PRISONER'S HORROR

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 65, 17 March 1915, Page 6

PRISONER'S HORROR

. AT DISCOVERING HIS CRIME. HAD FITS OF OBLIVION. SYDNEY. March IG. The trial of Earle. Hermann on three charges, involving forging and uttering promissory notes to the amount of ;£13;791. "was continued to-day. The prosecution alleges that defendant conducted a company for managing jnvestnreitts. In April. 1914, it is claimed, .Hermann discounted three promissory -nates with Hermann Wallraff, the manaof Reuters banking deportment, purTpnrterg to have been sent and signed by one-Triggs. a well-known grazier, but which were forgeries.

'Hermann, in a lengthy statement, said tflrat ereve-n years ago he was "sandbagged" in Capetown, and later was kicked on the head by a bor.'C. Since Tiien he has suffered from recurrent fits, -which were very frequent last year. When the attacks were coming on lie •felt tha* nothing was too big to undertake, and that nothing mattered. After the fits his memory was blotted out. After 'hearing evidence he was horrorstricken to fined that he Jiad committed acts whereof be was unaware. He had «no more knowledge of discounting the bills than bad the members of the jury. -Hundreds of r-housands of pounds worth of bills passed through lit hands, amd often in th-e rush of business he signed stem without examining ihem. He was an no ..need, of money. If,.lie was responsible for the bills, as alleged, then it was the act of a mamiac. Everything was now gone, but his act; remained as a .horrible stain and disgrace. It was most extraordinary. and yet not extraordinary when it was considered that tbe effect of these fits had been a desire to make money. He could have got away bad be desired —he bad had plenty of opportunities. ills. Hermann amd a number of doctors gave evidence relating to Hermann's delusions when under epileptic seizures.