HADDON IN COURT.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 936, 5 December 1933, Page 7

HADDON IN COURT.

Charge of Menacing His Majesty. PROSECUTION STATES CASE. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received December 5, 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, December 4. Clarence Gay Gordon Haddon was remanded for a week, when he will bs for trial at the Old Bailey. Prosecuting counsel said that the oftly meaning of the very large number of letters written to his Majesty was that unless money was paid. Haddon would publish the fact that he was the Duke of Clarence’s illegitimate son. Haddon had never produced any witness or document which could lead one. to suspect that his claim was anything but absolutely and entirely ground’.***. Counsel read a number of letters, the first dated March 13, 1933, in which Haddon said that he was writing 44 unknown to the people who are backing my case,” a phrase which counsel asked the Court to bear in mind. The letter proceeded. “ All I a?k is about £6OO a year private income and enough money to start a boarding-house.” In other letters Haddon said that he was going to sell all his letters to the highest bidder. “ I have been deprived of the right to live a clean life owing to being the illegitimate son of vour Majesty’s brother. Now I will be a bv-word to the world, and so will the name of the Royal Family” Haddon also threatened to display a poster on a sandwich board. Charged with “ uttering, knowing the contents thereof, a letter demanding money from the King with menaces and without reasonable, or probable caure,” Haddon, aged forty-three years appeared in the Bow Street Court on November 29 as the central figure in one of the most sensational cases for a long time. During the proceedings Haddon told a detective: “I made a petition. I made an appeal for justice. I have not demanded, I only pleaded. I deny the charge.” Haddon became extremely excited several times and seemed on the verge of a breakdown. The Prosecutor suggested that it might be thought desirable for a medical report to be secured on the accused, and Haddon was remanded in custody till December 4. The evidence stated that when arrested accused said: 44 This is the only thing I wanted. I do not see why I should be hounded about for being an illegitimate son of the Duke of Clarence. I do not deny wTiting the letters, which I wanted read in Court, but I did not make any demand. Replving to the Magistrate, Haddon said: “I’ve only tried to live as «n honest man. It has been thrown up at me since I was a kid I had to leave jobs through it, and I had to leave the Imperial Maritime Custom*. When I got promotion it was thrown up against me.” The “Daily Herald” says that the man is a consulting engineer. In another letter, referring to a dinner at which the Prince of W ales attended, he said: 4 I cannot be in the position of vour son, enjoying the fat of the land, whereas I am now in a back room, forced to wash my own and the Roval Family’s dirty linen in public for a living.” He explained that a copv of the letter had been sent to the President of the United States. H»®* don added that he should be enabled to “ settle comfortably in one of our colonies ” instead of being forced to distribute pamphlets throughout Britain and to collect signatures for a petition to the House of Commons or the League of Nations. Ha hoped that the Royal Family were at last content with their handiwork. Another letter said: 44 Suicide is one alternative, but that is impossible because of my principles. Another is to throw myself on the Royal Tamil} ® mercy and seek the right to live the rest of my days as an honourable citizen.” He also suggested that unless he was helped he would show the Roval Family in their true colours to the Economic Conference delegates, causing them to leave England with a nastv taste in their mouths. Counsel submitted that the letters continued the demands with menace*, and the police gave evidence that they found copies of the posters at Haddon s home. Haddon’s general character was previously good. Bail was refused.