SALESMAN GUILTY.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20540, 15 February 1935, Page 13

SALESMAN GUILTY.

Money Demanded by }; Menaces. Atf CKL AX d 'c AS E . Pre«s Association. Auckland February 14. Tfte allegation that \jie had blackailed an Aupkland professional man er a period. of several., months- was ade against Alfred M'Dowell, ( aged i renty-iuc s rears, a salesman, who was it on trial in the-' Supreme Court to- 1 ,y. He was found guilty. There \ ►re ten charges of demanding money | r menaces, and three of accusing his ctim of an indecent offence, with inrtt to extort money.The sum involved .in the. charges is 07. but it was stated in evidence by e alleged victim that the sums of : oney he lent or paid out under al- i ;ed threats exceeded £llOO in a riod of about two years. Moaey Advanced. The alleged victim of blackmail in idence said be had employed accused 1 a jann property approximately! ven or eight years ago. About the nc accused left that, employment he ked witness for money to pay doctors ; 10 were treating him. Accused told tness_ he - was to get money from his rents who lived in Ireland, and who ►re worth about £BOOO Witness lent m £lO Of £ls in the first place. Later advanced -further' sums, on the iderstanding that he was to be repaid, d also Bought accused a ticket to go Australia for the purpose of collectg money which' had been sent him ere,"' ’ . “ A? threat was made that he would cuse me of, Committing a crime. At ; at time accused was owing me about 30,** ’’ witness contintied- “ I merely ; id tb- him when he made the accusa>n that it was absolutely false. I is naturally afraid of the publicity at it would involve, and as. I ought mbney was coming to repay i I lent him more money.” No more mey was given the accused after out July, 1934. A series cf letters which he had reived in August last year were then id by witness. There were suggests in these letters that unless witssl sent _ accused money either lor nself or to pay his debts then both them might find themselves in for debt and witness ■an unnatural offence. Witness said had* paid about £BOO between Sepnber. 1933, and August, 1934. He d obtained an 1.0. U. from accused £3OO which had been lent until ptember, 1933. He had given accusmore money to keep him afloat. The Jury’s Verdict. No evidence was called by the fence. In addressing the jury Mr Noble, for cused, submitted that there .was no lication of menace in the letters, nor is there any evidence that accused d intended to steal the money. \lr Justice Fair said there was no ggestion of any kind against the aracter of complainant, and the auctions made by accused did not con*n the case. The jury found accused guilty on ree charges of extortion, and on seven irges of demanding money by •nftces. On the remaining counts lie s foupd not guilty. Sentence was postponed.

Kt a meeting of the Fendalton School i Boys’ Association last evening it s' decided, in conjunction with the S Girls’ Association, to hold a picnic Stewart’s Gully on February 24.