THE MATCH BOX TRICK.

Press, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5481, 13 April 1883, Page 3

THE MATCH BOX TRICK.

fPBSSS ASSOCIATION TBLEGBAM.] DUNE DIN, AprU 12. The evidence in the case of Symms, who was committed for trial for the match box trick -was somewhat interesting. The prosecutor, William Agnew, deposed—" On the 4th of April I was walking up Princes street, when I met a red whiskered man wham I did not know. He spoke to mc about the weather, and accompanied mc in the direction 1 was going. He asked mc where I came from and what my employment was. I told him, and he said he was going to buy a farm, and that he was a stranger in Dunedin. He finally asked mc to go into the Oriental Hotel to have a drink. I refused, but he insisted upon going into the Hotel, as he wanted to write an address. He took mc into a room off the bar. I had some ginger wine. He asked for pen and ink, and just then accused came in and commenced to talk to my companion. Apparently they were strangers. The accused told the red whiskered man in the course of the conversation that he had been left property and money by his uncle, and that he had very large properties in Auckland. He produced what appeared to be a roll of notes as thick as my arm. The red whiskered man asked how many notes were in the roll, and the accused replied "Five hundred." Accused then showed what he said was a Maori coffin. The article was of wood, shaped like a heart, and two inches wide. He said he had the likeness of a half-caste girl in it, and he was taking it home as a curiosity; also that there was a large reward offered to any mechanic who could open it. He had been in company with Mr and Mrs Denniston, particular friends of his, and Mr Denniston had broken his nail trying to open it. The coffin was afterwards passed round, but was not opened. The red whiskered man. did not attempt to open it, and passed it to mc, asking mc to try to open it. I refused, as I thought there was no use in my trying to open it if Mr Denniston had failed. The prosecutor went on to explain how he had been induced to try lo open it, and found he could do so easily; how the accused, with his .£SOO roll of notes, which was a bogus one, left the room; how the red whiskered individual encouraged him to bet accused, when he came back, that he (prosecutor) could open the box; adding tnat he would himself wager .£SO or .£IOO on it; how the accused did come back, and they did wager, Agnew putting his JEB into a hat along with .£8 from the red whiskered man, and two of what purported to be £50 notes from the accused j how the accused

i was to count fifteen while Agnew tried to open the box, and liow failing to do so he threw the box on the floor, and kow the accused collared all the money in the hat. Agnew, however, went to see a solicitor, with whom he made his way to the police office, but on the road a black whiskered individual accosted Agnew, and took him to another hotel where he got his money back. It was the first time he said he had been tricked, and it would be the last. He added that accused had told him that he got the box in Auckland from a Maori chief, and was taking it to England where a large reward was offered for the opening of it. The accused was committed for trial.