July 1909, Page 8
Word Count
876TERRORISING A DENTIST. Evening Star, Issue 14118, 22 July 1909, Page 8
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