FIRE CONSPIRACY TRIAL

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 19 August 1933, Page 9

FIRE CONSPIRACY TRIAL

RECORD OLD BAILEY TERM THIRTY-FOUR DAYS OCCUPIED. JUDGES LONG SUMMARY. HUNDRED THOUSAND WORDS: (United Prees Association —By Electric Telegraph Copyright.) Received! 2.15 p.m. to-day. LONDON. Aug. IS. After a trial of 34 days, the longest in the history of Old Bailey, the vious longest, being 23 clays, ten of the accused in the fire conspiracy charge® wore convicted on various charges, in addition to four whloi pleaded guilty. The case was remarkable for the first installation of a “whispering telephone” in the court camimumicalbing with, the solicitors’ office at Old Bailey, enabling thie speedy production; o,f document's whereof 15,000 wore involved: Thirty-two charges were so complicated that counsel im. recording the verdicts used a chart of black, and white squares, This when completed resembled a crossword 1 puzzle. Mr Justice Humphries ito Ms summing up, which lasted for three days, spoke 100,000 words. He declared that Capsoini, one of the accused!, wate a most despicable type of criminal. “1 shall niolt be able to pass on him the sentence lie richly deserves,” said the judge. “The lowest depths of infamy were perhaps reached when Capsoni’s wretched -wife was Kdt to do the actual burning.” . . . .Counsel have begun addresses in mitigation of the sentence. It is estimated the calse cost £IOO,OOO, which the insurance companies and Lloyd® are paying, because they believe they were -systematically deprived of £500,000 by fraudulent claims which the prosecution aimed to stamp out.