SHAMED HERSELF

NZ Truth, Issue 1202, 13 December 1928, Page 3

SHAMED HERSELF

Near-Blackmail Which Caused Victim Of Girl and Young Man To Attempt Suicide AMAZING STORY^F FEMALE GUILE

Will a woman impugn her honor — make false declarations to stain her character — to inflict a lesson on the man whom she alleged made improper advances towards her? This was the problem Magistrate E. D. Mosley had to solve m the Christchurch Police Court m one of the most absorbing human dramas ever enacted m a New Zealand court of law. The case contained many remarkable features, and almost a tragic sequel, when the grim shadow of death swooped down, but did not claim its victim. ,

THE principals m the case were Sybil Louisa Penberthy, a young woman of 25 years, living at George Street, New Brighton, and employed by the Du-Mill Dressmaking 'and Costuming Company, and Valentine Abraham Beaumont, of 665 Ferry Road, Woolston, an employee of the Farmers' Cooperative Association, and well-known m Christchurch as a professional runner. They were jointly charged that on or about October 27, with a view to obtaining money, they endea-' vored to impose on Arthur James Inkster by representing that the girl was m a certain condition and that the money was required for an illegal operation. According to the evidence adduced at the trial, the girl and Inkster were on friendly terms, he having boarded with her parents for a while, and the story told by Inkster and the girl dif- i fered only In one material .factor. Yet, the amazing part of the story is that the girl, m making a complete confession to the police, admitted that she was not m a certain condition, that she never had been, and that Inkster had never, at any time, ever committed misconduct with her, nor had any other man. What was the motive behind Sybil's attempt to extract money from Inkster? Was it hate incarnate, steeped m the bitter bath of ungi-atifled revenge? Inkster is a hairdresser, and the girl on one occasion arranged, for him to cut her hair, but as it was closing time he suggested that she should go to his room where the tonsorial operation could be carried out. This she did, and while there she claims that Inkster caught hold of her and she had to grapple with him. That was denied by Inkster, who supported his denial with the statement that Sybil left him that evening quite friendly, and invited him to tea at her home a few evenings later, an engagement which he fulfilled. The girl's statement regarding the incident m . Inkster's room was the only point on which his statement differed from hers. The conspiracy between the 'two was obviously to extract money "from Inkster, and the ruse for getting it was a most amazing one. There was no suggestion that she was m urgent need of money. She was m steady employment, earning £2 per week from the tailoring firm which employed her, and though her father

The girl agreed, and accompanied him to his boarding-house, where eh© remained for about twenty or thirtyminutes. According to Inkster nothing of an improper nature occurred or was even suggested. Sybil invited Inkster out for tea on the following Wednesday evening:, and they parted quite good friends. He subsequently went out to Sybil's home for tea oh the Wednesday evening before Labor Day. Inkster then removed to work for another firm by the name of Hudson, and while employed there the conspiracy against him was launched. A telephone communication .one afternoon apprised him of the faot that a claim was being made against him. The party on the other end of the wire intimated: ".You won't know who I am. I work at the Co-op, and I want to have a quiet chat with you about SylDll. She is m a certain condition, and something will have to be done and done quickly." - The man on the other end of the wire, said Inkster, stated that all his money was tied up m a motor

Looked Worried

car, otherwise he could have fixed the matter himself. He said his interest m the matter %ras that he was going with Sybil's | cousin, Elsie, and he knew of a place where he could get an illegal' operation performed for £20. Inkster decided to see the giri herself, and was waiting the following evening to intercept her on her way home from work, when Beaumont passed him and asked why he was looking so worried. "When I told him I was watting to see the girl, he said it would not help j matters if I saw her, and I had better dodge off." Beaumont added that the girl threatened to "go over the end of the wharf, and she was cranky enough to do it." Inkster became very worried at the persistence of Beaumont's telephone messages, and was afraid that his employer would begin to ask questions. He then received a letter from Beaumont stating that Mrs. P. was going to take S. to see the doctor on Sunday, and there would be Hell to play. The writer .suggested that it would be bet-

