FINANCIER IN TROUBLE. %

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 17 March 1915, Page 5

FINANCIER IN TROUBLE. %

MENTAL DELUSIONS BLAMED

BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION. SYDNEY, March 16. In th«e Earle Hermann case, Hermann made a lengthy statement. Eleven years ago, he said,' he was sandbagged at Capetown, and later he was kicked on the head by a horse. He had since suffered from recurrent fits, which, were very frequent last year. When the attacks were coming on he felt that nothing was too big to undertake, and nothing mattered; while after his fits his memory was blotted out. After hearing the evidence against him he had been horror-stricken to find that he had committed acts of which he was unaware. He had no more knowledge of discounting these bills than the members of the jury. Hundreds of thousands of pounds' worth of hills passed through his hands, and often in the rush of business he signed them without examining. •He had no need of money. If he were responsible for the bills as alleged, it was the act of a manaic. Everything had gone. It was a horrible stain and disgrace, and most extraordinary; yet not so extraordinary when one considered the effect of these fits. Had he wanted to make money he could have cleared out, I©r there was plenty of opportunity. Mrs Hermann and a number of doctors deposed /to Hermann 1 s delusions under epileptic seizures.