A TRIP TO AMERICA.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 260, 2 November 1928, Page 9

A TRIP TO AMERICA.

FRAUD CHARGE PROVED. AGAINST MANAGER OF ART COMPANY. SENTENCED DEFERRED. Edward; Savile Ijyall Esdaile (Mr. ,Finlay), the man who was extradited from Suva when he was on his way to the United States to develop an agency for a marine motor partnership, was found guilty of false pretences in the Supreme Court yesterday. The charge was that between September 18 and 20 last, with intent to defraud, he obtained £250 from Dr. H. A. Cooper, by falsely representing that he had two co-directors in the Art and Publicity Company of New Zealand, Ltd., and that the sum was-' required to purchase the interests of the directors of, the company. It was stated in evidence that there was only one other director in the company and he had only five shares.

Dr. Cooper admitted having written to Esdaile's sister stating he did not think Esdaile deliberately intended to defraud. The reason he did not permit Esdaile to proceed to America was that there had been a certain amount of deceit prior to his departure, and he did not know what might happen if Esdaile was allowed to go on to the States. Mr. Finlay: Do you think Esdaile wilfully defrauded you? Witness: My personal opinion is that the trip held out good prospects and would benefit his health, but the bar to his going away was that he owed too much money. Therefore, before he left New Zealand, he had to get some money to pay off his creditors. Martin Wilkin, the other shareholder in the art company, said the capital of the company was £1250 in £1 shares, of which he held five. It was a purely formal arrangement and he had not paid for the shares. Summing up, Mr. Justice Blair said that after the choice, had fallen on Esdaile to go to America he had told a tissue of lies. After the verdict of guilty had been returned, sentence was deferred until Saturday. His Honor said he would like to hear whether the accused had any proposition to make in regard to the restitution of the money.