ALLEGED FRAUD AND CONSPIRACY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 302, 22 December 1898, Page 3

ALLEGED FRAUD AND CONSPIRACY.

BLENHEIM, December 3

At the Supreme Court to-day, before a special jury of twelve, the ease of the General 'Exploration Company y. E. Purser, in which much interest if. taken, was commenced. The claim is for .f 30,000, for alleged frau-,1 und conspiracy in certain mining- transactions. The company is incorporated i.3 Germany for "-old exploration in the colony.* The "allegations are that in 1890 and 1897 the defendant combined with Chas. I'ielsticker, the Company's :u----torney in the colony, and Uuirlos Dencker.the Company's agent,to make a bogus sale to the Company of several worthless mining properties in West land, and that the defendant converted the moneys. £36,000, to his own use, after paying the purchase money of claims and options to the original owners. I'ielsticker and D"ncUer have left the colony. The defence "ives a general denial of fraud. ,7iid states that the properties weri carefully tested by the Company, an;l arc valuable, and* have been worked by the Company, and that the sale agreeincuts wen; bonu fide. Messrs iU-11 and Myers, of Wellington, appear For the Company,-and Sir R. Stout and Mr Brown for defendant. Several of the witnesses come from different pans of the colony. Five have been examined. BLENHEIM. Dceniber 7. The Supreme Court case, the General Exploration Company v. Kd. Purser, claim £30.000. for alleged conspiracy and fraud in connection with the sale of West land mining properties to the Company, was concluded to-day. The issue put to the jury was: Did defendant combine with Pielsticker (the Company's attorney) and Dencker (agent), or either of them, to defraud \ laintiffs as alleged. The jury found for the defendant, answering1 in the negative. Stay of proceedings was granted till after a motion for a new trial ha,<i,,been heard.