MONEYLENDER’S THREAT

Waipawa Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue 148, 11 September 1925, Page 1 (Supplement)

MONEYLENDER’S THREAT

AND A LABOUR CLERK’S THEFT. Cyril George Miles, 25, of A ictor Road, Holloway, pleaded guilty at the Mansion House Police Court to stealing £205 belonging to the Ministry of Labour. It was stated that the money was intended for the payment of the dole at the Stepney Labour Exchange, where Miles was employed ms pay clerk. Mr M. Toff, * solicitor, defending, stated that Miles was a young married man with one child, and his salary was, roughly, £2OO. In 1923 he had a nervous breakdown, and to pay some money borrowed from friends he borrowed £l2 of a moneylender, signing a promissory note for £lB, to be paid in monthly instalments. He found it impossible to keep up his payments regularly, and at the end of two years he was indebted to monev-

lenders for £OO. When lie gave himself up to the .police a letter was found in his possession threatening proceedings unless immediate payment was made. This letter was handed to Alderman Sir David Burnett, who remarked: “I see it is from Fielder, Jones and Co., solicitors, of Bloomsbury Square-, W.C., who state that unless payment was made by 11 o’clock on the Monday morning, and a charge of 5s in addition, process would be taken. I always like to give a free advertisement to moneylenders if I can, and they are welcome to this one if it is any use to them.” Mr Teff said £6O of the money was paid to moneylenders, £9O was recovered, and £SO was either lost or stolen. Miles was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment in the second division.