ROBBING A BANK

Evening Star, Issue 15432, 4 March 1914, Page 6

ROBBING A BANK

A WOMAN'S STORY. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON,' fttardh.,2. In the case in which the Oomnwsirciai Bank t of Australia is ■ suing Oora MinjiiU (alias Bella. Hawker) and Herbert Cowell (alias Herbert Hawker) to recover £2,600 which a cashier, named Robson wrongfully delivered to defendants, Robson gave evidence that, he lent Minnitt £2,300 for the Australasian Development Company, also £SOO to wriie a play. : Oora Minnitt gave evidence that she was born in New South Wales. Her name was Janes, but she went on the stage as Oora Minnitt Vane. She wrote to newspapers and periodicals under that nam©. She married a man named Braggert, and then returned to the stag© and toured. Australia with her own company, Oowell being her advance agent and secretary. She came to London in 1910, ajid wTot© novels for women a* Cora Minnitt and for men as Pollen Hawker. Sh« endeavored to form a Development Company to purchase land in Australia in connection with gration. She returned to Australia in 1911 to negotiate for sugar lands in Queensland and oil concessions in the Blue Mountains. The search for oil failed. In cross-examination Minnitt denied practicing hypnotism, but said she advertised herself as a clairvoyant entertainer. When questioned concerning William White, who lent her £373, she denied commencing her letters with "My dearest' Willie." Counsel produced copies of the letters, but Minnitt repeated he% denial.' Finally the originals were brought, and Minnitt then said she had forgotten writing them. She admitted that a foreign coimflss had subscribed £SOO, and Mr W. G. Spence, an Australian parliamentarian and an old friend of her father, had subscribed £7OO. (Received March 4, at 11.20 a.m.) Counsel asked the Judge to say that Cora Minnitt had no Fraudulent or dishonest intent. The prosecution contended that Minnitt's actions were on the borderland of criminal enterprise. Cowell was her dupe and masqueraded as her brother. He lived in the same house, and she kept him. He was a dummy director in one of her companies. Judgment was reserved.