THE NOTORIOUS AMY BOCK

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14133, 7 August 1909, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE NOTORIOUS AMY BOCK

' r • EPISODES OF recent years. I'i t F'iiil.'V:? ——— (Protected.) " ' BY H. W. KOBSOX. Hvm'fi seived four months' imprisonment, i snd, in the eyes of the law, expiated her Oamaru sins, Amy Bock was discharged from gaol in May, 1894, and here there is - a blank. Discerning policemen and industrious' chroniclers have failed to put. on reI cord the manner in which she occupied her talents during the 12 months immediately ensuing. It is impossible to state positively -" where she was and what she was doing between the date just given and August c { the following year, when she once more made an appearance in Dunedin. It may lie that during this time she was engaged in honest works, fits of which she was occasionally subject to. ' • '- amy's picnic.

'/It would seem that when crossing Cook Strait a lady, en route to Dunedin, met the amiable swindler and struck up a friendship with her. The agreeable manners of the young lady so impressed the Dunedinito that the invited her to travel with her in the same car on the express, and when they reached Dunedin nothing would satisfy Mrs. but that Amy should spend •\i few days with her in her pretty suburban home. Of course, the obliging Amy agreed, and she made herself as popular with the :/■' lady's relatives as the had become well -r liked by the lady herself. Time passed :ft pleasantly enough until a spirit of restlessness seized Amy again, and she began to hatch further cunning schemes.

I : One clay the household decided to go 'picnicking to Waitati. Of course Amy was , to be one of the party, and arrangements were made * Brit at the last moment she ' complained of fearful headache. She said she believed eh»? would not go to Waitati liter all, much as she wished it she would stay at home and look after the house, and the servants might take the opportunity to have a day off. The others, with genuine regret, fell in with the proposal.

i Amy also had been making arrangements for a picnic, bat they had been kept strictly private. No sooner were the merrymakers safely away and the servants out of the house than she placed herself in communication with a money-lender, who apparently was thereby occasioned no surprise. Within a remarkably short space of time the house had been visited, and certain documents and a large portion of furniture inspected. There were also documents signed then and there. The picnickers returned to find Amy's headache tetter, and the young lady in excellent temper. None except the money-lender ard herself knew anything of the "sum of n one}- that had entered into her possession since the morning.

Shortly after that the young lady brought her visit to a close. Business, she said, called her urgently away, and amid explosions of mutual regret and esteem, she •departed. Ihe hospitable family had only the pleasantest recollections of their late protege, until one day a quietly-dressed, shrewd-eyed .man called at the house. He bad something to say about certain repayments being due on money lent on furniture. There were explanations, followed by expressions of horror, indignation, and disgust, in rapid succession, in that usually peaceful villa, and there was some talk of police; but under the circumstances it was natural that nobody connected with the affair desired to give it publicity, and Amy's lite host and financier came to some ar- ; rangement whereby Amy was permitted to free with the gains.

"MISS CAMERON-," IX FUNEDIN. On August 8, 1895, Mrs. Louisa Greig, /ho kept a small boarding-house at the ewer end of Hanover-street, Dunedin, received a call from Amy. The latter said her name was Miss Cameron, and that she was .a lady of independent means. She applied, and -was provided with board and lodging. At the end of the week I 'Mrs. Greig looked to her new lodger for payment,. and finally mentioned the matter to lier. "Of course," said Miss Cameron, "I had not noticed that it was due. I shall get you some money to-day, ;*nd at the same time I will see about disposing of a piano and furniture that I have here in Dunedin." Miss Cameron accordingly went out that day; but she did not return to her anxious landlady. The latter waited a reasonable time, and then went to the puiioe. Detectives sought for the defaultins,' lodger high and low, but- Amy had bidden herself well, and it was not until lie middle of September that she was discovered, in Waikouaiti, and brought to Dunedin. She appeared in the Police Court as an old and clever friend, and was described by the reporters of that day as a "dangerous character." She pleaded guilty, and was sent to gaol for" three months, with hard labour.

" MISS SHEBWIN,'' AND WAXMATE.

Amy was discharged from gaol at the end ; of the year 1895, and seven years passed before she again found herself within the >■"; four bare walls of a prison. No one can say what thoughts she had or what influences were brought to bear on her during ' this last sojourn in durance vile, but the .- fact remains that immediately on her release she became an inmate of the Mount f. - Magdala Home, and remained there for live years, evidently with a determination - • to live a bettor life and overcome her tendency towards crime.

