AMY BOCK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 80, 30 April 1909, Page 4

AMY BOCK.

ARTISTIC AND RESOURCEFUL. SOME OF AMY'S ESCAPADES IN CHRISTCHUROH. HOW SHE GOT READY MONEY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurcli, Tuesday. The history of Amy Bock since her arrival in New Zealand is a more or less continuous record of crime oi the "false representations" description. Her deceptions were carried out in such.an artistic aud resourceful maimer that the very completeness of her plans frequently showed her natural enemies—the police—that Amy Bock, and she only, could have devised them. Very little can be gleaned ot her early history. It seems certain that she was born in Victoria in 1801. of comfortably well-to-do parents, and that she received an exceptionally good education. HER "FIRST APPEARANCE." She came to New Zealand in 1881, and a year later first came into conflict with the police, amk was seat to the Caversham Industrial Home for a period. She had worked as school teacher in Victoria, and, in addition to writing a beautiful hand, she was an excellent pianist and the mistress of many social accomplishments. A Christehureh resident, Mr. Alfred Buxton, who came into contact with Amy Bock sonic seven years ago in this city, told a pressman some interesting anecdotes of her escapades here and elsewhere. She was 'housekeeper to a resident at Sheffield,' and went by the name of Miss Shannon. She complained that her eyes were failing, and came to Christcliurch, allegedly to get medical advice. She was introduced to Mr. Buxton by mutual acquaintances, and made his house her home during her sojourn here. SHE WAS SO PLAUSIBLE. '"Miss .Shannon'" soon made many lirm friends among Mr. Buxton's circle of acquaintances, and stated to thein that she had considerable private means, and was negotiating for the purchase oi a poultry farm at Auckland. She was a little short of ready money, she said, and required just £4O to complete the purchase. She backed up all her statements by exhibiting letters and telegrams from various parts of New Zealand, written by and addressed to herself, and her representations were so plausible that she succeeded in borrowing £4O from each of two of Mr. Buxton's friends. ALL ABOUT A BANK SLIP.

No suspicion was aroused as to the genuineness of her pretensions until one day one of Mr. Buxtons' sons entrusted her with £l2 to deposit in a bank. The amount was not banked. Amy Bock told Mrs. Buxton that she had lost the bank receipt (for the amount, hut that she would get another. Thereupon she went to the same bank, deposited £3 of the money, and, as Mrs. Buxton was with her, she pave young Buxton a laundry slip instead ot the receipt. Before the mistake was discovered she altered her bank slip to read "£12," and as soon as young Buxton found out that 'what had been given him was a laundry receipt she handed the altered bank slip to him. Eventually it was found out that the money was not in the bank, and, when tnxed with the theft, "Miss Shannon" calmly said, she had handed on her commission to a young man whose mother was dying. If he were prosecuted the shock would kill his mother outright, "and she would gladly pay the £9 out of her own pocket to prevent that." She paid over the .CO. and shortly afterwards disappeared from Christchurch. IN RETREAT. When Mr. Buxton discovered that she had victimised his friends, he did some amateur detective work. He found out from a cabman that "Miss Shannon'' had gone to Wellington, and followed her there. Similar investigations among the Wellington cabmen elicited the fact that she was stopping at the Trocadero Hotel. The police were called in, and "Miss Shannon" was found to be Ainv Bock, and she went into seclusion at the Terrace Gaol for three years. While stopping with the Buxtons she presented one of the daughters, much against Mr. Buxton's wish, with a bicycle. It was afterwards'found to be one she had hired and had not returned. A SUIT OF MAN'S CLOTHES. An incident that reads curiously' in view of the recent escapade was related by Mrs. Buxton'. Miss Bock and .Mrs. Buxton were in town.one evening, when Miss Bock caught sight, in a shop, of a nun's ready-made suit of a size which wonld just about suit her. She I old Mrs. Buxton a heart-rending story about a ..poor youth in Invercargill who wis badly in need of such a suit, which was jUst the right, size for him, and proposed to buy it. Mrs. Buxton, however dissuaded her, saying that it would be better to send the young man the money and let linn buy a suit in Invcrcar.'ilL At this tune it is also noteworthy that Amy Bock's hair was cut short." ,She accounted i'or this by stating that she bad recently passed through an attack of fever.