ALLEGED BLACKMAIL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13661, 1 August 1908, Page 5

ALLEGED BLACKMAIL.

THE OHAEGE AGAINST SIEVIER. VERDICT FOR ACCUSED. LONDON, July 30.

Lord Alverstone, summing up iu Uie Joel-Sievier case, commenced on the conflicting nature of the evidence. ,He left ib to the jury to decide, whether Sievier attempted to exlloib money within I Ik* meaning o£ the Act. If Joel were seeking'', to obtain through Mills, a promise from Sievier to abstain . from publitilihig libels, that-was not extorting. . The jury acquitted Sievier. . There was a great demoi;i=Uation iu favour of Sievier in Court, and in the surrounding streets.

According to the evidence for the'-pro-seciition, given in the .preliminary hearing in lihe lower court, ifc-'.appears that since the newspaper Winning Post, was'smarted Siever had made, almost weekly attacks upon Joel and his family. / .Recently Siever being T short of money, approached Joel for a loan, finally promising ,to abstain from, publishing any further defamatory master if given £5000.' Joel offered £2500, on condition that Siever gave a written promise. " The latter refused, and demanded another £SOOO, under . a'-.ithreat! that ho would publish some incidents, in Joel's life. It was stated in evidence that Siever had received five thousand pounds, through Mills ,who was negotiator between Joel, and Siever: , The . latter then ;gave Mills a [letter promising not to molest Joel again. Mills surrendered the lefctfer io '■ the - police when ' Joel laid. the information; , ~