FORCED INTO CRIME.

Evening Star, Issue 17316, 1 April 1920, Page 4

FORCED INTO CRIME.

A YOUNG WOMAN’S DEFENCE. THREATS AGAINST HER LIFE, [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, April 1. Mr Treadwell intimated to Mr Page, S.M., at the Pov-o Court yesterday that he intended to set up a plea under the Special Defences of the Crimes Act in connection with the seven charges against a young woman named Grace Smith, of forging and uttering orders of withdrawal on the Post Office Savings Bank. It was alleged that the accused appropriated the deposit books of the people defrauded, filled in withdrawal slips, and secured in all a total of £lO2 10s. While inquiries were being made bv the police the woman disappeared, anil it was not until December last that she was located at Palmerston North, where she was working in a boarding-house under the name of Mrs Olga Graham. She then made a full confession of the offences. Mr Treadwell said the circumstances were so singular that he desired to pla«@ them_be\re the Court 'mmediatelv, gg that in the interval before the trial" the® could be verified. On September 7, 1917 accused married Robert Smith, bisfc shortly afterwards he was called up for active service. Later he deserted, and it was not until October, 1918, that she met him in Wellington. He then demanded money. She gave him all she possessed, but he threatened to break her neck unless she gave him more. He directed her to purloin bank deposit books, and, under dire threats, accused did so, after which the husband took her to the bank and forced her to secure the money, not one penny of which had been retained by her. In tlie intervals between the commission of the several offences she was often accosted by her husband, who threatened to take her life is she divulged a word of what was going on. On one occasion he struck at her, but, missing his objective, hit accused’s three weeks’ old babv. Counsel then put in a statement which accused signed in the Magistrate’s presence.

A plea of not guilty was entered, and accused wss committed to tho Supremo Court for trial