GREBNER'S GRAB.

NZ Truth, Issue 79, 22 December 1906, Page 4

GREBNER'S GRAB.

German Gardener's Gritty Gall. Forged Testimonials and Apparently False Swearing. Fritz Punks the Pierce Fire of CrossExamination and Throws up the Sponge. Before Dr. McArthur, S.M., on Wednesday Fritz Grebner, expert gardener, sued Evans and Son, nurserymen, of Taita, to recover the sum of £103 6s 6d, made up, according to the state^ ment of claim,, of wages due; seeds supplied, plans prepared, a clothes-line and bait and breach of contract. Evans and Son sued Grebner on a counter claim of £327 15s, but of which £127 15s was abandoned so as to bring the case within the jurisdic-. tion of the Court. They set forth that Grebner had^ falsely and fraudulently represented himself to be a skilled propagator and had thus induced the firm to engage him under a contract for 12 months at £3 per week. Grebner had proved incompetent for the work he. was engaged to do and it was claimed that by his neglect and unskilful treatment ot plants Evans and Son had suffered loss to the extent of the amount claimed.

Mr Bunny, m opening the case for Grebner, laid stress on the statement that his client had had experience m the Royal Gardens at Dresden and Potsdam, Germany, and the Crystal Palace Gardens, London, and held.testimonials that, if genuine, placed him qn a high plane m his profession.

Fritz Grebner, examined by Mr Bunny, deposed, very volubly, that he had worked m; his' father's garden at Dresden and thence went to a horticultural school at'- Potsdam, after leaving which he got a position at the Royal Gardens at Dresden, which he filled for 7 or 8 years and thence went to fill an appointment at the Crystal Palace Gardens, where he remained 6 or 7 years. He then emigrated to Australia and set up as a nurseryman at Moonee Pondc, near Melbourne, and had there his brother Frank working with him. Frank alsfa was a practical gardener and subsequently went to Brisbane. Witness proceeded to trace his subsequent career down tp July last, when he came to Wellington, where he was engaged by Mr Evans as propagator at the nursery at Taita. He required a propagating-house and Mr F. H. Evans had one built for him.

He then explained m technical terms -what was expected of him as a propagator. On Sept. 22 lie had to fo to Maori Bay, to Mr Turnbull's residence to prepare plans and as he did not work on Sunday, when he returned on the Monday, he found I hat things were not all right m the pror-agating house. A number of plants seemed sickly and he mentioned the fact to Evans, who told him lhat he knew nothing about his work. They should have been watered m his absence and the neglect was not due to him. Defective. s'hpdiug m the propagating room was also advanced by

Grebner as the reason why other plants had been destroyed. He had told Evans to sprinkle his cuttings m the heating house, but Evans had neglected to do so. He discovered next that the fire was out m the furnace and he said "Damn," and Evans resented his "swearing" m his presence. He declined to go out and assist Charles Evans digging, and said he would do only the work he contracted for. On Oct. 11, Evans ordered him off the premises and though he made repeated applications to resume his propagating work Evans declined to allow him to do so, or to allow him to have what work he had done inspected by other experts. When Grebner threatened to see his solicitor about it and to take the matter to court Evans said "Damn your solicitor and magistrate ; I defy you." Twenty days after that Grebner saw his plants and they were all destroyed ; a threat Evans had made before.

Having itemised hia claim, Grebner went on to say that he had received £12 m wages and £12 was owing. He was now working for Mr Reynolds, of Taita, at £1 10s per week, and he produced another testimonial from Reynolds.

Mr Bunny then took Grebner through a long list of plants which Evans and Co. averred had been destroyed through his neglect and unskilful treatment. He was reminded that it was for Evans to prove that he had been negligent and unskilful, yet he denied that he had been and m many instances attributed the damage done to the ignorance of Evans, sen., himself.

Mr Young, for Evans and Son, then took Grebner m hand, and after a brief reference to the visit to Maori Bay entered upo n a series of questions concerning Grebner's experience.

You were engaged as a specialist ? —I was engaged as a propagator. You don't do ordinary gardening ? —No.

