LETTER TO HUSBAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 774, 21 September 1929, Page 9

LETTER TO HUSBAND

CHARGE OF ATTEMPT TO PERVERT JUSTICE JESSIE MORRIS CASE AGAIN Alleged to have written a letter in connection with the recent charge against Jessie Morris, of unlawfully using an instrument, resulted in the appearance of William Bobbett, a labourer aged 36, at the Police Court yesterday afternoon, charged with attempting to obstruct, pervert, or defeat the course of justice in attempting to persuade Ivy Mary Moselen to give false evidence. According to Roy Moselen, carrier, of Whangaroa, husband of Ivy Mary Moselen, he received the letter in question through the post early in August. At that time his wife was in the Whangaroa Hospital suffering from septicaemia. She had been called upon to attend the Magistrate’s Court in Auckland to give evidence in the case against Jessie Morris. On August 29 he handed the letter, which is as follows, to the police at Whangaroa: Dear Roy,—l imagine you will be surprised to receive this from me, but when you read it you will understand. Of course, I do not know your feelings in the matter, and it is rather a delicate matter to write about. The lady (you know who 1 mean) is very worried, of course, as she does not know what course of action you and Mrs. Moslen are going to take, whether to help her or against her. I know her fairly well, and found her to be a damned good sort, always ready to give a help in trouble. Well, Roy, the position is that if you are going to try and help her the best, the only thing, to do, is for Ivy not to be able to recognise her. In the course of the proceedings the lady will be in a room with several women, and Ivy will be asked to pick her out and if she makes up her mind not to recognise her it will squash the whole business and end it, as far as Ivy is concerned. On the other hand it means seven years for the woman. The reason I am writing: this is because I am sorry for her. She did me a good turn when I was in a mess. "Well, Roy, as I have already explained, I do not know your feelings about this matter, but I sincerely hope it all ends without trouble and worry for you. I know for sure this can hap*pen so long as Ivy is positive that she does not know her and cannot recognise her. Wishing you all the best of luck.—Yours sincerely. Bill (of Kaeo long ago). SPELLING MISTAKES Detective-Sergeant Doyle said that on receiving the letter from the Whangaroa police he interviewed the accused at his residence in Carlton Gore Road. He asked him to write down the following:—“Mr. Roy Moselen, Kaeo, Whangaroa. I know her fairly well and found her to be a damned good sort.” In the letter the name Moselen was spelled Moslen. Accused made this mistake in writing and also made other mistakes similar to those made in the letter. The detective drew the accused’s attention to the errors, but he said that while he knew the woman Jean, by which name Mrs. Morris was known, he had no interest in her and it did not matter to him whether she got seven years or got off. Accused said that he did not write the letter for her, but in a statement made later he admitted writing the letter, which was in his handwriting. Detective Doyle then arrested the accused. Reserving his defence, accused was committed to the Supreme Court for trial, bail being renewed as before, in one surety of £IOO.