TAPPED BY TELEGRAM.

NZ Truth, Issue 352, 23 March 1912, Page 6

TAPPED BY TELEGRAM.

FRAGILE BUT FRAUDULENT. Mabel Masquerades As Mag. Maiden Monkeys With A Money Order. •Mabel Edith Dickenson,' a. slight- ; built and somewhat fragile girl oi j twenty-two years of age., olad m a i dark green, costume trimmed vilhj grass-green ribbon, .apd we-a^iacc a] "Merrie Widow" hat "ot heLlotrope ■ and Gream straw interlaced, trmnned/j with broad ribbon of heliotropo and j a darker shade, appeared with -iMvn-i cast face m- the. dock before Mr \V.. j ►G. Riddell, S.M., at the WcllingK'n ; Magistrate's Court, on Wednesdaylast.: . A The charges preferred were two ih number, namely, (1) that on March 13, at Wellington, she knowingly ancl with intent to defraud, caused a , telegram td. be sent to , one Ada .; 'Dickson as being sent by. the autho : ,; rity of Margaret Dicksoiir knowing that it was not sent by such autho- j rity, and witli intent that such tele- | gram shouid be acted up6'n as being ' sent by the said Margaret Dickson's authority ; (2) that oh March li, at Wellington, she FORGED THE NAME OF M. '■ DICKSON . to an Inland Money Order Telegram;" . with intent that the sa.me should-bej-acted upon as genuine. -,''• ' Chief Detective .Broßerg . conducted j . the prosecution, and . Mr H; F- j O'Leary appeared for the accused. j William John Mountsteplieh, clerk; m the Post and Tefegra^h Depart-,; 'i'ment, Wellington, produced- -a tele- ! gram, which was presented on -Marci) 13. f0r transmission to Ada Dickson, \ Arcade, Newton, ; worded : "Wire .' j pound' at once. Mag.- G.P.O, v It ,< was indorsed "M. Dickson." ", on the I bacK'. Later on the ,' s'ahie date.-. he ! saw -accused- at the registered letter counter, and slie handed . him a card (produced). This would. in the ordinary course of things -.have been re- I ceived from the delivery counter. He j asked her from whom and where she expected the letter, and she replied, ! "Ada Dickson, .. of Auckland.*' lie then gave her a registered letter con- , ! taining a money order : " Jelegram, for j i which she gave him a receipt signed, • j "Mabel E. Dickenson." _, ; Af t?r she j ! left the counter, he discovered the discrepancy *m the name, but took no notice of it, thfnkirig'it vfas a j telegraphic error, and that it was i.ail right, such error^ being '" quite ; common. '. !- Thomas George Cox, clerk iiv the Money .Order Oflice, "Wellington, deposed to the money or dor telegram being presented on March 14; beingindorsed "M. Dickson/ V and- 'i I being paid on'it. ' " ' I Detective Cameron arrested accused jon March IG'. On March 18 accused sent for him and said she I DESIRED TO' MAKE A CONFES-' SION.-.-I She made a statement, which he ! took down m writing, and read over jto her, and she then signed it. The confession was as follows :— j "1 am a waitress, and I have folI lowed that occupation for the past I four years m different towns i-n the j Dominion. On Monday afternoon, '■11th 'inst!, I telegraphed. to Mr Bowman, State Mines, Seddonville, asking him to lend me SA. At thatj time I only possessed ahout 2s 6d. ; I have not received a, reply from Mfj Bowman. On Tuesday, 12th, inst., I ' called at the General Post Offica, Wellington, for letters. I, received a letter addressed Miss M. Dickson, . ; G.P.0.,; Wellington. I openepy the letter and read it. It was from Ada Dickson, Arcade, Newton, to her sister, ' Mag Dickson;, at Wellington. The letter contained a request, m effect, 'If you run short of money, wire to me for some.' On 13th inst. I sent a telegram (collect) to Ada Dickson, Arcade. Newton, 'Wire j pound at once. Mag. .G.P.O.' [ i I THEN SIGNED *M. DICKSON' . on the back of the telegram. the j same afternoon I inquired if . there^was" any correspondence for Miss Dickson at the Post Oflice counter. ; 1 received a card addressed 'Miss ; Dickson,' intimating that, a register- j ,ed letter awaited Miss Dickson at j ; the counter. I produced the card ; addressed 'Miss Dickson' at the reg- j istered - letter counter ; ' the official I who, received the card from xne ask- j ed me where - the registered letter; ca,me from. I told him from Miss : Ada Dickson, NewtoiJ, Auckland. He I then handed me the registered leti ter, and I signed the receipt for it, j 'Mabel Dickenson.' I opened the registered letter, and found that it contained *an Inland Money Order \ Telegram for £1, from Newton, it i being a reply to my telegram to Miss Ada Dickson for a request for money. The telegram now shown me is the one I received. On 14th inst. I took the same Money Order Telegram to the Money Order Office ' m Wellington. I signed it 'M. Dickson,' and I received £1. I do not; i know Miss Mag or Margaret Dick- j son, neither do I know Miss Ada Dickson, Arcade, Newton, Auckland. I had no authority to telegraph, to Miss Ada Dickson, or ask her for money for her sister, nor did - 1 have any authority to receive v correspondence addressed 'Miss "" M. Dickson.' I had no authority to sign the Inland Money Order Telegram, 'MT Dickson.' This statement has been sread over to. me, it is true, and I made it of my own free will. — Mabel Edith Dickenson." Accused pleaded guilty, and was | committed td the Supreme ..Court for j sentence, accused being taken eharg'e i of by Mrs Glover of thc Salvation ! Army, pending her appearance m the higher tribunal, as Chief Detective Broberg said that it was not a case j for bail, as there were previous con- | victions which would take it out of \ | the category of cases m which pro- i I bation would be granted. I