THIRTEEN YEARS’ QUEST ENDED

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 31, 31 October 1929, Page 10

THIRTEEN YEARS’ QUEST ENDED

JOHN GREY TO FACE TRIAL IN TEXAS IDENTIFIED AS WANTED MAN EXTRADITION ORDER GRANTED The somewhat sensational arrest recently of John Grey, a Helonsville land agent, who is alleged to be A. B. Crouch, wanted by the United States authorities in connection with a series of bank frauds, was followed yesterday by the granting of an order for his extradition to America. Dominion Special Service. Auckland, October 30. Alleged to be the man sought by the American police for the past 13 years on a charge of forgery involving a sum of £50,000, John Grey, aged 48, land agent, of Helensvllle, who was arrested In that town on September 24 as a fugitive criminal under the name of A. B. Crouch, alias J. M. Cameron, appeared at the Magistrate’s Court this afternoon, when the Crown applied for his extradition to Texas. Mr, F. K. Hunt, S.M., was on the bench, and Mr. Meredith appeared for the Crown. Mr. Finlay, with him Mr. Terry, appeared for Grey. The case is one of the most unusual which the New Zealand police have been called upon to Investigate. A man known as A. B. Crouch committed extensive forgeries on two banks at Temple, Texas, In 1916, and ever since then the American police have sought him. He is alleged to be identical with John Grey. Story of the Arrest. Crouch was traced to New Zealand and a provisional warrant was got out for his arrest, but he disappeared from Christchurch, where he had been living under the name of J. M. Cameron. About two months ago the American police decided to pursue further investigations in the Auckland district, and John R. Bigham, Sheriff of Bell County, Texas, was sent to New Zealand. The Sheriff reached Wellington on September 21, and the day after his arrival at Auckland he left for Helensvllle with Detective-Sergeant Doyle. These two officers arrested Grey. Grey appeared at the Magistrate's Court on September 25, when he was remanded for a week in custody. A week later he was released on the record bail of £6OOO for seven days, but after that time the bail was cancelled. Since then he has been on remand in Mount Eden Prison, appearing at the Magistrate’s Court every Wednesday. Mr. Justice Herdman dismissed an application made to the Supreme Court for a renewal of bail. Extradition Order Issued. This morning the Magistrate (Mr. Hunt) received from the Commissioner of Police (Mr. Mcllveney) at Wellington the order issued by His Excellency the Governor-General in terms of section 8 of the Extradition Act, 1870 (Imperial), notifying that application had been made by the United States Government for the surrender of Crouch, alias John Grey, as a fugitive offender. The order, signed by Sir Charles Fergusson on October 25, states that in pursuance of an agreement with the United States of America the GovernorGeneral received a requisition from Mr. W. L. Lowrie, American Consul-General in New Zealand, for the surrender of A. B. Crouch, “accused of the commission of the crime of forgery in the State of Texas, U.S.A.” His Excellency required the Magistrate to issue his warrant for the apprehension of such fugitive provided that the conditions of the Extradition Act, 1870, relating to the issue of such warrant were in Mr. Hunt’s judgment complied with. When the case opened at the Magistrate’s Court this afternoon Mr. Hunt read the warrant signed by the Gover-nor-General and the Minister of Justice (Hon. T. M. Wilford). Photographs Identified.! Mr. Meredith, before putting in the various Acts and documents received from America, outlined the whole proceedings. After the offence was committed in Texas, he said, Crouch absconded, and in November, 1916, an indictment and true bill were brought in by the grand jury in Texas. The depositions of Mr. Campbell, president of the bank in Temple, would be produced, in which he identified certain photographs of A. B. Crouch. These photographs, added counsel, were undoubtedly those of accused in the dock.

Detective-Sergeant Doyle produced the original warrant issued by Mr. Frazer, S.M., at Auckland, on February 6, 1917. Crouch was arrested on this warrant on September 24 last. Witness also produced sheaves of documents and files concerning the case, recently received from the United States Government. Upon these were the signatures of Herbert Hoover, President of the United States, and Mr. Stimson, Secretary of State, and the Governor of Texas. Witness arrested Crouch. He received official information from America, which included a full description of accused, including ph itographs. One peculiarity was mentioned: that he had a birthmark under his left knee. Witness saw the birthmark when accused was dressing at Helensville to come to Auckland. The photographs received from the United States police were compared with accused, and, in witness’s opinion, accused was identical with A. B. Crouch, wanted in Texas.

Mr. Meredith put in depositions taken in Texas —one from the manager of the bank concerned and the other from Crouch's stenographer,,a woman named Ogle. The bank manager spoke of the forgery of drafts covering alleged consignments of oats which did not exist, and said the bank paid out on them. A letter written by Crouch to his brother was found, and in it Crouch admitted that he had a world of forged drafts and bills of lading out and said he was going away to New Orleans to commit suicide. Ogle said she had forged a number of drafts and railway bills of lading with the connivance and under the orders of Crouch and his head clerk,, a woman named Buchanan. Ogle said she had more than once told Crouch that she was “going to quit it,” but Crouch begged her to stay, “and see them through.” Sheriff Identifies Grey. John Robert Bigham, of Belton, in the State of Texas, U.S.A., and a sheriff of Bell County, then gave evidence. He knew A. B. Crouch, that was, accused Grey. He knew him for 25 years in the same county, where both were raised. Accused was in the grain, business in Temple. Witness had business dealings with Crouch some years ago. Witness held, under the signature of Mr. Herber* Hoover, President of the U.S.A., an authority to take accused back to Texas. The case ended abruptly with an order by the Magistrate that Grey be extradited to Texas. During the hearing of the case Sheriff Bigham said ’ Crouch’s brother, Carey

Crouch, was tried in 1917 and was sentenced to five years in prison. The Magistrate said the provision for holding Crouch in the country for 15 days would enable him to apply for a writ of habeas corpus from the Supreme Court if he wished to. Mr. Findlay protested, declaring that he was faced with a very large number of facts to absorb from the depositions and with a difficult case to prepare in the time available.