SHARE-HAWKING ALLEGED

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 February 1937, Page 7

SHARE-HAWKING ALLEGED

I BRIDGEWATER’S TRIAL OPENED “HOUSE TO HOUSE” ISSUE [PEB PBESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH, February 18. The trial of Osmond Arthur Bridgewater, on eleven charges of “sharehawking,” commenced, in the Supreme Court, this morning. In each case, the text of the charge was that he went from house to house, offering foi* subscription or purchase, to a membei of the public, shares in the Australasian Investment Corporation Ltd. Mr Justice Northcroft presided, and the Crown Prosecutor was Mr. W. R. Lascelles. Accused was represented by Mr. 11. F. O’Leary, K.C., of Wellington, and with him, Mr. D. W. Russell. . ' ‘ . Mr. Lascelles directed the attention of the jury to that section of the Companies Act 1933, under which the charges were laid. It read: It shall not be lawful for any person to go from house to house offering shares for subscription or purchase to th®, public or any member of the public. That, said Mr. Lascelles, did not apply to places of business, or. to shares in- dairy co-operative companies, and shares of other co-operative concerns. All the people visited by Bridgewater, he continued, had previously acquired debentures in the Investment Executive Trust of New Zealand Ltd. There was a link between that Company and the Australasian Investment Corporation, disclosed in the prospectus of the Australasian Investment Corporation Company, in which accused was interested. That Company had as one of its objects the acquisition of debentures of the Investment Executive Trust of New Zealand Ltd. It might be submitted that “house-to-house” had a limited meaning, and would be applicable only in such case as that of a hawker who would actually go from house to house, right along a street. The Crown maintained that no such narrow interpretation could be placed upon the wording of the Act. It was maintained that accused in visiting one or two people a day, as he did, at their homes, was guilty of going from house to house, offering shares for subscription or purchase. In fairness, it had to be said that accused had previous business dealings with the people concerned. John Harrison Campbell, retired grocer, said in evidence, that he had bought some £lO debentures in the Investment Executive Trust, the transaction being completed in Bridgewater’s office in July. Accused visited witness’s house at Cashmere, in the view of a street, and induced him to transfer his interest in Investment Executive Trust for shares in the Australasian Investment Corporation. Witness had not asked Bridgewater to call upon him. He used the premises at Cashmere in view of a street, purely as a dwelling house. (Proceeding).

MISSING GOLD CUPS. INVERCARGILL, February 18., The sequel to the disappearance from the Burwood Station last August, of four valuable racing trophies, was continued in the Supreme Court, when Richard Frederick Martyn, cow-man-gardener, employed by Hazlett Brothers, was charged with the theft of the trophies. The four gold cups are the property of Mr W. T. Hazlett, and are valued at £750. When found, six months after their removal, they were badly damaged and broken. Mr Justice Kennedy presided. Mr H J. Macalister represented the Crown, and Mr G. J. Reed appeared .for accused, who pleaded not guilty. Lengthy evidence was heard concerning the disappearance of the cups from the homestead, while the owner’s sons were absent in Christchurch, and the subsequent efforts to recover the trophies. John S. Hazlett said that on January 13, lie heard an argument in the men’s huts, and subsequent investigation disclosed that the cups had been recovered, in a damaged condition, from a plantation of trees on the property;- Witness detailed the subsequent happenings, after which bvidlence was heard from several station employees, in the course of which ! reference was made to an alleged attempt at hanging accused, whose hands were tied at his back, and a rope placed round his neck and thrown over a tree. Accused, gave in, and said he would show the hidingplace of the cups, which were recovered. The jury retired at 1.15 p.m., to consider the verdict

PRISONERS SENTENCED. GISBORNE, February 18. Sentence of two years’ hard labour was imposed by Mr. Justice Ostler, this morning, on William McKinnon, mercantile agent, who pleaded guilty to 17 charges of forgery, uttering and theft, said by his counsel, to be the result of frenzied betting, in an endeavour to recoup previous losses. A Maori, Thomas Paumea Clarke, pleading guilty to an assault in' the early hours of the morning upon another Maori, whom he discovered with a woman, to whom he was married in Maori fashion, was admitted to probation for a year, conditional on paying the cost of the prosecution. For an indecent assault on a girl, Thomas Matenga, who was found guilty yesterday, was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment with hard labour. Two Maori youths, George Waititi and Mahuika Allison, found guilty of common assault on two women at Raukokore. were admitted to probation for a year; Waititi being ordered to pay £2O towards the cost of the prosecution, which totalled £45. His Honor, commenting that the charges were the heaviest in his experience, said that only the fact that the victims were women and not girls, and that the jury acquitted the accused on the major counts, and recommended mercy, saved the prisoners from a gaol sentence.

WELLINGTON DECISIONS WELLINGTON, February IS. The following prisoners were sentenced to-day by Chief Justice Myers: Herbert Henry Ash. 20, machinist, breaking and entering with intent, and breach of probation, three years at Borstal. Clarence Albert Butterfield, 33, cab-

inetmaker, breaking, entering and theft, twelve months’. Leslie Knopp, 27, storeman, breaking, entering and theft, two years’ probation. Mary Isabella Christina Laloli, 34, domestic, bigamy, two years’ probation. Robert Brownlie, 45, clerk, theft, of £598 2/10, as servant of the Tahunanui Town Board, IS months’ reformative detention. Donald Thomas Bell, 20, storeman. and James Harrington, 25, jointlybreaking, entering and theft, two years’ probation. William Arnold Sinclair, 45, labourer, bigamy, an eleven years’ old offence, six months’ hard labour.