BLACKMAILER'S CRIME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19720, 20 August 1927, Page 2 (Supplement)

BLACKMAILER'S CRIME.

PLAIN SPEAKING BY JUDGE.

" MUST BE STAMPED OUT."

POSTMAN'S WICKED BLUFF.

Pretending that lie held a letter telling of a great secret in her life, a postman at Maidstone, Kent, wrote to the wife of a well-known antiquarian offering to return the letter to her for a sum of £45. The culprit, Albert James Payne, aged 21, pleaded guilty to demanding money bv menaces at the Assizes there, and came in for some scathing censure from Mr. Justice Rowlatt.

" I have no compassion at all for blackmailers," remarked the Judge severely, in passing sentence of eight months' imprisonment. "It is cowardly, cruel work."

Pavne, so counsel for the prosecution related, delivered letters in a district where people of good position resided. Ono morning Mrs. Lucy Ada V allance received a letter making suggestions which Payne had since admitted were

without the slightest justification. This letter stated:—" Before I start this painful letter to you, I must state I am out of work, and have been for three months, with a wife and three c!n'.t' ~n. So now for the facts. I hold a letter which tells of a great secret of your life." In view of prisoner's admission that there was no truth in the statement, counsel refrained from repeating it in court. The letter continued: —" Now, madam, my wife and I cannot turn about for debts, and you have plenty, so I will return your letter for the sum of £45. Madam, as true as there is a God above, I hate doing this, but I must have the sum. If you agree to buy your letter back, please send it in notes by ordinary post to, say, Mr. A. Peters, G.P.0., Maidstone, by Wednesday night. And, madam, I have not mentioned any names in case ife gets into other hands." Mrs. Vallance took the letter, to the police, and when a man, whom Payne had asked to call for the reply, presented himself, inquiries were made and prisoner arrested. Counsel for defence, in pleading for Payne, laid emphasis on the fact that there was absolutely no foundation for any suggestion affecting the lady's character. It was an invention of Payne's, who -was not married, had no family, was comfortably off, and was not in debt or

want of money. There was not the slightest reason for him to write the letter. It was a wicked, hopeless bungle, and he would lose his position in the post office. Tho Judge: I hope so. There arc plenty of honest men who are now unemployed, and 1 do not see why the public should employ blackmailers. It was fortunate iu this case that prisoner wrote to a person of firm mind and sound sense, fc'or taking the letter to the police she deserves the thanks of the community, but these letters often go to people of weak nerves and spirit and lead to anguish and slow torture for years, probably ending in financial ruin as well. I have no mercy as a rule for blackmailers, but prisoner is a young man and had a good character, or I should have sent him into penal servitude. This crime of blackmail must be stamped out.