BLACKMAIL CHARGE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 185, 1 May 1920, Page 8

BLACKMAIL CHARGE

$ . THE-WINDER CASE. FURTHER EVIDENCE FOR PROSECUTION '/ • ACCUSED COMMUTED FOR TRIAL Further evidence relating to the blackmail charge against George Herbert Winder was yesterday heard by ill'. K. l'age, S.lt. Winder was arraigned upon an information alleging that, with intent to extort a sum of money front one Clifford Peel, lie accused Peel of a crimo puirisluiblo with imprisonment for live years or more. ! s . Chief-Detective Ward <conducted the. prosecution. Mr. G. Watson represented the. accused, and Mr. D. Jackson watched tho proceedings oil behalf of the accused's father. 1 . I I Edna May Dixon, the typistc whe on Wednesday gave evidence against the accused, was' subjected to cross-examina-tion by Mr. Watson. lieplying to Mr. Watson's questions, the witness agreed that it was improper of her, to go to the pictures, with a chance acquaintance, and that she knew at the time that such was the case. In somo of her earlier conversations with Winder She had told him that she was somewhat suspicious of both "O'Neill and Pttl, and that she thought Peel might not want her to go back at night for work alone. At that/time she, looked, upon- Winder as a protector, and on one occasion when slio was working back at night she asked lrim to visit the office to see if she.were all right. Subsequently', she was satisfied that the conduct of both O'Neill, and Peel was quite proper,'..and, realising as a'result of conversations with accused what Eort of a man he was, she told Peel everything. - From that time onward she h.id acted under instructions from tho latter. The letter that, Blie gave to Winder in,Willis Street was written at Peel's dictation in order ,to trap a letter from accused. As slio did not receive a reply, she telephoned, the* accused ,at his place,of business.- ' '';

Mr. Watson : As a matter of fact, when the accused did-not take your bait (the letter), did you not look for him?—"Ycb, wh wanted to catcli him." You were acting under • instructions froni Clifford Peel?—" Yes." Did you not look for Winder on t'rl. day afternoon, the date of the - alleged offence?—"l met him in Manners Street." Did you ever toll Winder that reel had taken you homo in his' motor-car, and that ho had made it -"pretty' hot" for you?—" Yes." i-. Did lie make it "hot" for you?—"No; I did not go with him'." Then your statement to' tlio accused was a Ho?—" Yes." '. - Framed by Clifford Peel?—"Wo; by myself." - 1 Tlio witness admitted further-that during the scene at the office on Friday nifcht. Winder referred <o her when lie and' Pee! were discussing tho amount that should bo paid, and said that he -wanted the cheque made out in her name, Tt was upon her suggestion that the light in the'office was turned olf at the timo rit which Winder*, was to enter. Her idea was to.make the scene appear more realistlo. Complainant in the Box. Clifford Peel, indent agent—with offices in Fletcher's Buildings, -Willis Street— said 'that the witness, Miss Dixon, was in his employ as a shorthand-typiste. On the morning of April 21, in consequence of something she told him, ho dictated (V letter to her. The letter was enclosed in an envelope and was for Winder. Later in the day, Miss Dixon pointed out tti>> accused in tho street, stating: "He is the man." Witness then left Miss Dixon, who stayed and 1 spoke to accused. Witness saw Miss Dixon hand a letter to the accused, who remaiued in her company for about two minutes. A little later-witnoss telephoned Detective Carney and'made arrangoments for the following day. ■ At 7.45' p.m. on the next day (Friday) Detectives Carney and Black went to witness's office. Miss Dixon was also there. The'two defectives were in, tlio outer, office, and Miss Dixon was in the privato office. Mits Dixon screamed, witness having previously switched off the light. Accused bounded into-tlio office and said: "This is a nice state of affairs." Witness-'replied,'"What do you mean?" Accused then said that ho had come to rescue the girl from such « blackguard as witness/and;that he had had, his. suspicions of witness for some time. Accused added-that witness was an utter blackguard, and'that such wen 09 ho should be put out'of the country. Witness.asked: What are you.goingto do?" apd the reply was: "I am going to ring up the police." Accused tbiealened that if witness- did not compensate the girl immediately hp would ring the police. He would give, witness till 8.31 o'clock to decide whether he was going to compensate the girl or go to gaol, "tlio place where he should have been lons ago." Witness* offered accused <£10 in settlement,'but the latter refused to accept less than .£IOO. Witness said: "Oh, you want tho money ?" Accused replied in the negative, adding that he would merely ■ receive the money on the girl's belinlf. ■ Witness offered JCSO, which the accused, after consulting the girl/'(who made no reply) ag'reed to accept. Witness then got his cheque-bookout, and the accused asked for notes. Thews not being forthcoming,-he agreed to accept a cheque foi* ,£SO. in the name ot G. Brown, which he gave a 9 his own. Witness had just prior to tliis refused to accede to the accused's request to make the cheque out in the girl's name. After' handing him the chemie, witness said to the accused: "I will give you two seconds to get out of the office. Accused said lie would take jtlie girl, *n which request witness refused' to agree. Witness then threatened to throw Hit accused out of the office, whereupon blows were exchanged. The detectives then appeared on the sceno.

