CONTEMPLATED MURDER.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4733, 15 August 1902, Page 5

CONTEMPLATED MURDER.

THREATENING LETTER SENT TO THE ACTING-PREMIER. FRANK T. MOOR E COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. A considerable* amount cf curiosity was aroust d yesterday by t he nows published in our columns of tho arrest of Frank T. Moore an a charge of having written a threatening letter to Sir Joseph Ward. The defendant is wellknown in the city, and this fact, combined with the nature of the charge preferred against him, attracted n large number of people to the Stipendiary Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, when Mr rlaschlcu heard the preliminary stages of the case. Moore was for many years manager at tho Ngahauranga works for tho Vt ollington Meat Export Company. About a couple of years ago ha relinquished his calling, and branched out into a phase of spiritualism. He wrote an incoherent book having reference to faith-healing, and established himself in business in Willis street as “ The Ideal Physician.” It did not take long to exhaust tho possibilities of this avenue of energy, and about a year since Moovo commenced to again interest himself in the frozen meat industry, Ho travelled through the country districts delivering addresses on the subject, and socking by this moans and by pamphlets and articles to interest farmers in certain schemes ho propounded. His idea seemed to be tho establishment of a huge State undertaking for tho complete control of tho export business. After a time lie was employed by tho Government, and attached to one of tho departments of the public service, when it was generally understood that ho was writing a book or gathering further information in regard to the freezing and export of stock.

On tho case being called on yesterday morning, Mr Wilford intimated that he appeared for the defendant. Inspector Ellison conducted tho case for tho prosecution. The first witness was William West Piiipps, a Permanent Artilleryman, who gave evidence that he was on duty at the Parliamentary Buildings on Wednesday afternoon. At about twenty-five minutes to one tho accused handed him a letter addressed to Sir Joseph Ward. Witness handed it to a messenger named Wright. Accused told witness that there would be-no answer then. Witness had seen Mooro before iu tho strangers’ gallery. Ephraim Wright stated that he’remembered having received a letter from Phipps. *Hc identified . tho envelope produced as tho one which he gave to a messenger named Bartloman to deliver.

Charles M. Bartleman, a messenger employed at the Parliamentary Buildings, said he received a letter from Mr Wright, which he handed to Sir Joseph Ward’s private secretary. Joseph H. McAlister, one of Sir Joseph Ward’s private secretaries, said he received tike letter produced from Chas. Bartlomau addressed to Sir ■ Joseph Ward. As it had laid on the table in the office for some time, witness took it upon himself to open it. As soon as ho read it he handed it to the ActingPremier. The letter referred to read as follows : “ 152. Tinakori road, “ 13th August, 1902. “Sir Joseph Ward, — “ I really believe that if I carry out my threat of yesterday and remove you from the head of the State as McKinley was removed, I shall bo rendering a service to Now Zealand. You are the head and front of monopolies that I am fighting, and you stop my progress. “ Why should I let you stop me, when a bullet or a dagger will put you out of. the way? I am wiling to sacrifice my life for the good of my cause as anarchists do. With • you put away, a successor like Roosevelt may come forward, and perform tho work you stop. “ You have muzzled Field and • O’Meara, and Vill not place my final report on the frozen meat industry, dated 31st July, cn the table of tho House in the form I have compiled it. You propose mixing my papers with others. I woh’t have this. I will have fair play—nothing else. “You are treating mo foully. I shall deal foully with you. As you aro warned, you cannot regard me as cowardly. “I am. etc., “F. T. MOORE.” Tho letter was enclosed in an envelope addressed “Sir Joseph Ward, Acting-Premier,” and marked “important.” Benjamin M. Wilson, a private secretary to Sir Joseph Ward, deposed tnat ho received the envelope produced, addressed to tho Acting-Premier, at 9.30 j>.m. on Tuesday.' It was delivered to him by oue of tho messengers. The letter enclosed in the envelope .referred to road as follows; “Sir, — “I want to know how much longer you propose humbugging mo re money, months overdue. You aro suppressing tho work tho Premier sot mo to do, and causing me to feel so very desperate that 1 am disposed to regard your conduct as personal, and risk my life against tile man who treats tho with tho scorn and contempt that you manifest. I personally warn you that 1 want attention or revenge. . “F. T. MOORE.”

In reply to Mr Milford, the witness j stated that ho identified the following letter as having been written by Sir Joseph Ward;— “Wellington, 14th Aug., 1902. “James Moore, Esq., “Wellington. “Dear sir,— “Regarding your representations concerning your ■ son, I much regret tho trouble that he is in. I can assure you that I not only have no desire to see him prosecuted, hut would be exceedingly giad to seo him forgiven. He has evidently laboured under some misconception regarding myself, and under excitement wrote me. Had I known him or yourself, or any of his family, I would have sent for you and asked you to take care of him. “Tours truly, “J. G. W-AED.” Detective Cameron gave evidence that he arrested the accused at 3.55 p.m. on Wednesday in the strangers’ gallery in the House of Representatives. When witness read the warrant to him,

he replied, “Oh. God, that was nothing; it was only a joke.” Witness searched him. There were no weapons in his possession. When the accused reached tho police station he said, “1 go in lor extensive lessons.” Tho chief detective showed tho accused tho letter, and said, “That is a letter you are charged with sending.” The accused replied

“Yes, that’s tho letter; I wanted to get attention and stir him up in tho matter. I want to place myself m his hands, and in year hands, and got out of it. I could not get an answer, and X thought it would wake him up. "It was a foolish tiling for a man to do. I must, climb right down, and give the whole tiling up, and have nothing more to do with it” That closeu tho case for the prosecution.

Tho accused said:—“l plead guilty, I admit writing tho letters. I wrote them under a sense of irritation, witlw out the slightest intention of doing what I had written. _ I showed the letters to a friend before sending them, and informed her that I had no intention of carrying out my threats. I fully realise how foolish 1 have been.”

His Worship: “I am glad to hear that it was not a man that you showed them (the letters) to.”

The accused was then committed to the Supreme Court* for sentence.