BINGO MINES

Evening Star, Issue 18980, 30 June 1925, Page 5

BINGO MINES

CHARGE AGAINST JOSEPH MYERS PROSECUTION FAILS Mr Joseph Myers, formerly of Wellington, and well known in New Zealand, Iml for some, years resident in Western Canada, was the. central figure in a sonrational case, which, according to our cables, lias just resulted: in bis acquittal on charges of sailing a. gold, mine of which he was managing director. The whole circumstances were remarkable. Mr Myers bad been in London to attend tho annual meeting of bnglhu shareholders of lliugo Gold Mines, Lto. Unsatisfactory reports of poor assays, which compared badly with earlier puolis.hed results, had caused uneasiness. Mr .Myers, as managing director, made a foil statement, and while admitting ihe seriousness of tho position, expressed his strung personal confidence in the future of tho property, lie and the board wero accorded a vote of thanks and confidence.

Two days Inter Joseph .Myers was arrested ns ho was leaving the Kitz Hotel. The arrest was made under the Fugitive Defenders Act on cabled instructions from Canada, although at the time it was known that Dyers was returning the following week to Canada, and hud even booked his acconmioilation in WinnipegUnder this special Act bail is not procurable, so in custody Dyers was taken to Canada to answer several charges of “salting” ‘he liingo mines. Alien ho reached Winnipeg he found that the. lawyers who had conducted his legal business for thirteen years were at the head of the prosecution. To secure his private papers to prepare Ins defence accused required to take court proceedings, and when they wore kindl'd over their disorder was such that a small army of girls had to be employed to put them in order at a, cost of some thousands of dollars.

And then began a very remarkable prosecution, in wind; eminent counsel were engaged on but!) sides. The preliminary proceedings dragged on for weeks, and teas of thousands of doilai'S must have been spent. When the trial began the Crown iSulieilor slated that Mr -dyers was charged with palling forward false assays, and added: “ Unless we can prove these assays wore lake and that Myers knew they wore' false the Crown Bills." Mr 1!. A. Jfonnar, K.C., who appeared for Mr -Myers, declared: ‘‘These charges arc based on lin.iueial interests, and while my learned friends arc not a parly to the scheme, this is a 1 togas prosecution for the purpose of exploiting some financial deal." Mr Boiniar asserted that the action against Mr Myers was part of the operations by United -lStal.es capitalists to M.arc British interests from the fields. There had been no “salting." "1 propose," he said, “to prove, to you that this is a bogus prosecution for the purpose of expioiting some tinamial deal. Wo have diiei't evidence that the Bingo mine is good, and was then, since, and is to-day. 1 will prove this prosecution is an eli'ort mi iho part of certain inu>rests to get inis: mini! for nothing, and I don’t want British capital to be moled by Americans. While my learned friends of Iho prosecution are not a party to this scheme, I propose to show them that. Bingo is a leal iirsi-Mass mine." From the cabled verdict it would sprit ar "that Mr Boimar .succeeded in proving bis case, and a very extraordinary prosccittioii ended with i!’.e acquittal of Mr Myei’s. A n interesting point was that while the preliminary bearing was proceeding lilts annual meeting of Bingo Mines, Ltd., was held. .After ihive and a-half hours of discussion, which was acrimonious at times, the, shareholders throw all the 19X1 (iiro'-fors out. of office with the exception nf Joseph Myers, and elected in tli'-ir ‘dead Mr Myers and a slate nominated 1-v his supporters.