POLLARD CASE SEQUEL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 205, 27 August 1904, Page 13

POLLARD CASE SEQUEL.

I ' I SIX ACCUSE.! MEN SENT TO TAKE i THEil' TRIAL. As a result of the protracted hearing at Bow street all the men accused of conspiracy in connection with tbe Pollard divorce case will take (heir trial st the Old Bailey, soys an English exchange. j Sir Albert de Rutzen aunonnced early j lasi month that be had arrived vi ihat j decision. "1 think it essentially a case to j go befijre a jury." he said. ! Asked if they had an.yt_r.np to say. each j of the six men made a statement professing I innocence of Ihe charge. "1 wish to say lhai I have not conspired with anyone. •■ %aid < (shorn: -'neither have I inrited or procured Maud Goodman io give false evidence, and I believe the evidence she care -was true." Slater said. "In .urn, when Mr Knowles first liecnme a client of Slater's. I was in ill -health. anf j paying almost no attention to business. I urver saw him until I was in Court in ihe Pollard ease, and I bad no l_novrier.ee of what was being: done." "I say I am not guilty of conspiracy with anyone.'' said Henry, and a similar protest was made by Da vies and Tracer. "No one ever Instructet] mc to induce Mr Pollard io misconduct himself." said | Smith, "aud I never bad au.v comtuunicai tioii with Mr (>sborn or Mr Slater in eon--1 neciion with the case at any time. I adI mil that in some of my reports I foolishly ! made siaiemcnts concerning Tollard. wishing lo improve my position with the agen- | ry. I have ncvef conspired with anyone." | Asking that Osbom's bail might be re- : dunvi. Mr Gill said. "At this time of lhe ; year it is most inconvenient to find people ;n become surety." Mr Muir, making a ; -imilar application for Slater, said there was less evidence against him than against any of the others. Sir Albert re*nced thie bail of Osborn and Slater from two sureties of £3000 ro two of £rtno. and liberated Davies on his own recognisances, hie surety being ont of _|OB_lO-_,

M. SANTOS DTTMONT. I'E.MAL OF THE CHARGE OF COvvA_.n_l.__. M. Santos Ilnm-int is indigrrant at t statement made by Colonel Kingsbury, or the Exposition police, that be himself disabled his airship because he was afraid to fly ia it. and describes the accusation a? outrageous and abs_rd. lie belieTes that the balloon in St. Louis and the one at the Crystal Palare soma time ago were injured by some malicious *>r irresponsible •'crank." He 'baa decided to go to Paris to hare the mutilated gasbag repaired as speedily as possible, and bnrry back so that lie can sail at the Exposition oyer the beads of the acdusins peliee. and make them ridiculous in the eyes of the public. In an interview on July 1 M. Durnont staid. "I have devoted by -hole lif. and income tn the eontjnesl of the air. and have yainec. niiniereitis prise-, but I had tha _in*ltl.n to -win the great r.ict-s here. I constructed my airship n-i'h great pains and at considerable cost, and brought it here with three mechanics. I was shocked when I learned thai seme roiserahle. unknown malefactor had destroyed the gas-bag a: night. "Is it conceivable that 1 should thus destroy the balloon that ! adoif? The assertion is supremely ridiculous. Why should 1 shirk au ascent here": I have made ,'tfmti and met every disaster, except death. Nor am I afraid of failure, for I tm-e Tailed many times before. PaJUira in aeronautics is no disgrace, because the atmospheric conditions are uncertain, anil no hard and fast rules can be laid down. Tbe prises offered at the Exposition raceare princely, but if I won I would give then, to cnarily. desiring only the glory ef triumph. OFFER BY .IATAN. "1 frankly ennfess that t desire fame, •nd 1 recently hacl a chanre lo earn it. I was invited by Japan to join the forces in Korea as head of the balloon servicV. and offer-d a fabulous sum te take m.r airship to the front to try to drop high explosives ou Tort Arthur. 1 was sorely tempted, hut many of my best friend, ara Ru-Wians, -.nd while admiring the Japanese. I was compelled to decline the offer, bemuse the ties of Caucasi-U kiaship prevented my aiding the yellow man. "France has adopted my plans for a. military balloon, and will use lhem in the next war. Mr Francis, president of the Espaßttlon. strongly npe.nts the charge made against mc br his employee, nnd h:i9 so assured mc in .. private letter. My assistanst are as indignant as myself over the insulting accusation. "It has been reported lhat I hail a gi icvance. because tbe Exposition authorities 1 refused to allow mc to exhibit my nirsliipi 1 and charge for admission. That is another bit of imbecility. 1 have an ample income, and am not seektns the public's money. As a matter of facti I was asked . in allow the balloon lo he exhibited at tha . Exposition for an admission fee, bin refused.'' ____________________