ALLEGED FRAUD

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 51, 29 August 1917, Page 8

ALLEGED FRAUD

WELL-KNOWN CITIZENS

CONCERNED

PROTEST BY,COUNSEL.

-As indicated"-in The "Post""on Saturday last, there have been somewhat startling .developments in connection with the case against two railway employees who stand charged with attempting to defraud "Henry iMaftfndale' of £975 by .means of false pretences. The case was ■' again mentioned in the Magistrate's Court to-day, . when David Hodges - and - Frederick Campbell Fraser, the two railway employees, -appeared on remand to answer the charge. In addition,, John: Edward Fitzgerald and John M 'Williams were similarly charged. The former appeared on summons, but M'Williams failed to put in an appearance. Chief-Detective Boddam, who appeared for the prosecution; applied for-a-fur-ther remand in all the cases until Wednesday next. . This was strongly objected to by-Mr. G. G. G. Watson, who appeared for Fitzgerald. The police, ho said, had had the case in hand for a' considerable length of time, and if they were not ready to go oh they snould not have summoned Fitzgerald. Now it would go forth right ■ through the country that a prominent Wellington citizen had been charged with: a criminal offence, and it was particularly hard, in view of the fact that the" defence had a refutation which would .'prevent the case going'beyond the Lower Court. The Chief'- Detective explained that the police were not to blame for the position which 1 had arisen. • Fraser, one of the accused, had been bound over by a criminal subpoena, to appear as a witness in the Supreme Court at Palmerston North, and it would nothave been fair to summon witnesses 'from all parts- of the Dominion on the chance that the case would be gone on with.

Mr: 1 I>; G.: Reid, S.M., granted .the adjournment as asked for by the police. M'Williams appeared later on in the morning and offered a reasonable explanation for his- previous non-atteud-ance. His case was also adjourned for one week.