“CORRUPTLY BARGAINING”

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17409, 6 November 1930, Page 8

“CORRUPTLY BARGAINING”

THIEF’S NOVEL METHODS LETTERS TO VICTIMS (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. A remarkable story of a man who burgled a Remuera house ancl stole jewellery and then endeavored to induce tile owner to pay him £SO to return it was told in tho Police Court, when Clifford Nelson Double, 28, was charged with breaking and entering and the theft of jewellery worth £4O, and also, with: “Corruptly bargaining for a reward in consideration of helping the recovery of jewellery obtained by theft-.” Evidence was given by Mrs. Stapley that she received a letter card whose writer offered to return tho jewellery if she mado it worth his while. Sho was to reply through the personal column of a newspaper. " After consulting the police sho replied, find' subsequently received several more letters, in one of which the writer offered .to send the name and address of tbe thief and enough evidence to convict him of this and other crimes', and also told her the thief was a “super crook,” who was preparing to leave the Dominion with her property. Her house was still under observation, and to save herself trouble she should pay £SO. Sho offered £25, but heard no more. Double pleaded guilty, and was committed for sentence. He also pleaded guilty, with a young woman named Kathleen Marlay, to obtaining £l4 by two valueless cheques. The police said he Wrote out* the cheques and got Marlay to cash them. Ife was an habitual criminal.

Sentence of sii months’ imprisonment was imposed, Marl-ey being remanded for a report, tho magistrate saying she had been under Double’s domination.

It- is understood that the police, on being banded the valueless cheques, discovered that tho handwriting was tho same as that on the anonymous letter cards received by Airs. Stapley.