THE CANTEEN CASES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16559, 25 May 1914, Page 7

THE CANTEEN CASES.

, • tt; a DEFENDANTS PLEAD GUILTY

SENTENCE DEFERRED

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright, LONDON. May 22.

In the canteen cases, owing to the judge ruling that defendants were agents of the Crown, all the defendants following their counsel’s advice, pleaded guilty. Sentence js-as deferred. The defendants were charged with conspiracy. It is alleged that bribes bad been paid by the civilians, of whom nine were summoned, to the Army men, with the object of securing contracts for canteen business. The defendants are Military,—Lieutenant-Colonel and Brevet-Col. C. H. T. Whitaker (formerly ih command of'the Yorkshire Light Infantry at Malta); Hon Lieutenant and Quartermaster William James Armstrong, Serjeant-Major George Petchy Bennett, Hon lieutenant and Quartermaster Jaines Burns, Hon Lieutenant and Quartermaster Thoma-s Heur.v Johnson,, Hon Lieutenant and Quartermaster William Kelly, StaffSergeant Thomas - Millward, Hon Captain and Quartermaster George E. Mitchell, Hon Captain and Quartermaster Charles Quarrel!, Civilians (all connected with Lipton, Ltd.).—John Cansfield (general, manager and a director), Archibald Minto (manager general stores department), James G. Crjiig, Daniel Lynch, Andrew . Laing, Frederick William Owen, Edward Arthur' Pegley,' Alfred Swain, Jame's Ross Ness'/ ''