BINGO MINES

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 177, 30 June 1925, Page 12

BINGO MINES

CHARGE AGAINST JOSEPH MYERSPROSECUTION FAILS. Air Joseph Myers, formerly of Wellington. und well known in Auckland, but for some years resident in Western Canada, was tho central figure in u sensational ease which, according to the cables, has just, resulted in his acquittal on charges of sailing a gold mine of which he was managing director. The whole eircumstarices were remarkable. .Mr Myers had been in London to attend the annual meeting of English shareholders of Bingo Gold Mines, Ltd. Unsatisfactory reports of poor assays, which compared badly with earlier published results, hud caused uneasiness. Mr Myers, as managing director, made a full statement, and, while admitting tile seriousness of the position, expressed his strong personal confidence in the future of the 'property. He and the board were accorded a vote of thanks and confidence. Two days later Joseph .Myers was arrested as he was leaving the Ritz Hotel. The arrest was made under the Fugitive Defenders’ Act on cabled instructions from Canada, although, ut the time it was known that Myers was returning the following week lo Canada, and had even booked his accommodation in Winnipeg. Under this special Ad hail is not procurable, so in custody -Myers was taken to Canada to answer several charges of "salting'” the litiigo mines. When he reached Winnipeg ho found that the lawyers who had conducted his legal business for thirteen years were at the head of the prosecution. To secure his private papers to prepare his defence, accused required to take court proceedings, and when they were handed over their disorder was such that a small army of girls had to be employed to put them in order at a cost of some thousands of dollars. And then began a very remarkable prosecution, in which eminent, counsel were engaged on both sides. The preliminary proceedings dragged on for weeks, and tens of thousands of dollars must have been spent. When tho trial began the Crown Solicitor slated that Mr Myers was charged with putting forward false assays, and added: ‘‘Unless we can prove these asays were fake and that Myers knew they were false, tho Crown fails.” Mr R. A. Bonnar, K.C., who appeared for Mr Myers, declared: “These charges are based on financial interests, and,while my learned friends are not a party to the scheme, this is a bogus prosecution for purpose of exploiting some financial deal.” Mr Bonnar asserted that the action against Mr Myers was part, of the operations by United States capitalists to scare J British interests from the fields. There had been no “salting.” “1 propose,” he said, “to prove to you that this is a bogus prosecution for the purpose of exploiting some financial deal. We have direct evidenc that tJie Bingo mine is good, and was then, since, and is to-day. I will prove this prosecution is an effort on the part of certain interests to get this mine for nothing, and t l don’t want British capital to be fooled by Americans. While my learned friends of the prosecution are not a party to this scheme, I propose to show them that Bingo is a real, first-class mine.” From the cabled verdict it would appear that Mr Bonnar succeeded in proving his case, ami a very extraordinary prosecution ended with the acquital of Mr Myers. An interesting point was that while the preliminary hearing was proceeding the annual meeting of Bingo Mines, Ltd., was held. After three and a-half hours of discussion, which was acrimonious at times, the shareholders threw all the 1924 directors out of office with the exception of Joseph Myers, and elected in their stead Mr Myers and a slate nominated by his siipporers.