Amazing Story Recalled

Northland Age, Volume 1, Issue 17, 10 April 1929, Page 2

Amazing Story Recalled

Marriage” To Another

Woman

No slory more amazing than that of Amy Bock’s “marriage” to a woman, at The Nuggets, Otago, 20 years ago, after a remarkable life of crime, has ever been told ki the Police Courts ot New Zealind or Australia. Amy Bock’s brilliant masquerade as a man and her unsuspecting woman has only recently been eclipsed by the almost incredible story of description bv “Captain Barker,” in England. Clever criminal, with an almost insane bent for false pretences, Amy lor several months lived as a man, courted a mature woman and married her before a big congregation. Every part of her masquerade as the son of a wealthy Waikato family was conceived and executed by Amy Bock with faultless skill, and it was not till tie police, on her trail on other charges, revealed her identity and disclosed her impersonation that the “bride,” her parents, and hundreds of friends were aware that the dashing man who had worked his way into their esteem was really a woman. Following her discharge, after serving three years hard labour f#r false pretences at Wellington, Amy Bock arrived in Dunedin, and immediately started on her daring and cunningly conceived swindles. She was a smart worker, carring out a swindle without delay and departing without leaving a trace of her whereabouts. Early in January, I )og, she obtained a position with a Roslyn family by the name of Roy, as a domestic. Amy was I,ft in charge of the house while the family left Dunedin for a holid ry. Their absence gave her the opportunity of building up her bank balance, for which she had anxiously waited.

Forging her master’s name to a receipt purporting to sell the furniture in the house to her, Amy convinced, a Kaikorai business mm that the order was genuine and sucoeeded in obtaining £3O by a bill of sale over the furniture. She also collected £4l by defrauding a domestic servant’ and decamped, going to The Nuggets. A POPULAR YOUNG MAN Dressed as a man, and under the name of Percy Carol Redwood, “nephew of an archbishop,” Amy took up residence at Mr and Mrs George Ottoway’s hoarding house. Dressed in the latest fashion and with plenty of money, Percy Redwood soon betame a favourite at The Nuggets. In Miss Ottaway he found a desirable acquaintance. Cupid worked speedily, and the marriage with the consent of Miss Ottoway’s parents, was arranged for April 21. “Percy” knaw that the bluff would soon be called, and “he” made arrangements for

the honeymoon to be spent in

Australia. The intention was to journey to the Bluff with his wife and suddenly disappear leaving a letter revealing the description, but “Percy” intended that the wedding should be on a big scale, in keeping with the standing of his family in the Waikato. A visit with his intended bride and her parents was paid to Dunedin, where orders were placed for the printing of wedding invitations. The happy couple were photographed, and Mr Ottoway guaranteed an order with a firm, for £IOO worth of jewellery. Meanwhile “Percy” had been in communion with an insurance compmy, with a view to having his

Ife insured. With a policy in his pocket, money could be raised. Two legal firms were also defrauded by his story of a farm and valuable stock at Tapanui, and they advanced small sums of money.

Amy was a brilliant trickster. She left no loopholes. From Redwood’s “mother” in the Waikato, Mrs Ottoway received several letters, one stating: “I have just had a talk over the marriage with my boys, and am going to see my lawyer. We have decided to give Carol £3500 and I will give another £IOOO for the house and furniture, as he wishes to live in Dunedin.” The letter was signed by "Frances Redwood” but in reality “Percy Redwood” was the composer. From his “mother,” “Percy” himself received several endearing letters, giving her blessings and stating the terms of settlement of financial matters with her lawyers. TOES OF BOOTS STUFPED Amy was so clever that the most wary would have been deceived. Lawyers had failed 'to discover her true identity and a tailor in Dunedin, who had measured her for a man’s suit, suspected nothing, although her petite form required only size 13% for collars and shirts. In build she resembled a man, and she had taken care that her feet should not give her away. The toes of her boots were stuffed, and she wore two pairs of sox. To complete the deception, her hair was cut close and she walked like a man. r ~

The wedding was solemnised at Albion House, Port Molyneux, the residence of the bride’s parents, on April 21. The district paper published a glowing account of the wedding, at which two ministers officiated, but three days later Percy Carol Redwood was once again a woman, unmarried, and in a police cell, a habitat with which she was very lamiliar.

When the police arrived at The Nuggets they inquired for ‘ Mr Redwood” and down stairs he came, smoking a pipe. Amy smoked, but she was temperate. At the wedding, however, she drank seven whiskies, which, she said, had nearly killed heiv THE GAME’S UP “Th« game’s up,” announced tbd detective, and Amv’s reply -Was, “All right.” Imagine the consternation of the Ottoway family when the police threw aside the cloak and revealed the true identity of a clever criminal!

Once again assuming hertiue identity, Amy appeared in Court as a woman, She was heavily veiled, her spirit was broken, and she showed none ot the self composure which had marked her excursions into impersonating and deception. On May 27 she was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment on charges of false pretences and making a wrongful statement to the Registrar of Marriages. She was also declared a habitual criminal. A broken woman, Amy stepped down from the dock into the cells HER LAST OFFENCE

It was her last appearance in Court. After serving her sentence she lived quietly, and some years later it was reported that she had married (one of the opposite sex this time), and had settled near Waitara, in Taranaki.

At the time of her successful masquerade at The Nuggets, Amy Bock was a small trim woman, 45 years of age. Of those years sixteen had been spent in prisons and she had recorded for herself an imposing list of aliases, m-

eluding those of Channel, Shannon, Ballauca and Skevington. She was born in Victoria, and while a school teacher in Gippsland, Victoria, she began her career ot crime bv obtaining goods by false pretences. Three years later she dame to New Zealand. Like many other criminals she followed one speciality in crime, and in false pretences she was expert. Her first conviction was at Oamdru. After convictions at Dunedin, Christchurch and Timaru, she returned to Oamaru and joined the Salvation Army. She was a clever pkmiste as well as a clever rogue, and she induced the Army to buy a piano for its barracks. Her ingenuity was amazing, and the attempt at masquerading was probably intended to be the climax of her career. FALSE PRETENCE IN WELLINGTON

One of her frauds was brilliantly conceived. Hiring a horse from a Wellington livery stable, she rode it some distance out into the country and then, digging in the spurs raced back to town. The horse in a lather, was pulled lip an ironmonger’s, and in a great, state %f excitement (what an artist the stage missed) Amy handed a letter, purporting to be written by a widow to the ironmonger, ft stated that her son was in difficulties at the bank and prosecution would result if £4O was n»t forthcoming. Im-media-tely the ironmonger anded over the chf quo, and Amy ca hed it. She was adept at letter riting and forgery, but The Nuggets masquerai doubtless suggested by “The Secret of Paul Fairley,” a serial story then running i “Evening Star.” It was an engrossing s'ory of a woman, [rosing as 1 man, meeting trouble in marital affairs. Amy made certain that every issue containing an ins'al merit of the story was received by her. Amy Bock and her adventures will always be accented ns the most astounding character amd events in the annals of New Zealand cyme.