You're rather too old to do heavy work ?— No. . .

Earlier he declared that it was impossible for him to do coarse work. What is your age ?— 4l .

"Thank you," said Mr Young significantly, and went on to refer to a testimonial alleged to have been signed by a nurseryman named Wright, of St. Kilda.

In a long story Grebner told how he had only pottered about Wright's nursery, having made the acquaintance of Wright's foreman and had from him received the testimonial.

. Did Mr Wright write that reference? —No, his man did.

Where, m Melbourne or New Zealand ?— ln Melbourne.

Grrebner next denied that he had told Mr Evans, senr.., that he had been employed by nurserymen named Bunning q,nd Hackett m St. Kilda (Vie.) and Adelaide (S. A.).

Were you ever in~Mr Woods' employ at Brisbane ?— No, my brother was. You have not a 'reference from Woods ?— No. , Well, I will read one for you ? Mr Younn; then carried his threat into execution, reading from a- letter from Mr Woods. All that Gfrebner replied was that it referred to his ., brother Prank. . ... :

Dr.. McArthur : Well, Frank is the name m that cutting from the Camberwell newspaper which you claim refers to ,"on. Mr Youn-j; next read a paragraph from the January, 1904, number of the "Australian Nursery man," m which Woods, under date Dec. 4, '03, issued a warning to. nurserymen to consult him before employing a man named Grebner.

Mr Young : Is that your brother ?— • . I don't know : I think I can explain that. My brother often used my testimonials to obtain work. And you used his ?— No response. Mr Young then proceeded to read a letter from the manager of F. H. Wood, a Brisbane nurseryman. You were never employed by Wright ?-No. Yet . yo\i produce his reference ?— No, no. ' Can you give any reason why Wood 1 advertised you so ?— No. Or your brother ?— No. Your brother was not at the Crystal Palace Gardens, was he ?— No. Were you superintendent at the Cry- ' stal Palace Gardens ?— I was head gardener. • ' Reference was again made to the reference purporting to be signed by Dr. W. G. Grace, and m inviting the | Magistrate to note it Mr Young on served that for a learned man very bad grammar was used. I Now have you been at the Crystal I Palace ?— Yes. j • This certificate is dated 1898?— Yes. ■ And you worked there six years ?— Yes. How is it, then that you came to Australia m 1892? At first Grebner denied saying so, but a reference to the Magistrate's notes show that he had sworn that' he came out to Victoria m that year. After giving the name of Davis as one of the superintendents at the Crystal Palace, Grebner fell Into a trap. Was the other superintendent named Johnson ?— Yes.

Tlie triumphant smile that lighted Mr Young's countenance as he observed "I just mentioned that name," was sufficient to show that Grebner had fallen m and he attempted to get over his error by observing that the name was something like that. With a charming nonchalance he next assured Mr Young that if he was allowr ed to peruse a journal that that geritleman held m his hand he could probably tell the name ; but Mr Young was not having any.

A new topic was entered upon by Mr Young when he wanted to know if Grebner had not, after his agreement v/ith Evans, stated that he had been offered £3 10s a week by Evans and had endeavored to' obtain employment from a Mr Horton at £4 a week.

The unblushing German said he wished to explain, but was curtly told by Dr. McArthur that he was "all explanations."

Mr Young : I suppose the "Damn the solicitor and magistrate" episode was just mentioned to prejudice Evans' case '.—No, no. I am telling the truth.

I suppose had it been before the Supreme Court, it would have been "Damn the judge" was Mr Young's la-st shot prior to the Court rising for lunch.

On resuming Grebner threw up the spcnge. Mr Young mentioned that, acting on Mr Bunny's advice, Grebner had abandoned his claim against Evans and had consented to a verdict of £40 lieing given against him on the counter claim.