Witrtess Cross-Examined. ' Cross-examined by Mr. Watson, witness Raul he'remembered being warned by the Magistrate'not to communicate with any wi'ness or any ,party to tho ease. i Counsel: Is it not a fact that immediately after this morning you and Miss Dixon left the Court together and yeni up town together?— Witness: "Yes.' Also with a young man called Twist?— "YcS." \ ./; Twist is a clerk in your ofßcoP—"Yes." 'To your knowledge, Twist sat in 1 tlio court'throughout the wholo proceedings? —"Yes." Then .it was with your approval that he stayed aviw from twit, day to coine to this court?—" Yes." _ • You discussed tlio cas* with him?— Witness added in response to further questions that ho did not son Miw Dixon at, all on Thursday last. On fho previous night ho was in her company 2(l*minutes from the time they loft the court. Ho had endeavoured t also to approach Mr. O'Neill in connection with tlio case: He liad read in tho paper v that O'Neill's name hnd been meniionro I in connection with tlio case. Witness ( hnd-asked tho "Evening Post" reporter to do him the favour of keeping O'Neill's name out of tho'_ paper, as O'Neill'was not connected with tho caso. He denied having endeavoured to communicate with a niombor of the doteetivn force. ■ , Witness said that tho 'first occasion on which Miss Dixon spoke to him about Winder was the Wednesday •mbrniwr. Miss Dixon worked Into on the Tuesday night at O'Neill's office in order to type an urgent document for witness and O'Neill so that, it'might catch the m*il closing on tho Friday. The document had not yet boon completed. Witness admitted having asked Mire Dixon to "try 011" a l'ur cost, but only as a matter of business. She was not tho only one. At tho time he tried the fur coat on Miss Dixon there: were also present another lady clork and witness's step-daughter. The leitor 'that Miss Dixon, handed to Winder Win vv tirolv of witness's own concotfion, and hi framed it in a way that Vo Aon»ht was most likely to mako th<» man /all into the trap. Tho girl vcld b.;in tha man's iiuino was George Wmdor. Witness asked lier vhethor she meant Gcorfce Winder, of Winder's Building, and »ho roplied in Vho nlFirmati-o. ,Vit>

aess told her that it must be some blackguard who was using Mr. Winder's uams lor his own ends. On the same day h« followed the man lo Winder's Building. At one time he thought of informing Mr. Winder, senior, of the matter, but lie refrained' from doing so as lie had no proof to offer. From' Wednesday onwards his whole object was to trap the mr«n, awl Miss Dixon acted in the matter entirely under his (I'oel'.s) direction. _ Late on the Thursday afternoon lie asked Miss Dixon whether she, had received anv response to the letter handed to Winder. The girl .replied that she had not. and witness told her to.rnig Winder up. Witness himself rang up George Winder in order to find out if he was, the man, hut could not get in touch willi him. He told the girl to do her best to fict hold of the man intime for Friday night. He was. determined to "lead the man (or (Winder) into the Friday night business."

