ANONYMOUS NOTES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22971, 24 February 1938, Page 14

ANONYMOUS NOTES

PRETENDED BLACKMAIL WOMAN WRITES TO HERSELF EXPLANATION OF UNPAID BILLS FALSE STATEMENT TO POLICE [by telegraph—own correspondent] NEW PLYMOUTH, Wednesday How a young woman tried to supplement her housekeeping money by pretoiuling that she was being blackmailed. and in bogus notes to herself threatened exposure of an action in 1929, was described in the Waitara Police Court to-day. It was stated that tho woman conceived tho idea from a book she had read. She was charged with giving a false statement to tho polico, in which sho alleged that a person had demanded money from her by menace. Accused was placed on probation for a year by Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M., who directed her not to attempt to obtain credit at stores., Entering a plea of guilty on behalf of the woman, Mr. G. 13. Slado asked for tho suppression of her name as sho had a young child at school. On this account the magistrate acceded to his request. Accounts Not Paid Detective Kearney said the woman's husband allowed her £2 a week as housekeeping monoy, and it was not until last December when he saw an account for £5 for grpccries that he learned that some of the accounts wore not - being paid. When asked by her husband for an explanation, she told him sho had been receiving anonymous notes demanding various sums of money from her, tho writer threatening to exposo alleged intimacy with a man if sho did not pay amounts asked for. In her statement the woman said Blie received tho notes on an average of about one a week between March, 1936, and December, 1937, and that she had paid out as much as £6O in that time. The amounts varied from 10s to £l. Word Mis-spelled Witness said that when he interviewed the woman he pointed out tho seriousness of the position. The police took possession of some of the notes, one of which stated that if she did not leave £1 in a box she would hear of an episode of 1929. Another read "Do you remember 1929? If not, put 10s in the box on the fence." These notes and a copy of tho woman's writing wero sent to an expert, who found that the writing corresponded. She was asked to write the first note mentioned arid tho word episode was misspelled in tho same way as in tho original note. The woman subsequently confessed to the police and stated that she had read about this plan in a book and conceived the idea to get more money from her husband. Husband Informs Police Mr. Slade said that the payment of £2 a week by the woman's husband had proved inacfequate, and consequently bills which sho did not disclose to him were incurred. It was not until her husband discovered an unpaid account for £5 for groceries that he learned his wife had not been paying the bills. When he approached her on the matter she stated that sho had used the money to meet a rate demand. He then reported the matter to the Waitara police. " You have been a very foolish woman—more foolish than criminal," commented the magistrate. " I want you to understand that once you start deception of this kind it leads on to more and more, and now to a serious offence. You have given the police a lot of trouble, but one good feature i 3 that you told the truth to the police. You should not have tried to deceive vnur husband if he is an affectionate husband, and you should treat him with perfect candour and honesty."