A LETTER AND A TRAP.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVIII, Issue LVIII, 4 December 1909, Page 5

A LETTER AND A TRAP.

CHARGE OF LEVYING BLACKMAIL

AUCKLAND, December 3. In the Supreme Court, Arnold' Hare was arraigned on a charge of levying blackmail. Tlie actual charge made was that between August 28 and September 1 he stole a letter, tho property of Thomas Edwin Clarke, and did, with menaces, demand tho sum of £25 of him, with intent to steal. The circumstances as detailed by the Crown Prosecutor woro that on August 28 prisoner found a letter on the railway station. The letter was addressed to Thomas Edwin Clarke, care of Messrs R. O. Clarke, Ltd., and if published, some- passages in it might bo construed in a sense which would have the effect of injuring the private and commercial reputation of the person to whom it was addressed. The prisoner then wrote a letter to Clarke informing him that ac would sell the letter to him for £25, otherwise he threaten ed to publish, its contents. Clarke plac-rd the matter m the hands of the police. In his letters prisoner indicated the procedure whereby the money could bo paid over with1 out his own identity being disclosed. He 'suggested that the money should ~bo deposited on a shelf in a certain part of the Public Library. He also said he wanted no "funny business," and that ho did not like such a dirty, despicable 1 bit of business, but was very hard up, and badly in want of money. Detectives Hollis and Cox investigated the matter, and by complying with one of the prisoner's suggestions they set a trap for him ; and caught him. / ' Evidence m support of these facts was tendered. For the defence, Mr Bloomfield admitted the facts, but submitted that there had been no offence. Under th.o Crimes Act it was not an offence io send a threatening letter, as long as the person to whom it was sent was not accused of a crime. The facts did not constitute an offence under Section 268 of me Crimes Act. The jury found prisoner "Guilty." His Honor released him on £50 bail, pending the Appeal Court's decision upon certain points reserved.