Little can be said about her during the time she remained at Magdala. We have it that she was not by any means a disagreeable person, that while not at all " prepossessing in appearance, she still possessed an engaging personality," and that "she showed her versatility by organising theatrical performances, which she produced very excellently."

About the end of 1901 Amy Maud Bock was in Waimate, being then known as iV Miss " Sherwin," and acting as x housef- keeper for a well-known and wealthy i ; y sheep-farmer of the locality. Her habit of miking herself popular was as much in evidence here as elsewhere, and she had, it is said, a host of friends in Waimate. - She had also, it would appear, a host of creditors, for she' had a happy knack of ; running accounts with trusting traders of that little South Canterbury town. But shopkeepers have a way of becoming somewhat insisting when a few months have ,Passed without due recognition of polite hints, and Miss Shenvin's creditors were not an exception. She had done some posing. too, in that little section of Waimate

society to which she had been admitted. One day, after borrowing a large sum of niynev from an old lady who believed in her and her talo that she was going away ')/, or medical treatment, she suddenly disappeared. Naturally her unban™-- credit tors asked after her with some anxiety, and > a Waimate solicitor, who was engaged to collect a number of debts, sought information of her whereabouts with a good deal 4'w of enthusiasm. To him presently came a ff| letter. The writer was allegedly one Slierwin, and he stated that his sister, lately housekeeper at Waimate, was <?ick unto -..- death in Christchurch Hospital. He would \ r ite later on regarding the matter of ■, debts. The humane creditors stayed their ■ ■ hands. Then came another letter from the brother. With grief unfathomable he gave advice of his dear sister's death in . . the hospital. As for the accounts held by - .'solicitor, lie thought they might bo v; ; ," 86 ot 01 - to him. and he would endeavour to , Ipythem off. . He was not a wealthy man, Ifei'W'-he thought it only right he should try ~ discharge hie dead sister's obligations. - ; i 110 gratified solicitor at once complied, and Kat copies of all the accounts to Sherwin.

He received an acknowledgment of their receipt in due course, and accompanying this letter was the first and last remittance received. by the solicitor. Diligent as were his inquiries he never heard from the conscientious brother of the late lamented housekeeper. POULTRY-I-ARM TRANSACTIONS. As it was very soon after this Amy was next heard of as housekeeper for a resident at Sheffield, and as she had then changed her name to " Miss Shannon," it is reasonable to suppose that she had taken that position soon after, leaving Waimate.. Some time towards the end of 1903 she complained that her eyes were causing her anxiety, and she left her position in order to reside for a,, time in Christchurch, . so that she might avail herself of the services of an eye specialist: Being a well-educated woman, an excellent pianist, and the mistress of many social accomplishments, she made a number of good. friends, and she was introduced by a, mutual acquaintance to Mr. Alfred Buxton, a well-known Christchurch resident. His .house became her home during her sojourn in the city.

