BLACKMAILER BOOBED.

NZ Truth, Issue 150, 2 May 1908, Page 5

BLACKMAILER BOOBED.

DONALD SINCLAIR THREATENS ALBERT WATSON

That He Will "Get Him Shown Up m 'Truth.'"

Ami is Sentenced to Twelve Months' Hard Labor.

Donald Sinclair, 25, described as a clerk was potted for twelve months, with hard labor, at the Quarter Sessions, before Judge Rogers and a jury on Friday, April 10 (says Sydney "Truth"). The trouble with Sinclair arose m connection with a man named Albert E. Watson, of Manly. . Watson lost some medals. Sinclair was m the habit of visiting Watson's place, and Watson had an idea that Sinclair took the medals. Some brown paper, believed to have been accidentally dropped by the person who stole the articles, was found m Watson's house. The paper was traced to

THE MANLY STOREKEEPER, who sold it. Sinclair and a number of other young fellows, were lined up at the Police Station (Manly) for the storekeeper to identify, if he could, the person who had got the paper from him. The storekeeper was unable to pick out Sinclair—or any one of the others, for that matter— as the' person to whom he bad sold the paper. The result was that the prosecution by .'Watson of Sinclair over the medals did not go any further. Subsequently Sinclair saw Watson oa several occasions. Sinclair told Watson that he had been hunting up the history of Watson and other members of his family, that he had found out some choice things about them, and that he intended to pub- '■ lish everything m

A LETTER IN "TRUTH." Sinclair added that the exposure might. Is avoided if Watson cared to part up £5. Watspn offered to give him £2 10s, which Sinclair agreed to accept. Some further delay ensued m the handing over of the money. Eventually on February 20, Watson came to "Truth" office, where he was told that the paper had no dealings at all with Sinclair, and. that it had no intention whatever of publishing anything that fellow might send along to it. Meanwhile, Sinclair had gone so far as to assure Watson that "Truth", had possession of his (Sinclair's) letter, and that the paper was only waiting for him to give it a signed statement m connection with the matter. Watson .received certain advice from "Truth," with the result that he , -

COMMUNICATED WITH THE POLICE there, and then. Watson saw Sinclair <'.the .ijaine njght at Manly. The outcome of. ..wiat ' took place' between them' was that Sinclair "was to f ''meet Watson ,the fblioiwing riiijrriing ■"'(February 21) at the Manly wharf? fC^rcuW'Qia^y) .Both par, ties kept the^pdtri^meft'f;.' Watson remarked that J he"dia. ho'^care about'giving him the* £2 v 'Tpsf m? 7 the street, ? and invited him 'Into the 1 J telephone bureau' on the wharf, spying 1 , 1 "" lf lrQU iJ promise', me faithfully that'if' I'give f y6u this you will not put me' in' 'Truth ?•''"■ !' Sinclair replied that he would not.. The moment Sinclair uttered these words, out stepped Constable Duncan, who' had been m hiding, and who had heard Watson's question and Sinclair's reply thereto. The result was that Sinclair was FORTHWITH ARRESTED

o» the charge of demanding money with j menaces, with intent to steal it. The above statement, of the case was elicited at the Water Police Court on February. 28. Sinclair was committed for trial. Subsequent to his committal he was fined j £5, or two months, for obtaining money by false pretences— namely, a valueless j cheque — from a Manly bootmaker. The j cheque, which Sinclair admitted signing, purported to <have been signed by a school teacher named Trevallyen. The police officer who had charge of the prosecution m this instance declared that it was wholly because of a technical mistake' Sinclair was, not' CHARGED WITH FORGERY- j as well as with false pretences. Sinclair was represented by Mr J. W. Abigail. A plea of not guilty was entered. Sinclair did not go into the witness-box himself, nor did he call any witnesses on his behalf. The result of his not going into the witness-box was that he did not render himself liable to cross-examination. He stated from the dock that he had no idea of blackmailing Watson. All he wanted was somethisg m the nature, of compensation. He declared that what he told Watson was that he had been slighted by his friends because of the indignity of being lined up for identification, and that if Watson refused to allow him anything he would go to John Norton, state his case to him, and see what Norton could do for him. "For God's sake," replied Watson, "don't do that !" At first he asked Watson for £10— -not for the value of ike money itsejf, but merely m order Ihr t he anight point to Watson's payment of it m proof of the wrong Watson had done him. Watson declared that if he were turned upside down not lOd would «be got out of him. It was under these circumstances that he consented to take the £2 10s. Mr Abigail pleaded for a verdict m. favor of Sinclair. He urged that it was m &o sense

A MATTER OF BLACKMAIL/. All Sinclair, .wanted was compensation for the injustice he held thaii Watson had doae him. The .'act that Watson went Id "Truth" office, where he was at once told that the paper had no idea of publishing anything against him, showed that it was not through fear, or because of threats, that he parted with the money. His Honor seemed to take a very different view of the case. He summed up strongly against Sinclair. The jury, taking • less than half-an-hour to make up their mind about the matter, returned a verdict of "guilty." His Honor then sentenced the prisoner to the term already stated. It was noticed that before passing sentence his Honor did not make the customary inquiry as to whether ANYTHING WAS , KNOWN about Sinclair. Consequently no information for his guidance was given him on this point. . . Justice should review the decision of Magistrate Riddell, because we submit that on the evidence he would be justified m ordering ' • THE REFUNDING OF THE FINE and costs to ' Smith. It is coming to ! something when a Chinaman can take up a knife to a White whom he has robbed, and, on being disabled, seeks a Court of Justice to give him redress and the 'Court of Justice, by imposing a fine on the Chow's assailant, who only acted m "self defence, upholds the would-be assassin-like conduct of the Chow. It is such deals of Justice as this that lead young men to brutally ill-treat the' alien: they take the Law into their own hands because Magistrates exhibit" a fondness for the alien and spread the mantle of protection round his leprous body m quite a loving manner.