EXPLORATION COMPANY SWINDLE.

Grey River Argus, Volume LVII, Issue 10267, 25 April 1899, Page 4

EXPLORATION COMPANY SWINDLE.

£36,000 Disappeared.

[per press association.] Weijjngton, April 24. Argument in support of the plaintiff Company's motion in the case of the General Exploration Company, Limited v Purser, had not concluded when the Court of Appeal xose this afternoon. The case made by the plaintiff Company is that defendant combined with one Pielsticker and one Dencker (agents of the Company in New Zealand) to defraud the Company by taking up worthless mining properties in the name of the defendant and making them over to the Company for large sums- of money, which were subsequently, divided between the defendant Pielsticker and Dencker. In allL36,ooois alleged to have been paid over to the defendant as the purchase [ money of properties alleged to be valuejless. Of this LB, OOO is alleged to have been retained by defendant, the balance of L 28,000 having been refunded to Pielsticker and Dencker and divided between them or' otherwise disposed of. The defence is that defendant was duped | by otheis concerned in tho transactions in question and had no knowledge Unit

any fraud was being practised on the Company. The jury found in the defendant's favor. Mr 8011, for the plaintiff Company, addressed the court throughout the day on the evidence, contending that from the facts proved no reasonable men could draw any other inference than that defendant was a party to the frauds and that the verdict of the jury ought therefore to be set aside. The case will be resumed to-morrow.