An enterprising pressman recently sought Mr. Buxton, and the stories concerning " Miss Shannon" and her schemes told by that gentleman have already appeared in many New, Zealand newspapers." It appears that she made numerous friends among Mrs. Buxton's acquaintances, to whom she represented herself as a person of considerable private means. She backed up the statement that she was negotiating for the purchase of a poultry-farm at Mount Roekill with letters and telegrams addressed to herself from all over the country; and, When, in the most plausible manner in the world, she said that she required just another £40 to complete the deal, she borrowed £40 with very little difficulty from two of Mr. Buxton's friends. Then, doubtlees to give her story colour, she set off for Wellington, arriving on Sunday, and having with her one of her adoring friends. This was in January of 1903. Amy's friend took her to the house of Mr. Tlios. Pelham, a cab proprietor, who then lived in Collegestreet, Wellington, and she was introduced to Mrs. Pelham as " Miss Shannon." They stayed with Mrs. Pelham during Sunday night, and told that lady about the property that was to be purchased from "Mr. Atkinson" at Mount Roskill. The two left Wellington the following morning by steamer. Over a week afterwards Amy returned and called on Mrs. Pelham. Miss Shannon stated that she had seen the poultry farm, and that it was a very nice place, but while at Mount Roskill she had seen another place which would have suited her well, but she could not buy it because of the arrangement already made with Mr. Atkinson. This second property was really an ideal farm. There were seven acres of ground, a four-roomed house, small stable and shed, accommodation for fowls, and three good incubators. • There were 1000 fowls on the property, and the place and stock could be purchased for £375, £40 down and 10s per week afterwards. "Why not buy the place for that boy of yours you were telling me about?" suggested the visitor. "I believe I could get it for you on favourable terms. Mrs. Pelham seemed struck with the idea, and after talking it over with " Miss Shannon," said she would think about it. Amy returned to Christchurch and at once wrote to Mrs. Pelham. She said that she had, too, been thinking over the matter of the poultry farm, and if Mrs. Pelham would send her £25 she would make the amount up to £40 and purchase the property for her. This and much more Amy wrote, as only she can write, and Mrs. Pelham, never doubting the young lady's probity, immediately sent off by the post, office an order for the sum of £25. Amy acknowledged the receipt of the money by telegram. -Mrs. Pelham next received a letter and a blank receipt for Miss Shannon, who stated that she was after all £10 short of the amount required, and she wondered whether Mrs. Pelham could manage another £10. She said that Mrs. Pelham would have to be sharp because there were already two other people after the place. If the money were sent she could fill in the receipt for £35 - Mrs Pelham sent £10 by telegraph, and at the same time asked when Amy was coming to Wellington. She received no reply, and that she considered unsatisfactory, and on February 18 she wired: "When are you coming? Anxious." The : answer . was piompt, " By boat, leaving her Wednesday next. NEMESIS at last. In the meantime "Miss Shannon" was back in Mr. Buxton's circle of friends,, and, if all accounts be true, making the very most of her poultry farm. As the result of negotiations with a Christchurch gentleman, Mr. Ernest A. Little, whom she interested in her speculation, she obtained the sum of & An incident that occurred about this time An incident that occurred about this time is an excellent illustration of her methods. One of Mr. Buxton's sons entrusted her with £12 to bank for him. She returned from the citv and mentioned to Mrs. Buxton that

she had lost the receipt, but would get another from the bank. Thereupon she went to the bank, deposited > £3, and obtained a slip. Mrs. Buxton was with her on this expedition into town, and when they returned home she handed Mr. Buxton a rolled up piece of paper, saying it was the receipt, and returned to her room. Mr. Buxton found that the thing he had received was a laundry receipt. Amy apologised for her mistake, and produced the bank document, altered now from £3 to £12. Eventually it was found that the money was not in ( the bank. Amy calmly explained that she;had given the £12 to a young man to deposit for her, and he had apparently kept it. If he were prosecuted the shock would kill his delicate mother, and to prevent that she would pay the £9 out of her own pocket. She did so, and a few days later left Christchurch for Wellington. Mrs. Pelham's telegram betrayed a mind that was not at rest, and Amy felt that action wAs necessary in that quarter. -

The bank slips incident was discussed by Mr. Buxton, and his friends were growing suspicious, and when an interchange of ideas on the subject disclosed to Mr. Buxton the knowledge that certain of his friends had been seriously victimised by his plausible guest, he decided that it was his duty to act and act promptly. By doing a little amateur detective work he* traced Amy to Wellington, and finally located her at the Trocadero Hotel.' She had arrived in Wellington before the Wednesday specified in her telegram, and she wrote to Mrs. Pel ham tilling her so. She said she was going to reside with friends in Karori, and afterwards would be Mrs. Pelham's guest. She asked in this letter whether Mrs. Pelham wished her own name or her son's name inserted in the deeds. Mrs. Pelham, however, was finally persuaded that her wisest course was to put everything into the hands of the police, and the latter were searching for Miss Shannon at the time that Mr. Buxton ran her to earth at the Trocadero. Detective Boddom arrested her and told her that she was charged with having obtained money from Mrs. Pelham by means of false pretences. " What Mrs. Pelham do you refer to?" asked Amy grandiloquently. She was told. Then the old Amy appeared. "It is quite true," said she sadly. "I am very sorry. I have only a few pounds of money left. I will plead guilty as Ido not wish to put Mrs. Pelham to any further trouble." Police inquiries proved that "Mr. Atkinson" and his poultry farm at Mount Roskill. were myths.