make any Improper suggestions to her. Inkster added that he could swear that never at any time had he and the girl misconducted themselves, ana there had ' never been any" improper proposals. Counsel: How Is it that you, an innocent man, didn't go and see the erlrl's mother if you were so interested m her?' — Beaumont suggested to me not to do it. I suggest to you that this Is not the first occasion that you have attempted to take your life. Didn't you try to take poison about twelve months ago, and this girl, a cripple, jumped forward and snatched the poison from you ? — That is quite so. ' You knew that this girl was highly strung and was suffering with her nerves? — Yes. And didn't you think it due to the girl's mother and to yourself to go and see if there was anything m it? — But why did the girl want to dodge me When we were supposed to be friends? asked the witness m replyy Counsel suggested that Inkstar's previous attempt on his life was due to some trouble over a young single girl, • but' Inkstsr told the bench that he was worried over one of his children. Detective Carroll: You have had some previous trouble, ha-e you not? Inkster replied that his troubles were so many at the time that he felt he would be better out of the world. "I have had rotten family affairs," he added. Magistrate Mosley: You don't feel like it now, do you? A bit depressing, eh, but don't take it so seriously. Annie Ball, a single woman, at whoso place Inkster had his meals, said Inkster at the time would come home very worried. He showed witness a letter, not signed, referring to S. who was goingr to be taken to the doctor by' Mrs. P. , To Lawyer Johnston, witness said she had been friends with Inkster for two years and she enjoyed his confidence. You know the cause of his attempt to commit suicide last New Year's Eve? — I knew he had some trouble. Was it not over a girl? — I could not say. - Was it over a row with you? Was there a disagreement? — We may have had words, but not that I know of. The statements of Beaumont and the girl were read over and put m as evidence by Detective v Thomas,, who conducted the inquiry on behalf of the police.

>uiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiuuiiiiiiiiiiii(iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiii! was out of work at the time, it was stated that her mother was working to keep the home together. Beaumont, it was proved during the hearing, was merely her instrument m assisting her to achieve her nefarious ends, and he likewise paid the penalty. In singling out Inkster as the object of their scheming, they alighted on a man whose life history is an unhappy one. • For years he has fought the nightmare of domestic unhappiness, and is now separated from, his family. Some twelve months ago, according to his own story, he became so worried over the health of one of his children, of whom he has not the custody, that he thought he would be better out of the world. On that occasion he was foiled m his attempt by the female accused with whose people he was lodging. Having escaped eternity on this occasion, Inkster rehabilitated himself and had settled down to the humdrum existence of cutting ha-ir and shaving faces when he was confronted with the girl's demand for money. With no surplus capital, and his weekly wage his only source of Income, Inkster was faced with an insurmountable problem, and so insistent were the demands of the girl and her accessory, that m a mood of depression, Inkster again attempted to remove himself from society, but he again failed. The girl, a neurotic type, and suffering a physical disability through infantile paralysis, was neatly dressed when she appeared m court. She was accompanied by her mother, and was ailowed to sit beside her counsel, Lawyer F. W. Johnston. Throughout the proceedings, the girl displayed nervousness and Winced repeatedly during Magistrate Mosley's summing up when he castigated her unsparingly. Her mother, a middle-aged, welldressed woman, sat with bowed head, and under stress of emotion almost oollapsod when the g"irl was convicted. Both the accused pleaded not guilty, and elected to be dealt With summarily. The story as outlined by Detective Carroll, traversed the peculiar facts surrounding the case. Inkster, a hairdresser, waa employed m a shop at New Brighton about a year ago and boarded with the Penberthys. Some time later he secured a position with Barlow's, one of the prominent firms of hairdressers m the city, and while there the girl, Sybil, called one evening just before closing time and wanted her hair cut. Inkster was' unable to take her at the time, and suggested that if she came along to his lodgings m th& city he would do the job there.

HiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiDiiiiiiiimmiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiimiimimiiiiiimiiiiini ter for Inkster to pay £20 now than £600 later on. Beaumont rang up the following day and asked if Inkster had done any- 1 thing m the matter. On finding that he had not, Beaumont remarked: "You're a pretty cool bird. Your job is not safe. The old woman is coming m to make a scene m the shop and you can say good-bye to your job." This threat of a public Showing up for no apparent reason further un- 1 nerved Inkster, and he was the subject | of yet further harrassing on the following morning (Saturday), when he met Beaumont outside the shop at. knocking-off time. Beaumont asked him if he had the money, and demanded it urgently, and when Inkster asked why he could not see the girl, Beaumont replied that it would make no alteration to the girl's condition. Inkster endeavored to sidestep Beaumont by statins: that he had a few friends from whom he could borrow money, but he did not like borrowing for the purpose outlined by Beaoimont. Beaumont, however, persisted, but Inkster maintained his attitude with the remark that he was sure the girl's

Gave Man £5

I . I mother would never be a party to such a collusion. Inkster then went along to the New Albion Hotel, on the pretence that he was going to raise the money from the proprietor who was a friend, but returned to tell Beaumont that his effort to get the money was not successful. "Beaumont then suggested my wages," said Inkster, "so I gava him the only £5 1 had. He said: 'don't be afraid, for I know that six jobs have been done at the same place and you won't need to worry about spending your money without effect." "He then left me to take the girl from Elsie Virtue's place to the 'joint* which he mentioned as Otago House." Inkster met Beaumont on the following Monday When the latter said he could not say if the operation had been successful until he saw Elsie that evening. Detective Carroll: "I don't think it's necessary to say what happened to you that ' night," indicating Inkster's attempt to commit suicide. Lawyer Johnston then took up the cross-examination m defence of Beaumont and the girl, and received an assurance from Inkster that on the night Sybil Came to his room to have her hair cut he did not grapple with bes? or?

iiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiimiiiiiiimiiimiiniiiiiiiiiiiiilinitllllllliniiiliimiiiiiimmii Th© girl confesßed to everything. SRe had told her cousin what Inkater had done when she went to his room and then decided to give Inkster a fright, so she enlisted the aid of Beaumont whom she told to get what he could from Inkster to frighten him. She denied that she had ever been out with Inkater and that any arrangements had ever been made for her to have an operation at Otago House or anywhere else. Beaumont had never told the girl that he had collected any money from Inkster. Beaumont m his statement said he was led to believe that Sybil was actually m a certain condition, and though he at first declined to have anything to do with her proposal, he later acceded to the wishes of his fiancee, Elsie Virtue, a cousin of Sybil's. Sybil told him what to put m the letter he wrote to Inkster. Later he met Inkster and the latter said he had a bottle of poison m his pocket and would be dead by midnight. Beaumont told him not to be such a fool. He then learned that Sybil was all right again. He denied having made any arrangements or ever mentioning Otago House m his discussions with Inkster, all of which were entirely on the girl's behalf. Neither accused gave evidence. "I would not say that it is a deliberate attempt at blackmail, but it ia approaching close to it," said the magistrate. "The dire effect on the individual, m which he nearly lost his life, is m the eyes of the court more serious than the parties intended it to be." The magistrate said it was incomprehensible thati the male accused allowed himself to be the instrument of the girl's intention for he must have understood why. "If I was satisfied that this was blackmail I would promptly send them both to gaol, notwithstanding the girl's disability," said the S.M. "The girl ,is the principal offender and I have not much sympathy for her. The question of penalty, however, is a difficult one." Lawyer Johnston pointed out that a fine would • inflict a hardship on her mother.' The grirl was earning £2 per week and the mother had to go out to work, as the father was at present unemployed. The girl was convicted and fined £10, to be paid m instalments of 10/---per week, m default one month's/imprisonment, and Beaumont was fined £5, default being fixed at fourteen days. • Inkster had his £5 returned to him, Beaumont having handed it over when interviewed by petective Thomas.

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Christchurch Representative)