SWEEP LITIGATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 87, 14 April 1931, Page 7

SWEEP LITIGATION.

Allegation of Cruel Fraud by Italians. CLAIM ON FIRST PRIZE. (Received 1.30 p.m.) DUBLIN, April 13. A packed Court listened t«j the opening of the great Irish sweepstake suit in which Antonio Epicella and Schoitc Matteo Constantino are claiming a share of the winning ticket. Mr. Gavan Duffy, representing tho plaintiffs, said his clients claimed that they were Emilio Scala's partners and had a written agreement concerning two books of tickets for which they had paid a third share. There was a third book in which they had a common interest, but Scala was entitled to dispose, of some tickets in it. The winning ticket was one of the two free tickets to which the seller of a book was entitled. When the agreement was made all the ticket numbers were included. Mr. Justice Meredith, examining the agreement, pointed out that there were set down two sets of tickets while the winning number was added apparently independently. It was obvious that it could be written in subsequently. Mr. Gavan Duffy said he had three witnesses to say they saw the agreement before the draw was made. Mr. Albert Wood, representing Scala, said his client regarded the insertion of the number' as a fraudulent attempt to rob him of £270,000. Anyone seeing the document would say it was the most auda'cious and cruel forgery ever attempted.

Mr. Justice Meredith, expressing the opinion that the point must be investigated, ordered a continuance of the injunction, pending tin main action. It is understood that Mr. Arthur Bendir will represent the firm of commission agents, which lias given notice of claim for three-quarters of the prize money on assignment from Scala. This has been added to the claim.