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THE DAILY INDEPENDENT Sheffield, Yorkshire, England 29 June 1934 (page 9)
Letters Said To Have Been Stolen.
MAN ON CHARGE OF RECEIVING.
RECENT LAY SUIT EVIDENCE.
SENT FOR TRIAL.
Edward Alexander Crowley (58) of Upper Montagu street, London, was committed for trial at Marylebone Police Court, yesterday, charged with receiving five letters, the property of Betty Sedgwick [Betty May] arrested on a warrant yesterday and charged with receiving five letters, the property of Mrs. Sedgewick .
Crowley pleaded “Not guilty” and reserved his defence. Bail was again allowed.
“Before Mr. Crowley is sent for trial, he wishes it to be well understood that he has an absolute explanation,” said Mr. Gallop, who defended.
The Magistrate said it was quite a different case, and one which was outside the ordinary category of cases.
When he saw the information, he saw that it was possible that there was a case.
“And I am very glad,” he said, “that someone else will finally deal with it. If defendant is found guilty, I shall be very interested to know how the person who has to deal with it does deal with it.”
Mr. Gallop said that, following the Magistrate’s remarks, he would not now call Crowley.
WOMAN’S PAPERS
Mr. Edward Iwi said the prosecutrix, who was generally known as Mrs. Betty Sedgwick, was living during June 1933, at a house in Seymour street, and had certain papers in her possession, including the documents which were the subject of this charge.
“According to my instructions,” said Mr. Iwi, “those documents were stolen and had been received by Crowley knowing them to have been stolen.”
In April of this year Mrs. Sedgwick was a witness in the case Crowley v. Constable and others, and gave evidence on behalf of the defendant, Constable.
She was cross-examined, and certain documents produced were put to her.
IN COURT’S CUSTODY
“I do not propose,” said Mr. Iwi, “to say what Mr. Justice Swift remarked on that particular occasion, but the documents were ordered to be kept in the custody of the Court.”
Mrs. Betty Sedgwick in evidence said in June last year, while living at Seymour street, she was in communication with a firm of solicitors acting for the defendant in the case of Crowley and Constable and others.
Mr. Iwi then handed to Mrs. Sedgwick a bundle of five letters which, she said, were her property.
She had the letters with her at Seymour street, and did not miss them until she went to her cottage in the country.
After the Magistrate had examined the letters, Mr. Iwi asked Mrs. Sedgwick what value she placed on them.
“Sevenpence halfpenny,” was her reply.
Someone else was living at Seymour street she said.
VISIT TO SOLICITOR
Mr. Gallop: When did you last see him?—I saw him not so very long ago in a public house. It was before the civil trial.
Mr. Gallop: What was his name?—Captain E. Cruze. Sometimes he spelt it Cruse.
Did you go with Cruze to see a solicitor?—Yes.
Did you hand any of the letters which are the subject of the present charge to the solicitor?—No.
WOMAN’S DENIALS
Was the object to negotiate with Messrs. Waterhouse for remuneration for your services?—No.
What was the object?—To prevent me from being attacked in Soho by roughs.
Did you not yourself hand the letters to Cruze?—No, never.
Mr. Gallop: Did you not authorize Cruze to get rid of these letters in the most advantageous manner that he could think of?—Certainly not.
The letters from you were requests for money, weren’t they?—Yes. |