THE YORKSHIRE POST

Leeds, Yorkshire, England

29 June 1934

(page 6)

MR. A. E. CROWLEY.

Charge of “Receiving” Five Letters.

Edward Alexander Crowley (58), the plaintiff in a recent libel action, was committed for trial, at Marylebone Police Court, yesterday, on a charge of feloniously receiving five letters, the property of Betty Sedgwick [Betty May], who was a witness for the defence in the libel action.

According to the prosecution, the letters were produced in the action by counsel for Crowley. It was alleged that they had been stolen while Mrs. Sedgwick was living at a house in Seymour Street, and had been received by Crowley, knowing them to have been stolen.

Mrs. Sedgwick, giving evidence, said she was a model, and was usually known as Betty May. The letters produced were her property, and she had not willingly parted with them to anybody. She valued them at 7 1/2 d.

Cross-examined by Mr. C. Gallop, Mrs. Sedgwick said that when she wrote the letter of April 25 she was living at 18, Seymour Street. Capt. E. Cruze, sometimes spelt Cruse, was also living there. Cruze had no money so far as she knew. She did not herself hand the letters to Cruze, but Cruze must have seen them. She never authorised Cruze to get rid of the letters in the most advantageous way he could. The letters from her were requests for money.

After the Magistrate (Mr. Ivan Snell) said he would be very interested to know how the person who had to deal with the case did deal with it. Mr. Gallop said that Crowley wished it to be well understood that he had an absolute explanation.

Crowley pleaded not guilty and reserved his defence.