FIRE CONSPIRACY TRIAL

Evening Star, Issue 21638, 6 February 1934, Page 9

FIRE CONSPIRACY TRIAL

MILES PLEADS NOT GUILTY Pres* Amociation—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, February 5. (Received February 6, at 12.15 p.m.) Miles, who is on trial at the Old Bailey, pleaded not guilty to nine counts, including conspiring with Harris to prevent the administration of justice, also corruptly accepting £SOO and a bank guarantee of £I,OOO from Harris, besides smaller amounts, also as confidential agent of the Salvage Corps betraying information secretly collected, thereby effecting public mischief. The Attorney-General, in his speech for the prosecution, recounted the allegations. Harris, a shadow of his former self, was accommodated on a seat in the dock owing to illness. He recapitulated his evidence. Tiio hearing was adjourned. [Captain Brvnmor Miles, chief officer of the, London Salvage Corps, is charged with conspiring with Leopold Harris to prevent the due administration of justice in connection with the incendiarist conspiracy. Harris, in his evidence, said that Miles approached him in May, 1930, saying that he knew Harris was paying tho Salvage Corps’ superintendents considerable sums. He added that, while they were getting all the plums, he, as chief officer, did all the work and accepted all the responsibility, yet received nothing for it except his salary. He indicated that he was prepared to assist Harris for a good consideration. Harris agreed to pay him £25 a month, which Miles accepted until three weeks before Harris’s anest. Harris added that he had paid Miles £SOO early in 1931, and occasionally gave him odd sums up to £4O, instead of £25 a month, when business was good, in return for which Miles imparted valuable information. Harris declared that he also paid salvage officers for infiuencing business in bis direction. Miles knew of this. Hax - - ris declared that he made a statement implicating Miles, because he desired to extricate himself from the seething mass of bribery and corruption in which he had been involved for fifteen years. He wanted to serve his sentence, feeling that he had cleared himself of all previous associations in order to help in the clearing of his conscience.]