"Scream at the Appointed Hour." Miss Dixon was told to inform Winder that she would, by working that night, at the office. Witness went to the office aj- 7.1b o'clock. Misa Dixon arrived a few minutes later, the detectives and Twist (the clerk) having arrived earlier. During the evening witnees told the girl to' cam- out - lit;" part to the letter, and to scream at Hie appointed hour. Witness believed that the accused was armed when he came to the office, but no arms were found on him In. reply to further questions from Mr. . Watson, Peel exclaimed: "Yon 1 can't: bamboozle me, my friend." 1 ' Counsel:'l am not your friend and < don't want to be, and I must ask you not to be famil'ar. Witness stated that after Winder had burst into the room the retired to a corner and-commenced'to cry. Witness did not know Whether the tears were gennine or not. , Witness asked accused- if he did not th'nk it best to fix it up, and went on to suggest a "fiver" or a "tenner." Apart from one occasion, all the negotiations awieared to be on behalf of the girl. When witness told accused to get out of the/iffico. lie knew that the detectives were waiting outside the door to arrest Winder. When . Wilder said that he would take the girl, witness knocked him about 1 eight feet across the room. Fe denied, striking: tlw accused .after the latter had been ha"denlfed. . . < M». Watson at this stase drew ITis Worship's attention to the fact .that despite a warning Peel had communicated with witnesses. , ; ,r. In renly to the Magistrate. Peel stated that after consulting with a. detective otv the paint he saw Miss pixon after , the previous siting .of the . Court and told her to take a. holiday until the Court proceedings" were over. A Defective's Evidence. Detective Martin of the Wellington Police Force, deposed that \ cn the evening of April 23, : n consequence of information- received,' Detective Black and he went to Peel's office shortly after seven. About ?.40 o'clock, Peel-, and Miss Dixon arrived on the scene. Witness and Detective Black were iii the outer office. About 8.45 he heard Miss Dixon call out "Help!" and saw the accused rush'inside the office. After this, witness moved from his position in the outer offico to just,outside the door of the inner offico where, through the aperture of the door, he could see what, was going on. He heardv accused* say : that ho had '.known Miss Dixon for about f mouth, .".nd he thought (vuite, a; lot of her. Accused added: "I,suspccted , that a blackguard like you was goinf 1 to ruin her here to ; niglit." A Statement by Accused.

. Winder sat down after lie was handcuffed and asked whether witness wanted to War his story. Witness told him to wait until lie got to the, police station. On arrival there, accused made th* fdlifiWiiiß s gncd 'statement: "About three months ago I met a girl named' Dixon, and later took her to tho pictures. I did not see her again till about a fortnight ago, I arranged to take her to .the- on/ Tuesday last, April 21-. I met .her on ' Tuesday, and went to the Paramount pictures. That evening she told mc that she had !o go back to her employer's office the following, night, tliat they wero then going to another office; where there Would be another man and another girl. Sho' said that she was frightened of tho consequence;. '; I then offered to go for the purpose of seeing, that 110 harm came to hc*r. Later on wq talked about : 'Do Luxe Annie.' This was still in the pictures. The next day I met her and, took her to tea, and I arranged to visit; the building where she would lie twicot during the evening. We talked about' getting money out of the men who wero m the office, where sho was going towork! T honestly thought that'they wero' bad eggs. I went to the office. Nothing happened that night. I met hex in tho-' street tho next day, and sho. gave me a. note, I did not bother any more about tho matter. To-day, April 23, ou leaving business, I met her coming tn seo me. Sho "said she had to go 'back tonight, that there was no work to do, and that she was sure that Mr. Peel was going to try it on to-night'. T said tliufc I 'would be at Peel's office at a quarterpast eight, and sho was to scream if njything happened. V I said that if Peel was a. bad egg we might as well get something out of him. I suggested about .£SOO. I kept the appointment at about a quarter-past eight, and heard tho scream. I rushed in. After I had got a cheque for .£SO from Peel I wanted tho girl to come away, but Mr. Peel tried to prevent my doing so by -force, and it was, while T was trying to get him' out of the way that the police come it;. I struggled, because I thought they wero friends ■of Peel. This is aU I have •to sny." --. ' ! .This concluded the evidence offered by, the police.

A Plea for Discharge. On behalf of the accused, Mr. Watson submitted thai; no prima facie caso had' ' been made out. There was no cvidnrico. *o show that there had been uiiy intentio extort gain. ■ If any intent was to be inferred from the evidence, it was. r.n 'intent to make Peel pay for the wroiisj which Winder believed had been done to the girl.' Another submission was that', thews was no evidence of Winder's having accused Peel of a crime.' Tlicro was nothing to indicate that any crimo had been mentiofycl. If Winder rang the police,'it: was to be inferred merely that ho was willing 10 put tno wholo matter in their hands for investigation. The Magistrate decided that the easa should gn before a jury, and accordingly committed the ncoused for trial. Bail was allowed in tho sum of ,I'2oo I and two sureties, each of a like amount.