LONDON BANK SUIT.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 283, 28 November 1924, Page 5

LONDON BANK SUIT.

: - my a." L ev «*»cej* NEWTON> A -POTENTATE'S AIDE c —Press Aasociatlon.-Copyrlght.) (Received 10.30 a.m.) f The LONDON, November 27. 3 Robinson* 88 J" , Which Charles Ernest c | £ 12S.OO0'*h»i„ ffiaker > is claiming _| money a ] le „ P H t th f Midland Bank, as f ,d efenu ant s fo r h ic have been receKed 1-7 I*B damages L u URe ' or alter "atively " I resumed to ri»,, a - gcd ne ?»gence, was i*IS " offer of £25.000, •"*»•, Hobbs t 6 . d am ° J ngßt the Robin " 1! Newton ' ' C aide "de-camp and 8^^ 0 aide, who 3 "Hder the . Rob,nson ""as then the money ?b PPSR,On thlt t,,is Was all WhZ7 th ! re wa3 to d 'vide. 'to P_H B ,T d ? obb3 a ft"wards went the che„„_ T £12n - nno - the balance of dividedT for £,sn ' 000 ' was e i« a -'y Xcwton. H ° bbs ' the aide son Vi nnd SS d -!u. ied educing Mrs. Robin- | t _i b ,I ,. robbln g her of f 10,000; also mitted hl' Ved by b, '"' k "- a ili»R- He admitted he wns sentenced in 11)0(5 to 20 months imprisonment. He added he was rather sorry for the part he had played I m tbo business. He wont to India to I see if he could obtain a second navnicnt lon the second undated cheque "which ,1 *\ lr -. A - gave. He saw the aide, who ! Paid it would be two or three months before Mr. A." would be approachable, owing to the death of his wife. He denied he ever blackmailed the aide. Ihe latter appeared certain the second cheque woulid be paid, and paid Newton 000.000 francs for his share. He did not think it was up to him to return this money, because the cheque had not been I met. i I Newton, continuing his evidence, said ' I the parties in the alleged conspiracy I frequently held consultations. Tt was the aide-de-camp who suggested thnt the matter should happen in Paris. Everybody was consulted about nearly every- I thing that waa done. The Robinsons,' Bevan. nnd Ilohhs all knew, he added. The aide-de-camp took him to an hotel in Paris, where he saw Mrs. Robinson and Bevan. Mrs. Robinson pointed out her bedroom to him. Newton said it was arranged between the aide-de-camp, Bevan, Mrs. Robinson, and himself that he would come to the hotel early in the morning. Mrs. Robinson told him no obstacles would be put in his way. He described the Bcene as he entered the bedroom. All lights went on when he entered. "Mr. A." and Mrs. Robinson were in a compromising situation. The latter attacked ! ham, saying, "My brute of a husband." "Mr. A." tried to calm her., He j said. "Maude, after all, it's your hus- I hand." Newton said he addressed "Mr. A," I saying: "Now I have the evidence I; want." He (Newton) told the aide-dc- j . camp what had occurred. The aide-dc-I camp told him he had seen "Mr. A," who I left it entirely to the aide-de-camp to I settle the matter. Subsequently he saw Hobbs and Robinson at Hobbs' office, and reported everything that had occurred. Hobbs and the aide-de-camp later visited him, and produced two cheques of f 150,000 each. One was dated j and the other undated. The aide-dc- I camp explained that the dated one ! would be met immediately, but funds must be cabled to meet the undated cheque. Hobbs said Scotland Yard | I had been told of the matter, and there I seemed to be a lot of unpleasantness, if not danger, about. Hobbs said he told '■ Robinson, who said it so he wanted to have nothing to do with it, and declared ! himself out of it. He (witness) gave : Hobbs power of attorney. It was I arranged that Robinson should be offered £20.000 for himself and two ladies, and the rest of the £150.000 should be divided between Hobbs, the aide-de-camp, and Newton.— (Reuter.) TWO BIG CHEQUES. SUGGESTION OF BLACKMAIL. (Received 1 p.m.l LONDON", November 27. Francis Waters, solicitor, gave evi-i dence that the aide-de-camp called on him and told him of the Paris incident.; Witness advised him to do nothing until I served with a petition in divorce. \ Tlie aide-de-camp and "Mr. A" called! on him, and said they had settled the. matter, and had given two cheques each of £150,000. Witness expressed amazement. "Mr. A" and the aide-de-camp both gave him to understand that they paid this huge sum- under pressure in order to avoid scandal. They also told him the names! of the other parties to tlie matter. The j first cheque was already cleared, but the second was stopped on his advice. j Witness interviewed Hobbs, who pro-, fessed to represent the Appleton Company. Hobbs apparently readily acqiii-j eseed in the stoppage "of the second j cheque. He said he would advise his; client to put it in the fire. Witness told j Hobbs it was a regular blackmailing, plot. Witness had "Mr. A's" authority; to reveal what he told the Court. This concluded the evidence for the j bank.—(A. and N.Z. Cable.) i