FARMER'S MONEY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 84, 10 April 1933, Page 8

FARMER'S MONEY.

CONSPIRACY CHARGE.

STORY OF BIG BETTING.

YOUNG SALESMAN ARRESTED.

An unusual story was told in the Police Court this morning when Jack Walker, aged 32, salesman, appeared, before Mr. W.' R, McKean, S.M., on a charge of conspiring to defraud.

Walker was charged with conspiring with James Taylor and another person, name unknown, each with the other, by deceit, to defraud Francis Atkinson of £580, on February 15. • Detective-Sergeant McHugh . prosecuted, and Mr. Hall Skelton represented accused. Francis Atkinson, a farmer, resident at a private hotel in Auckland, said he was in. Queen Street about 10 a.m. on February 8. Accused, who was standing on the kerb, turned, toward him and asked him the way to the zoo. Witness told accused to take a car. They talked for 6ome time, witness remarking that he came from Canada. Accused invited witness to have a drink and both then went into a hotel, where they had a few drinks. Accused said his name was Matson. Half an hour later they parted, accused asking witness to meet him that afternoon at his hotel in Albert Street.'

"1 went to the hotel," said witness, "and later we went to the pictures, afterwards parting in Queen Street. The next morning I went to his hotel and met' him. "Wc went many places together and I had lunch with,him at a restaurant that day. While the™ he said, 'Am I stepping on your foot?' I told him that he wag not, and he then felt with his foot and eaid, 'Look, there must be something here.' He reached clown with his hand under the table and picked up a wallet and said, 'What shall we do with this?'" Visit to Wallet's Owner. Witness said the wallet ■ contained a bond for £10,000, and a letter. Accused read v extracts from the letter in which it appeared that one "C. A. Ross," of the Station Hotel, was threatened with suspension by an Australian turf commission agency. Witness advised accused to hand, the letter and wallet to the l . proprietor of the restaurant or to the police. Accused said he would sooner sec " this guy Ross" himself. Witness later saw £20 in the wallet. He agreed to go to the Station Hotel and see Ross.

"When we got there accused inquired for. Ross," added Atkinson. "We went to Ross' room and accused knocked at the door. Ross came out and asked us if we were reporters. He . then asked us in.' Ross said he was frightened of publicity, as something had' got in the Press. ' Accused asked Ross if he had lost a wallet and then handed over the wallet ,„to Ross. Ross said he had lost the wallet in a restaurant that morning. Ross.took the £20 in notes from the wallet and wanted accused and, I to accept this money. He said to us, 'You have done me a good turn, and money is nothing to me.' " Detective-Sergeant MeHugh: What did you both say to that?—Walkei would not accept it, and neither would L. "Working for Turf Syndicate." Ross told witness and Walker that he was working for a turf syndicate of Australia, placing money on horses in New Zealand. Accused asked Ross if he would invest, the. £20 on a horse, and Ross agreed to do so. Ro£« handed an entrance ticket to the supposed turf club, as well as £20, to accused, who left to put the money on.

.'.How- long was accused absent from the room? —About 15 minutes. When he came back he said he had never seen so much money in his life. : He eaid he had placed the money. Did Ross then leave the room? —Yes, and when he came back he said it had "come off" all right. He said the horae had won. > •

Did he say where the races were, what the horse's name was, or what it paid?-*-No. Rose eaid if we liked to put. what^we had won on another horse we could all share. He said he had a good thing that we could put a "pile" on. ,

Witness said Boss told accused to take the- money already won. Ross then wrote out a credit slip and asked accused to take it to the club. Ross eaid the credit slip might not be accepted. How much was the credit slip for ?— It wa* for £10,000.

Accused went away and returned about 15 minutes later and announced that the credit slip had been accepted. Ross said to him, "Why didn't you pick up the credit slip before you came away ?" Accused excused himself by saying he was not used to such things and was flurried. Ross asked accused his. name and accused said it was Watson. Witness also gave his name to Ross. Did Ross say anything about going to the club? —Yes, he told us to stay there while he ran over to the club. He came back again and eaid the horse had won.' i Mr. McKcan: Did he give you name of the horse ,or tell you what dividend it paid?— No. ■i "The Auditor." Detective-Sergeant McHugh: Did Ross ask accused to do anything? —Yes, he asked accused to go i and . collect the stakes. Accused left and returned with a man whom he said was the auditor to the turf club.: The supposed auditor opened a locked leather satchel which contained niany banknotes. He.said the notes were the winnings and that he wanted to see that the money went to the rightful owners. Witness said the auditor wanted to be assured that they could cover the amount of the bet. Ross said, "Yes, but we will want a Short time." He added that he would Cable for the £10,000. At this stage the auditor went away.. When the auditor left Ross said, "We will get the money; it's only a technicality." Accused then said ho could . get the money. He said he had £1000 in a letter of credit and would cable for £2000. Witness said he could put up £200 or £300. Ross went away, saying he would go t° the club and try and get an extension of time/ Before leaving Ross suggested that both accused and : witness should go and stay at -the Waverley Hotel, so both went and booked-in there. Detective-Sergeant McHugh: Did accused ask you how much you could put up ?—Yes. I said I had about 1800 dollars in the Royal Bank of Canada and about £40 in the Bank of Australasia in Auckland. We both went to the bank the next day, and I cabled for 1000 dollars. ; . . . ■ . Continuing, Atkinson said that, to- | gether with accused, he called at the ; bank on February 15 and collected £680j less a few shillings. Both. then , went to the Station Hotel and met Roes ] hi his bedroom. ; .a■■".,.,./...

Detective-Sergeant • McHugli: What did you say? —I told him I had got the money. > ■ .

What happened then? —Ross said it was hot enough. He took £20 from his own pocket and put it with my money, which I gave to accused. '. Why did you part with your money? —Accused said he had £3000 and it was a guarantee to cover his bet. Mr. McKean: Did you know how much you had won?—No, but I understood it was about £3000. Betting Instructions. Detective-Sergeant McHugh: Did Ross give accused any instructions? —Yes, he told him £o bet'£2ooo on another horse. Did accused go away?— Yes, he went away with the money and returned 20 minutes later,empty-handed. He said he put all the money on the horse. What did Ross say ?—Ross said, "You should not have done that. Nothing's a certainty," Witness said Ross then left the room and on returning said that things were all right. Ross snatched the slip of paper from accused and said, "You bet a win instead of a place. The hor>se got a place." Ross then abused , accused and asked him if he could raise some money. Accused said he might get £500 at Rotorua. ,Ross advised him to go there as quickly as he could. Accused then left and witness did not see him again until he was arrested on board the Wanganella a few minutes before the steamer sailed for Sydney on March 16. Bought Ticket for Wellington.

After accused left you, what did Ross say?—He said Matron had made some bad mistakes, and could not be trusted. Ross said he had been transferred, to Wellington, and wanted me to go with him to assist him. Ross bought me a first class ticket to Wellington, and I left by the 3' o'clock express on February 15. Ross said he would come later by .the Limited express, and would meet me the next day at a hotel in Wellington. Mr.'Hall Skelton: You are a muchtravelled man? —Yes'. How old are you? —I am 57. Did you not'suggest a scheme by which you could take the bookies of New Zealand down? —I did not. (Proceeding.)