Mr. A. L. Herdman (now M.P.) appeared for Amy in the Lower Court, when she pleaded guilty to the Pelham frauds, and also to a charge of obtaining £15 by false pretences from Ernest A. Little. In March, 1905, she received two years' imprisonment on the first charge, and six months on the second, the sentences running concurrently. Time off for good conduct reduced the sentence somewhat, and at tiie end of October, 1904, Amy was discharged from gaol. She went south to Christchurch at once, and within a day or two had taken the position of a domestic servant in the household of Mr. John Gardiner, farmer, in a big way at Rakaia. She went at this time under the name of " Chanell." A week or two after her arrival, the housekeeper, Miss Marion Robertson, filled in a cheque for £2, obtained Mr. Gardiner's signature, and handed the document to Amy so that she might pay an account with .it. The latter gave the cheque to Arthur Ashby, a fellowservant, and asked him to cash it and obtain certain goods for her in the township. A man - called Ernest Wright cashed the cheque for Ashby, and in due course it came into the possession of one, Geo. Hardy, who paid it into his account at the bank. When the latter institution rejected the cheque there was a hurried search for "Miss Chanell." Could the latter explain how the cheque came to be altered from £2 to £127. " Good gracious," exclaimed Amy, " that's very extraordinary. It must have been left lying about, and been traced over by one of the children." She was arrested and brought before the Police Court there." With some vehemence she denied her guilt. She declared she had received from Ashby only £1, half a sovereign and some silver, in addition to the goods, and that he had himself confessed to her that he had altered the cheque. She was committed to the Supreme Court. Evidence was taken, and still protesting her innocence she was found guilty by the jury after forty minutes' retirement. She asked then to be sent to the Magdala Home, but Mr. Justice Denniston said that he saw no reason why the prisoner should be leniently treated. Her crime was a bad one, and had been aggravated by the charge made against her fellow-servant. He sentenced her to three years' imprisonment.

This is the only occasion upon which Amy Bock has been tried by jury. . She has been very often before courts, but with this one exception had always pleaded guilty to the charges - brought against her. , To-day she still declares that she is ' innocent of the charge - of forgery brought against her at Rakai. Although she was sentenced to , three years , in -.February of

EFFECTS OF LIONISING. With acknowledgments to beetle's Swiss Milk. v Mr. Shackleton : " Hullo! You're looking portly, old man! They've been banqueting you, eh?" Colonial Editor! " Yes ; I'm a bit fed up with lionising; but, you wait till they've had ago at you! You won't look so Antarctic." ... —London Opinion.

1905, concessions made for good.. conduct allowed Amy her freedom in June of 1907. She accepted a position in : a boardinghouse in Christchurch, and lived there quietly enough for a time. Beyond telling a boarder a pitiful tale of a poverty-stricken friend on the West Coast, and getting £12 from him, she apparently did not exercise her peculiar talent in the direction of making money. Not, indeed, , until some time early in 1908, when she decided to come to Dunedin. There is a story told which concerns a certain gentleman of Christchurch, the daughter (supposed) of a celebrity, a motorcar, and run to Dunedin, loan of money and sudden disappearance in Dunedin, but it is not possible to say that it was at this particular time (May, 1908), that this little episode in Amy's career occurred.

Apparently she decided that while in Dunedin she would keep out of the public eye, and she engaged herself to Mr. John Roy, of Roslyn, in the capacity of domestic servant. Her conduct was 1 in all respects exemplary, and Mr. Roy was thoroughly satisfied with her. Not a few people who met her remarked on her agreeable manners and ladylike bearing, , and none had any suspicion of her real character. She was then known as Agnes Vallance.

On Christmas Day, 1908, Mr. Roy and his family left for a brief, holiday in the country, and Amy remained in charge. She did then what she had frequently done before when similarly placed — went to a moneylender and alleging the furniture in the house to be her own property, borrowed money, giving a bill of sale as security. Having in this way secured some £30, Amy, in January of the present year, disappeared, and was next heard of in April last as Percy Carrol Redwood. When masquerading as a man she "married" Miss Nessie Ottaway, of Port Molyneaux.

This then concludes the very brief history of the more notorious crimes of Amy Maud Bock. Some peculiarly interesting incidents of her career have been referred to, but there are many more that will never gain publicity, for the very good reason that people who have been cruelly duped do not like the world to know it, and are reserved and silent when Amy Bock anecdotes are being recounted. As for Amy herself she is now in Dunedin and is declared to be an "habitual' criminal," a term that indicates many , things, chief among which is the indeterminate sentences. She has now, the writer is told, become deeply religious, and declares, that the allurements of designing a clever crime have for her no further charm. Sometimes, it is said, she will sit for a long time deep in thought, when, suddenly throwing back her head, laugh heartily. " What is it, Amy?" someone will ask. " Oh, nothing," she replied, still laughing. "I was just thinking." [the end.]