A PECULIAR AFFAIR

Hokitika Guardian, 1 April 1920, Page 1

A PECULIAR AFFAIR

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Counsel (Mr Treadwell) intimated to Mr Pago S.M., at the Police Court yesterday that he intended to set up a plea under the Special Defences Act in connection with seven charges against the young woman Grace Smith, of forging and uttering orders of withdrawal of post office savings bank. It was alleged that Smith appropriated the deposit books of people, defrauded and filled in withdrawal slips and secured in all a total of £lO2 10s. While enquiries were being made by the police, the woman disappeared and not until December last was she 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 ofßences. Mr Treadwell said the circumstances were so singTilar that he. desired to place them, before his Worship immediately, so that in the interim before the trial, they could be verified. On September 17th., 1917, accused married Robert Smith but shortly afterwards the latter was called up for active service. Later he deserted and it was not until October 1918, that his wife met him in Wellington. He then demanded money and she gave him all she possessed,

hut he threatened to break her neck unless she gave him more. He next directed her to purloin the bank deposit books and under direct threats the accused did so, after which her husband took her to the bank and forced her to secure the money. Not a penny of the proceeds were retained by accused. In the time between the commission of the offences she was often accosted by her husband who threatened to take her life if she divulged a word'of what was going on. On one occasion he struck at her but missing the objective hit the accused’s three weeks old baby. Counsel then put in a statement which accused signed in the Magistrate’s presence. A plea of not guilty was entered and Smith was committed to the Supreme Court for trial.