THEIR PRICE OF SILENCE

NZ Truth, Issue 1192, 4 October 1928, Page 11

THEIR PRICE OF SILENCE

Boy Blackmailers' Brazen Demand For Hush Money (From "N.Z. Truth's" Gisborne Representative). There are many people m this world tohose main ambition m lif e is to correct the morals of others. Their methods are as varied as their reasons, but m few cases are they justified m meddling m other people's affairs.

SOMETIMES their' intentions are of the best, but good Intentions pave the road ttino — m this case, to the Children's Court, wherein was unfolded one of the most amazing stories of juvenile crime m the history of New Zealand. It is well known, of course, that certain boys, influenced by the movies, "penny horribles" and even stories of real life, have been tempted to commit crimes which are foreign to their natures and their environments. But with all the records of the past, how often has there been produced a pair of blackmailers, aged 15 and 17 years respectively? Gisborne supplies the novelty— and under extremely novel circum-' stances.

"Unless you leave £75 m the Cafe de Luxe before 5 p.m. to-morrow, the 25th, for Mr. K. Brown, I will bring disgrace on yourself ;

your wife, your parents and the girls you have been going out- with. If you try any tricks,

I will talk." This was the letter received by one of the best-known business men m Gisborne. Ignoring the threat, the recipient immediately handed the missive over to the police. The result was that when "Mr. K. Brown" called for his letter about an hour after the expiration of hi__ Ultimatum, he found detectives waiting for him and his companion. The boys were duly arrested for demanding with menaces from the man m question the sum of £76 m money, with intent to steal the same. It is almost inconceivable thatyoung as they are—they should expect their victim to disgorge. Their explanation, to say the least of it, is interesting. The elder of the pair, who had written the threatening letter and collected the "dummy" from the cafe, m a statement to the detective, maintained that he and his companion had resented the actions of their intended' victim m going out with girls and had sent the letter with the intention of warning him. This st_ry was corroborated , by

His Girl Friends

the younger lad, who, incidentally, is related to the man, m the statement made, by him. . i' ■ ■ These facts were outlined by Detective McLeod when the youths appeared before Magistrate Levvey. The boys are well known as members of highly respected and religious families, and both the detective and the child welfare officer paid tributes! to their general conduct and good upbringing. "I think it is more a case of a threat than a criminal action," the latter added. "The boys are not leading a criminal life and have been well brought up." Unfortunately, the circumstances clearly showed that it was a case of more than a threat.

Thfit a well-brought-up and rightthinking member of a religious family should resent a relative "running about with girls" is quite on the cards, esp cc i ally when that relative has a young and attractive wife. . . But the mercenary element, al-

though perhaps not unusual with would-be reformers, Immediately casts a doubt upon the honesty of their intentions. This was the view Magistrate Levvey took of the matter. "It would not have been so bad," he said, "if there was not money- concerned; but that makes you blackmailers at once."

Even the detective confessed himself at a loss to account for the boys' conduct.

Anonymous letters he described as a scurrilous thing, adding that there had been a lot of this sort of thing going on.

The magistrate remarked that it would serve the boys right If he ordered them a thrashing, stating that writers of anonymous letters

were "things beneath contempt."

"What made you do it?" he asked the eldest boy. "We wanted to give him a warning, that's all," was the reply.

In winding up the case, the magistrate said they both seemed decent boys; therefore, he would not convict them, but would place them m charge of the child welfare officer for twelve months.