£200 DEMAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23273, 16 February 1939, Page 14

£2OO DEMAND

THREATS IN LETTER FIRE OR EXPLOSION OFFER OF IMMUNITY BUSINESS MAN'S EVIDENCE [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION-! WELLINGTON, Wednesday Four charges of demanding money with menaces, and two of causing to be received by W. R. Kenner letters threatening to burn a building, were preferred against Douglas Maxwell, aged 27, labourer, in tho Police Court to-day. William Richard Kenner, governingdirector of Kenner's, Limited, hoino furnishers, said that on January 12 he received a type-written letter marked "personal" and bearing a Petone postmark. "There are anticapitalistic racketeers operating in New Zealand and you are marked down to suffer material loss," witness read from the letter. "This „ means they may burn down j'our house or destroy your bach, which would bo disastrous. Tho horror of an explosion in the middle of the night would not benefit nerves of iron."

Witness read a passage in which the writer offered him immunity from all harm at a cost to witness of only £2OO. Witness was called upon to advertise his decision in the evening paper personal column, using the nom-de-plume "K.K." This letter was signed "Anti-capitalist." Instructions as to Payment After communicating with the police witness advertised, "I have no option. What are your conditions? K.K." Another letter was received on January 19 stating that he had acted wisely and on payment of £2OO cash, he would receive protection from anticapitalistic racketeers. Witness then advertised, "What are your arrangements?" A third letter was received on January 27 asking him to have tho money in his possession and to carry it with him during tho following Tuesday. "At the first sign of your co-operation with the police the deal is off and the consequences are on your own head," the letter stated. "You will be observed all day Tuesday, so play safe." Message in Telephone Directory

All the communications had been regarded seriously and by this time he was thoroughly alarmed, witness said. There were further communications by telephone, and a letter received on February 6, in the course of which there was the paragraph, "You will appreciate the seriousness of the terrible fire last week and unless you wish to suffer a similar experience, you know what to do." Witness was instructed to go to a telephone box and look in the directory under the letter K for further instructions. With two detectives concealed in his car ho carried out instructions. In the box he read, "Park your car on the corner two streets down on the left. Walk to the box and back. Leave the letter on the front seat of the car." He acted as directed and when he returned to the car he saw accused in the custody of detectives. Detectives' Chase Acting-Detective Smith said he and acting-Detective Alty secreted themselves in Mr. Kenner's car when he drove to the telephone box. He heard footsteps approaching. They went past the car a little distance, then were retraced. Witness had a feeling of someone looking into the car. "Although we were secreted from normal view in the rear of the car it would have been quite possible for anyone standing alongside and looking in to have seen us," he 6aid. "After a second or so the footsteps began to recede again, getting faster until they finally seemed to break into a run. Act-ing-Detective Alty and I quickly got out of the car and were in time to see accused running down Nearoy Street. "We gave chase. Accused disappeared into the garden of a residence and Acting-Detective Alty remained at the front while I retraced my steps to the rear fence. I looked over and saw accused crouching behind it."

Witness described the continuation of the chase. Accused, when caught and taken into the car, asked, "Are you Kenner's sons?" and a few minutes later remarked, "I was a mug." Charges Admitted At tho Central Police Station accused said he wanted to be quite frank and stated that he alone had been responsible for the typing and posting ot the letters to Mr. Kenner, witness added. He told the police where to lind the typewriter. He volunteered a statement, but later discontinued it on the advice of a solicitor. Accused pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court; for sentence. Bail of £2OO, with two £IOO sureties, was allowed.