A SERIOUS OFFENCE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17062, 21 September 1929, Page 8

A SERIOUS OFFENCE

TAMPERING WITH JUSTICE LETTER TO WITNESS (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Lust night. A letter alleged to have been written in connection with a charge .ug.iius't Jessie Morris of unlawfully using an instrument resulted in 'William liobbett, .'lO, a laborer, being chargod in the Police Court to-day with unlawfully attempting to obstruct, pervert or defeat the course of justice by attempting to persuade. Ivy Mary Moselen to give false evidence. The letter in question was received bv the husband of Ivy Mary Moselen, who at the time, was in Whanguroa Hospital, suffering from soptimaemia and awaiting a call to attend the Magistrate’s Court at Auckland to give evidence against Jessie Morris. The letter contained the following passage: “The lady (you know who 1 mean) is very worried, of course, as she does not know what course of action you and Mrs. Moselen are going to take —whether to help her or against her. I know her fairly well and have found her to be a good sort —always .ready to give help in (rouble. Well, Roy, the position is that if you are going to try to help her the best and the only thing to do is for Jvy not to be able to recognise her in the course of the proceedings. The lady will be in a room with several women, and Ivv will be asked to pick her out, and if she makes up her mind not to recognise her it will squash the whole business aml end it as far as Ivy is concerned. On the other hand, it means seven years for the woman. The reason I am writing this is because I am sorry for her. She did me a good turn when, I was in a mess.” The letter was signed “Bill.” Detective-Sergeant Doyle gave .evidence that accused admitted writing the letter and made a statement in which he said he wanted to make it clear that he had not been approached in the matter by Jean (the name by which Jessie Morris was known). Accused pleaded not guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court .for trial. ,