AMY BOCK’S CASE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14982, 30 April 1909, Page 7

AMY BOCK’S CASE.

[From Our Correspondent.] AUCKLAND, April 28. Mr Maurice O’Connor, licensee of the Waverley Hotel, Auckland, and formerly chief detective at Christchurch, once had the now famous Amy Bock in his hands. It was just after this clever woman’s arrival from Melbourne in 1884 that Mr O’Connor arrested her on a charge of false pretences. She was then young and pretty, so slight in build as to ho almost tiny. “ I don’t know that she would pass muster in male attire,” said the late-chief detective, “but' she must certainly have filled out considerably since then, as she was the last person in the world that you would expect to be able to pass as a man when I first knew' her.” As the incident in. which Mr O’Connor was interested happened nearly twenty-five years ago the details have passed out of his memory. On that occasion, as on the many subsequent occasions that she fell into the hands of the police, she gave •no trouble, and pleaded guilty without making the least fuss about it. Asked ■what could have been the reason of the woman’s latest outbreak in going through the form of marriage with another woman, Mr O’Connor said that the only explanation is that the woman is mad on this particular 1 phase of crime. Most criminals, he says, follow one particular lino,- and Amy Bock lias always figured under false pretences. When hardened to it, criminals actually take a delight in their own cleverness, and in the woman Bock’s ease she was no doubt revelling in lier own ability of deception.' “ She is evidently mad on that point,” the ex-chief detective added,and was seeing how far sho could carry on under false pretences.” [From Our Correspondent.] DUNEDIN, April 29.

Atny Bock, is anxious that a solicitor should appear for her at the Supreme Court and say a few words on her behalf, and it is understood that a leading lawyer will do so. Her only real worry at the present time is that she may be declared an habitual criminal, and receive an indeterminate sentence. It is said that it will be necessary for Miss Ottaway to take proceedings under the Divorce Act to have tho marriage annulled. In regard to tho local firm of jewellers who supplied “Mr Percy Redwood” with £l5O worth of jewelley, a local legal firm took as security Ottaway’s property at the Nuggets, and guaranteed the jewellers their amount. The charge of obtaining £3O from Arthur Ellis by means of a false pretence will very likely bo gone on with on Monday, and a remand applied for in other cases. The charges to be brought against Amy Bock will include one of "false pretences or forgery, probably tho- latter, in connection with obtaining an advance of money on,- furniture. There will also bo a charge of making a false declaration in connection with the recent marriage,, and probably some .other charges of false pretences.