Judgment was therefore given to Evans and Co. with costs amounting to £8 ISSi

This case is one to which the widest publicity should be giveh In the interests not only of tbe nurserymen of New Zealand and the many other parts of the globe where "Truth" is read, but to the general public. This German fraud, Fritz Grebner. has given at least two States of ithe Commonwealth and New Zealand a turn and it is time that his career of misrepresentation false' , pretence should be cut short. He came to Messrs Evans and i_.ons and presented testimonials that have been indubitably proved to be forgeries. One purported to be firom no les3 a celebrity, than Dr. W. G, Grace, the famous cricketer, who is manager of the Crystal Palace, and it was dated 1898, and it alleged that this Grebner had been one of three head gardeners m the Palace grounds. Enquiries proy<J that there is only one head gardener tEere and that no person of the name of Grebner has ever been engaged there since Dr. Grace took charge foe the Company. A flattering testimonial, alleged to be.. signed by Mr James Wright, nurseryman, of Melbourne, has been absolutely repudiated by that gentleman, who writes that hd never had the man m his employ; _ though he knew him by having met; M him at the Moonee Ponds bowlingbpf green ; and he mdst certainly neverl^ crave the fellow a testimonial. f In 1893 Mr T. H. Wood, seedsmail and nurseryman, of Brisbane, adver-f tised faEHannursef-yman-_to take charged and y_ on. the. strength of testimbnialsfafcr Grebner forwarded ?^ induced Wood's manager, to? pay hearty. £'10 for first-class fares, for himself _Jmd wife from, Melbourne to BrisToarie. That gentleman gave Grebner absolute charge of the Silverdale -nurseries at Mt. Gravat, and writes : "With the result that I sincerely wu<h I had never > seen him, much less employed hyn. ' I am an old English nurseryman and I declare t 0 you that I have seen plenty of laborers there who could give him points m anything except talking and telling lies. Re his testimonials. His wife told me m. my office, m his presence, that same were false and that he paid someone m Melbourne to write them for him. ~' s This was on an occasion when Grebner was abusing- her and she came to me (knowing I was a J.P.) and asked me to hsyve him locked up for abuse and maltreatment. If he has any knowledge of the profession, or ability, I never saw it, the eight or nine months he was with me. He certainly planted me out 13,000 ot "' ' • 14,000 rose stocks, but when they were ready for budding he bortejd, m my opinion because he could npt bud them. When he came.^tfo me! I had an immense lot of valuable cala- /' diums planted out m beds. vTo give' you -some idea : one man offered? me £30 for a bed .of arqyuritc-s. I wanted £40, so unluckily did nob sell. The lot -we're worth, about £150 ; but where they .went to I • don't know.- He said 1 hoy rotted and did show me' one or two' 'that certainly had, and as I do notli.e within seven miles of the nurseries and only go .there about once a fortnight, I had lo he .content witli his statement. The morning he baited he canße into ths store and borrowed £5, saying that he wanted to send his wife back to Melbourne. I have never seen him since; That's an instance of his honesty. . - . . He is not- worth a position of any description, let alope that ..of. a "first-class propagator.".

That is a "testimonial that • German "expert" Fritz Grebnei*. will 'not be likely to- show to any^imfortunate. nurseryman who might have the bad luck to .get hold of this alien trearure "from the Kaiser's Palace Gardens, Dresden."

The paragraph m the "Australasian Nurseryman" which Grebner was auestioned on was a letter to the editor from the Mr Wood already referred to, and it read as follows .:• - ' Brisbane, 4th Dec. 1903.— Dear . Sir,— lf any of your readers have engaged or have any application for engagement, from,. a man known to me by the name ofi Grebner, and who states that he has been employed at the Royal Gardens, Dresden, Crystal Palace, etc.. etc.. pte, raid will ki-adiy -communicate wilh m*\ I can tell them something .that will be to* their advantage. Sinned. Thos.. H. Wood, seed merchant and . nurseryman.. There's' another glowing testimonial that Fritz the Fraudulent Flower Fructi'fier is tibt likely to flash m the faces of I possible' employers ! Altogether: add taking one consideratioa with another, New Zealand- can i well "snare this- particular ' Sample of Palace Gardens "propagator and all round nurserynian" aa he styled himself m .the cronk testimonial he allecred to have been given . him when he left Ml James, Wright's . employ after tw© years and three months' servico. Wha,t a.gall these German crooks ais possessed of, to be sure !