"LA MILO" IN THE DOCK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 69, 22 March 1910, Page 6

"LA MILO" IN THE DOCK.

ALLEGED CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD. * (From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, February 11. A mild sensation was occasioned this week by the arrest •of the well-known Australian "living, statue" artiste, 1— Milo, who in private life is Mrs. Pansy Eggena, in connection with a conspiracy ito defraud. ] The principal alleged villains of the I piece are La Milo's husband, Ferdinand Eggena, alias Barr, and Percy Easton, j director of a concern known as the Mo- ' tor House, Eus ton-road. The charge against the defendants is that of conspirI ing to obtain by false pretences jewellery ' worth £7000 from a West End jeweller named Wood.. . I According to tbe prosecution Mr. Wood ' parted with jewels worth more than £8000 to Eggena,, on the strength of the l batter's assertion that he was the owner 'of twenty-five motor cars, worth £ 20,000, which were stored at the Motor HouseHe gave an order on the Motor House for the delivery of these cars to Mr. Wood. Easton signed an acknowledgment of the receipt of the cars, and stated that he. would hold them at Mr. Wood's disposal if the jewels were not paid for by January 10. 1 When the time for the payment of the money arrived, Mr. Wood applied for it in vain. Applications were made almost daily until Friday last, when Eggena and the woman disappeared. Then Mr. Wood asked Easton to deliver the motor-cars to him, but Easton stated that he had given them to Eggena on a properly signed order, and that ha '■ had notified Mr. Wood. Mr. Wood, however, declared that he had received no . such notification.

i It was shown in evidence that Eggena, who gave his name as Barr, pledged a diamond necklace for £450 in December, j with a Pentonville broker, and on January 12 pledged a diamond brooch, a diamond heart, and four diamond rings for _.1200. It was stated that some of the jewels belonging to Mr. Wood had been recovered, but that a large corsage ornament, a diamond brooch and a ring, worth in all £_500, were missing. " La —ilo's " counsel informed the n—jristrate that all the missing articles would he handed over. The defendants were remanded, bail being allowed to Eggena at two sureties in £1000 each, two in £500 each for Easton, and one in £500 for " I— Milo," who, it appears, voluntarily surrendered herself to the authorities.