ALLEGED CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 96, 23 April 1912, Page 2

ALLEGED CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD.

GETTING TELEGRAMS. - - ( [BX IBUtGEAPH—PEESS ASSOCIATION.] - PALMERSTON, ' 22nd April. At the Police . Court this morning, Douglas Munro and Edward Baigent, em-* ployed at the Longburn Post Office, were charged that they did conspire to defraud William Scott and Henry Martindale, trading together at Wellington under the Btylo of Scott- and Martindalej ,of certain moneyß, namely, £30. s Detective Siddolls briefly outlined the case against the acoused. He stated that one of the accused had been at tho Wahganui races, and had got into telephonic communication with the other accused at Longburn immediately after a race, telling him tho-naruo of tho winning horse, Lady Moutoa, and the latter ante-timed a telegraph message to Scott and Martindale, backing the horse. Frederick Perrin, a post office official from tho General Post Office, Wellington, stated that he had had tho Minister's authority to produce certain telegrams, which ho did. One .contained an instruction to back ' Lady Moutoa in her first start at Wanganui. The telegram would have to pass through the Palmereton North office ; it waß timed 12.55 9 at the Longburn office. Witness had seen the accused at Longburn, and told Munro that he wished to know the circumstances' under which the telegram was transmitted. The latter made a written statement, stating 'that the mattor had been pre-arranged between himself and Baigent. A' statement was also given by Baigent. The telegram was finished a.t Wellington at 1.26 p.m. Donald Robins, assistant secretary to the Wanganui Jockey Club, stated that the first race at Wanganui started at eight | minutes past twelve, and was won by Lady Moutoa She paid £15. 8b -dividend on the tot&lis'a.toz. Henry Martindale, qf Scott and Martindale, Wellington, asked if his firm received the telegram in question, declined to answer, on the ground that he might incriminate himself. Both accused reserved their defence, and entered a plea of "not guilty." They were committed for trial at the next siting of the Supremo Court. Bail was allow"cd in their own recognisances -of £100 each, and two sureties in each caee of £50 each. '