TELEPHONE CONFESSION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22200, 29 August 1935, Page 8

TELEPHONE CONFESSION

GUILTY MAN'S CONSCIENCE INNOCENT MAN RELEASED A guilty man with a conscience who preferred to remain " in smoke " has cleared the character of Leslie James O'Meara, of St. Kilda, Melbourne. A comparison of the handwriting in a telegram produced in the hearing of a charge of attempted fraud and that of a letter received by O'Meara's counsel brought about the release of the innocent man.-, O'Meara appeared for trial recently on a charge of having attempted to obtain £8 8s from a woman by falsely pretending that he would obtain an increase in her pension: Alternatively he was alleged to have conspired with an unknown man to defraud the woman of that sum. As a result of the statement of tht» conscience-stricken individual a nolle prosequi was entered by the AttorneyGeneral, acting 011 the recommendation of the Crown prosecutor. On the night of O'Meara's trial a man rang Up Mr. 11. V. Monahan, counsel for the defence, saying that ho had read the report of tho caso in a newspaper, that O'Meara was absolutely innocent, and that he (tho Bpeaker) was the guilty party. He said also that he had left as proof of O'Meara's innocence a letter on the barrister's doorstep. Mr. Monahan obtained the letter, which contained a confession that the writer had written to the woman, and had also sent her the telegram asking for £8 Bs. He suggested that Mr. Monahan should compare tho handwriting in the letter with that of tho telegram. He added that he himself would prove to the Court O'Meara's innocence, but for the fact that he was suffering from tuberculosis. The comparison was made in the course of adjournment of the ©aue, and O'Meara's release followed, ipi \