FAKED TELEGRAMS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 105, 30 October 1931, Page 5

FAKED TELEGRAMS

CONSPIRACY CHARGES

THREE MEN FOUND GUILTY

FOURTH IS ACQUITTED

.The trial, in the Supreme Court, of four men on charges of conspiracy relating, to attempts to defraud two bookmakers by means of fakod telegrams was concluded last evening. -; Three of the accused—Ealph Antonovitch, John Ryan, and "Wilfred Henry Gladstone Br6wn-^-were found guilty, and . the fourth, Charles Thomas Tassell,. not guilty. Tassell was discharged,- and the other three: men were remanded for sentence. ~ The if our men were charged on. the following counts:—(l) That on or about" 3rd Juno they conspired ambng themselves and with Alfred Jansen and John Maitland by .fraudulent: means —false telegrams—to defraud two book-; makers, Charles Joseph Williams .and Peter Healey,.of sums' of-money. ;(2),' That with intent to defraud by.a false telegram they attempted to obtain-* sum of money from Williams. (3) That with intent to defraud by:afalso ; telegram thoy attempted to obtain a sum of money from Healey. Tjassell and Brown were also charged that, contrary to their duty. iaß : Post and Telegraph officers, they wilfully de.lo.yea or caused to be delayed two telegrams to Williams and Healey respectively. . , ' Ahtonovitch and Byan were found guilty on tho three charges against Ihem; Brown on the four charges against himj and Tassell was found not guilty on all counts. : - CKOWITS ALLEOATIONB.

Tho Crown's case was that arrangements were made with the two bookmakers to take bets by wire from Jangen aiid Maitland on the Auckland races ou • 6tli June last. Telegrams,, it was conteuded, were handed in. by Jan-gen-and Maitland .at the. Te Aro Post Office, Weliingt6n, oh tho day; of .the mooting, each backing a certain horSO in tho third'race, and it was alleged that these ■telegrams, after having; been received" -atvtthe .telegraph, operatingroom off thei General Post Office and when t)ie resiilt of the particular race was known, were taken out to Jansen and Maitland,: waiting outside the Post Office, and f he: najne >ot the horsem the telegram wias' altered to the name of the winning horse, High Pitch. •• _ Byan waai. represented by; Mr. vA. B. Bievwright; Tassell by Mr. W. H. Leicest&r: Antonovitch by Mr. K. Tripe; and Brown by Mr. ,W. P. Boilings. With the exception of one other short witness, Hugh Miller, assistant-senior super visor in the telegraph dperatingroom, Detective E. C. Jarrold was in the witness-box throughout yesterday morning. Detective Jarrold, was the last witness for the Crown, and:he gave important evidence relating : to iri&rviess; with.. Brown, Tassell, and Antonp-vitch. .; • ' . . ' y

1 TAWELIi'S BEPUTATION. At the conclusion of the. Crown case, three1 witnesses were called, on behalf of Tassell, and each spoke, highly, of Tassell's general reputation for, honesty and. morality/. Oue of the witnesses, "Walter ''doles; telegraph operator, •of Wanganui, said he had known Tassell upwards of twenty years from the time he joined the service, and Tassell had & reputatioii in Wanganui of the- very highest for honesty; both inside and outside,of, the.Department. Mr. Leicester asked whether that was just his :<mM: personal opinion. ~: . .; "No,-, sir," replied witness. I!* 10 speaking on behalf of the Wanganui Post and .Telegraph staff of upwards 6f200;" '■■'■ "■■.■ . ':.■■"..'■■■:• Hlirfcttther evidence was called, the four accused not going into the ; witnessr the: Crown Prosecutor, (Mr..P. * IK Mac.assey) and, counsel had ; adSaSied the juryy. and his Honour, Mr. Jiiitice MacGregorhad summed up and rfivjen. directions on certain points,-to? ittry retired to consider their verdict. *iXhe- jury left' the Courtroom, at 6,6 p7nj., and returned at 8.23 p.m., with tip/verdict, mentioned. ; ' : %■}'■'■ CROWD IN COXJETEOOM. !■ Throughout the two days of the triaj to^siderable. interest' was;taken in the ijasie, and even last evening when the verdict was given there was a large crowd of spectators at the rear of the Coijrt and a number of women- in the ladjes' gallery upstairs. Antonovitch, Evan, and. Brown received the -verdict against them calmly, but Tassoll showed iinmistalcable signs of strain.