ALLEGED BLACKMAIL.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 12042, 1 May 1920, Page 5

ALLEGED BLACKMAIL.

. George Herbert Winder, a clerk, aged 24, was charged in the Magistrate's Court, Wellington, on Wednesday, with having endeavoured to extort money from Clifford Peel byaccusing him of a crime punishable by imprisonmeDt for five years or more.

A typisfce. agjd ]7. employed by the complainant Peel, said she had known for abont two or three months, having first met him at Ferret's Corner. Accused »ocosted her by inquiring if she had seen a tall, dark girl in a green costume. Witness said that she had. Accused then made it known that he had tickets for a picture theatre, and he requested her company. Witness accepted. Witness recounted a conversation she had with accused at a subsequent meeting. She stated that one night she told Winder she would have to go to work on the following evening. She had to go to O'Neill's office. At th:s office there were to be prusent Mr Peel, another gentleman, and another typiste. Accused, ou hearing this, said he thought it was rather funny that there should be two typistes there. He suggested that he had better come lonnd and wait for witness. She told him not ,to wait. Aftsr the pictures, accused and witness went to supper at a restaurant in Courfceuay Place where ! accused made a proposition. She could not remember what was actually said. He said, in effect, that if they interfered with witness in any way lie would come up and demand a sum of money. Witness said: "If- it anything like the picture 'De Luxe Anne' ?" Accused said, "Yes, that is the stylo of the scheme.'; Accuse:} further suggested that witness should scream and then start to cry. He would do the reJt. He was to enter Che room and pretend to ring the police. Then he A-ould demand £SOO each from the two men there Witness asked what she would do aiter it all happened, because she would have to leave her employment at the office. Witness met accused again and went to tea, where he showed her a revolver and suggested that she might take it, but she refused. Accused told her that he had been in Canada and had made £BOOO a year "at the same game. " Ho worked the scheme with a girl in Canada, but the girl got married and that was the end of the scheme. He also said that he had shot a man in solf:defence, and for that reason he had to leave Cauada. Accused said further that if the scheme came off they could play it on the manager of the Midland Hotel; and if that succeeded, they would «o to Auckland. Witness then got frightened. She went to work that night, and on the following morning told Peel. A letter was typed and given to accused in Willis Street during the afternoon. On Friday afternoon last she met accused in Manners Street, and they weut to the Kialto for aftternoon tea. She asked accused what they were going to do about the matter. He asked witness what time she had to be at work. She replied "At 7.30 p.m." He said that about 8.15 p.m witness was to scream, and "not before.'- He woukl then dash into the room and say: "This is a ni.c£ thing," or "a nice state of affairs." Witness was to cry and accused would pretend to ring the police. . Continuing, witness said tha- ac 8 35 p.m on Friday last, while she was in the oilice with Peel, she cried out "Don't!" and "Help!" and also screamed. Accused promptly entered the room. Witness retired to a corner, and accused said: "This is a nice thing to happen." He further said that he had had suspicions ot Peel for a long time, and that he should be shown up for the good, of the country. Accused moved to the telephone Peel said : "What can I do to hush this up?" The accused said that it was not for his good, but for the good of witness. In reply to Peel, accused said he required £lO3, but Peel offered £SO. Winder said he wanted the sr.m it cash ; but he agreed to accept a cheque, and desired it to be made out in witness's name. Peel would not do this, but made a chequu out for £SO payable to "G Brown"—-the name Winder gave Accused said that witness was to accomnanv him, but Peel would not allow this. Then the detectives I came in. . Under cross examination, witness explained that the letter she gave Winder was typed at Peel's dictation. The 'idea was to get a reply in Winder's hand writing. At this stage the hearing was adjourned till next morning.