“CATCH THE MUGS”

Evening Star, Issue 18045, 12 August 1922, Page 10

“CATCH THE MUGS”

THE SYDNEY BARBEBING SENSATION. The case in which M'Donald and his five barbers (Arthur Alexander Francis, Gordon j Harris, Percy John M’Gralli, Ronald Frazer, I and Edward Ralston) are charged with having conspired to cheat a number of peoplo J of large sums of money makes interesting I reading in the Sydney ‘Sun,’ July 17 % 1 The witness John Alfred Wilson continued | Iris evidence. At the lust sitting he related j incidents which had taken place in M’DouI aid's shop while he was a foreman there. Witness had held fha.fc position for a month, vßonald had instructed him to tell each | man in tho saloon that ho had to represent j him&olf as a- specialist in the use of tho vibrators and violet, rays “to catch the j mugs and get as much out of them as he j could.” I Witness related an incident which occurred I the very first time violet ray treatment was i applied to a custom'’"' M'Donald charged I him 7s 6d. 1 “ What’s this for?” a/Av-l tho customer, j “ Well, you know, yon have had the very I latest thing out—curing any skin diseases,” i replied M'Donald. | •’ Tho customer kicked up a fuss,” said ' witness, saving “ I won’t come to the shop any more.’’ ' M'Donald came to witness, and, pointing : to the violet ray machine, said: “ I am going to make a big pile of money out of *t.” I “How?” asked witness, j “By catching the mugs,” ho replied. ] Witness said that on one occasion _ a cusI toir.er was told that his head was in “an appalling state.” i “You have dandruff pretty badly,’ said lan attendant. “Look, I’ll show you.” Ho put bis hand into a jar known as the “barber’s glory box ” and rubbed something int o tho customer’s scalp. After a while ho pro- | dneed a quantity of scurfy substance, which he showed to the customer. Later witness looked into the “glory box.” It contained bran. Another .attendant, said witness, had a sort of telescope. “What do you use it for?” asked witness of him. ! “ Oh, to examine customers’ heads when ! they’ aro supposed to have scurf,” was the ! reply. “It frightens them. They think they * have something wrong. I also use it to look inlo their pockets to see how much they . have.” Replying to further questions hy Mr Watt ' about tho pay of the attendants, witness said that some of them had made £lO a week. Mr Watt (for M’Donald): You said previously you engaged attendants in 1919 at £4 5s a'week. You said £4 5s because you thought that was the award rate then, didn’t you ? Witness hesitated. Mr Watt (sharply): Come now, tell tho truth if vou can. Mr Mack (prosecutor) objected to Mr Watt's remark. , Mr ‘Watt (deliberately): I am going to I talk to liim as a. self-confessed crook. ! Mr Adrian (the magistrate): So far your cross-examination has not elicited anything to show that. 1 don’t think you should be offensive to witnesses. “Don’t judge everybody by yourself,” jo v i.- a h"”<> Mr Watt: I do judge people by myself. 1 know i am tka.gn. ....v, y„u are croo-vit. VVrtl s question, witness said bo was under tho impression that £4 da was the award rate then, j Mr Watt-: As a matter of fact, it was £3 17s 6d. Isn't that what you paid them? —No; £4 ss. Mr Watt.; Weren’t you summarily sacked by M’Douald?—l gave, him a week’s notice, and lie gave mo a week’s notice and told me to “ gel. cut of the damn shop.” Wasn’t one of his reasons' for sacking you that be found you were getting a cut from tho people who laundered tho l.oweis:' —-\o; you're on tho wrong horse. Didn't he tell you he wouldn't have you in h ',3 shop because of your dishonest practices?—No. It’s a damned' lie! You knew those things were criminal, yet you watched them going on?—Casually, not officially. I'm afraid that won’t save you, my friend. Has Mr Robson promised nob to prosecute you? —No. Ho has promised police protection should I need it. | Mr Adrian hero asked how much longer | the cross-examination would continue. "Surely there’s a reasonableness in it," ho said. Never in my life have I listened to such long questioning. It has continued three hours. I wonder you haven’t objected, Mr Mack.” Mr Mack: It seems I’m between the devil and the deep sen Every objection of mine has been turned down by your Worship. After ten minutes’ argument Mr Watt continued unperturbed. But shortly afterward, when Mr Mack objected to all further questions, Mr Watt was roused. “Am I precluded from trying to prove that Mr Robson has faked up this case?” ho asked. Mr Adrian; The lino of cross-examination is irrelevant. Mr Watt: I believe your Worship is losing your temper. Mr Adrian : No; but I’m getting tired. Mr Watt (hotly): I’m not getting what my client is entitled to—justice and a. fair trial. • r A....;an : You .. .vc hau p.muy vl opportunity to ask questions. Mr Watt (sarcastically): Opportunity to cross-examine one of the most adroit witnesses I have ever questioned, with my learned friend at his eibow prompting him. Mr Mack interjected something. Mr Watt (withoriugly); Oil! you little puppy barking over there! Mr Mack: My friend is unfortunately a K.C. How he came to bo one 1 don't know. Mr Watt eventually withdrew the remark. But tho storm had not subsided. A moment later Mr Watt mentioned that his word was not usually doubted. Mr Mack: I wonder anyone over taken it. After further waste of time Mr Mack withdrew this remark. I Tho caw was unfinished.