AMY BOCK: ADVENTURESS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 78, 28 April 1909, Page 3

AMY BOCK: ADVENTURESS

REMANDED TILL MONDAY.

By Telegraph.~Presa Association ' Dunedin, Tuesday. Amv Bock appeared before the Court al ,d was remanded until Monday next. She intimated her intention to pUj. .uilty. The Court was packed and Reused had to be smuggle, out to avoid the crowd waiting outside. Dunedin. Ust Night. It has been ascertained that Amy Hock was, when about 27 years oi age. UMilrarily employed as a teacher in the Caversham Industrial School, hhe was then a good-looking, bright, vivacious ladv, well educated, and apparently ambitious. She made a number of applications to the Otago Education Board for employment, but for some reason these were unsuccessful. It also appears she communicated with the Auckland branch of the A.M.P. Society, with the object of insuring her life, and with a fire insurance company in this city with a view of securing a policy pf £IOOO on an alleged property at Tapanui. THE STORY OF THE WEDDINd. Dunedin, Monday. Amv Bock, wlio has been arrested on a charge of obtaining £3O from Arthur Ells under false pretences, is a little woman 49 year's old. The lady who has been brought into notice as bride is the daughter of a boardi-jghouse-kceper at the Xuggets. It is interesting to mention that the bridegroom was measured and suited by the New Zealand Clothing Factory, and although her petite form required nothing more than size 13'/» for collars and shirts, ao one suspected anything amiss, not even the measurer. The wedding ceremony was performed .by the Kev. G. Calvert Blaithwayte (Anglican), assisted by the Rev. A. Dalrymple (Presbyterian). One of the Balclutha papers described the feast and the dresses. Thc Rev. Mr. Dalrymple, in proposing "The bride and bridegroom," said all were glad to welcome Mr. Redwood, who came among them as a stranger, but he was quite satisfied the union would be a happy one. It ,was in Mr. Redwood's power to make it. Mr, Malcolm, ALP., also spoke, and gave some advice to the bridegroom, the gist oi which was to hand the management of affairs over to his partner when in doubt. The bridegroom's gift to the bridegroom was a set of silver-backed brushes. Fortunately for the sake of the girl the honeymoon was abandoned. At a timely moment a Dunedin resident, who was suspicious of the bridegroom's sex, wisely spoke of his suspicion* with jthe result that the couple did not leave on their proposed tour to Melbourne, for w'h'ieh the tickets had been purchased out of his own pocket by a friend, who subsequently returned them to thc shipping company and had his money refunded. On Friday last Chief De- j tective Herbert and Detective Hunt paid a visit to a boardinghouse in Dunedin, where it was known that Amy Bock lad stayed, and there they found the woman's clothing. On Saturday Detective Hunt hurriedly took liis departure for the Nuggets, and there that night arrested "Sir. Redwood," whom the defective had' previously surmised was no other than Amy Bock. He was not mistaken. Detective Hunt, calling at the Ottaway's house, asked to see 'Mr. Redwood," who came down the stairs smoking a pipo. "The game's up, Amy," said the detective, and Amy merely answered "All right." The accused is a very temperate woman; she never drinks, but on the day of the wedding, in order to play her part, 6he took seven wftiskies, which she says nearly killed her. A WELL-KNOWN PERSONALITY. Christchurch, Last Night. The main subject of conversation at present is the astonishing adventures oi Amy Bock, who capped tier previous record by marrying a, young lady m the south recently. It appears chat tne lady is fairly well known in this city and in Canterbury, and, wherever she has been, appears to nave made Herself very agreeable, and at the same time wheedled money out of unsuspecting males. About eighteen months ago, it is reported, Amy Bock was engaged in a boarding-house in the city and won the affection of the boarders oy iter obliging and kindlv ways. Though by no means prqiosse'ssing in appearance, she is possessed of an engaging personality. From one of the boarders, to whom she told a pitiful tale of a male friend of hers on tne West Coast who was hard up and desired to leave the country, sue obtained £l2. She was approaching another boarder with a like intention when the unexpected appearance ot the landlady prevented the completion of the ••fleecing'" of thc stlsceptiole boarder.

She has been an inmate of some of the institutions of this city. Whilst in the Samaritan Home she showed her versatility by organising theatrical performances, which she produced very excellently. The adventuress is credited with being able to write no fewer thai seven different styles of caligraphy, an accomplishment which has stood her in good stead in many of her plans whilst under lock aid key. On one occasion she managed to get a letter posted to Victoria, and in due course received from that State a letter she had written and enclosed in the first, describing a valuable property that she alleged she had become heir to. Amy Bock is well known almost from one, end of the' Dominion to the other by the guardians of the peace, and is known by the aliases of "Shannon" and "Chanel." She was before tflc Supreme Court in this city on February 13th, 1905, on a charge of forgery at Hakaia. on November 14th, 1904. The facts alleged were that John Gardiner, of Rakaia, had given her a cheque for .£2 with which to pay an account, the cheque, altered to £l2, was given to a man named Ashby, whom she asked to purchase, some goods for her. He did this, and gave her the goods and change. Bock, when on trial, alleged that .he had only got a £1 note a half-soyere gn and some silver from Ashby, who, he further alleged, had confessed to. I*r that he had altered the cheque. She was found gmltv and sentenced to three years' imprisonment/ The reason of Bock's latest escapade is probably di-1 vhTed bv a Cl.ristcl.urch police office , X remarked that Bock hadt once^n women were mm* ruecSonfoflierownsexintoa men. ■