"CORA MINNETT."

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9740, 4 March 1914, Page 5

"CORA MINNETT."

HER REAL NAME IS JONES! MISDIRECTED INGENUITY. (By Eliotbic Tilkgbaph—Copybioht.) (Peb Pbess Association.) LONDON, March 3. The trial is proceeding of Cora Minnett, who is charged with receiving £2300 from Robson, cashier of the Commercial Bank of Australia, who was sentenced to eighteen mom lis' imprisonment for embezzling £7OOO. Robson gave evidence that he lent Minnett £2300 tor the Anglo-Australian Development Company, also "£SOO to write a play. Cora Minnett. in evidence, said she was born in New South Wales. Her name was Jones, and she went on the stage as Cora Minnett Vane. She wrote to newspapers and periodicals under that name, and married Braggert, She returned to the State and toured Australia with her own company, Lowell being the advance agent and secretary. She came to London in 1910, and wrote novels for women as ('ora Minnett, and for nvn as Pollen Hawker. She endeavoured to form a Development Company to purchase land in Australia in connection with emigration and returned to Australia in 1911 to negotiate sugar land in Queensland and oil concessions in the Blue Mountains. The search for oil failed.

( ross-examined, she denied practising hypnotism, but said she advertised herself as a clairvoyant and entertainer. Questioned concerning William White," who lent her £373. she denied commencing hef letters "My dearest Willie."

Counsel produced copies, but Minnett repeated her denial. Finally the original.were brought, and then Minnett said she had forgotten writing 1 them. She admitted that foreign Countess subscril>ed £SOO. and \\. G. Spence. an Australian Parliamentarian and an old friend of her father's, subscribed £7OO to her schemes. Received March 4. 11.5 a.m. LONDON, March 3. Counsel asked the Judge to say that Cora Minnett had no fraudulent or dishonest intent.

Mr Sherman, on behalf of the Commercial Bank, contended that Minnett's career was on the borderland of criminal. In her enterprise Cowell was her dupe, ajid masqueraded as her brother. He lived in the same house; she kept him, and he was a dummy director in one of her companies. Judgment was reserved.