ATTEMPTED BRIBERY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 77, 26 February 1930, Page 3

ATTEMPTED BRIBERY.

HAMILTON TAILOR FOUND GUILTY. Per Press Association. HAMILTON, Feb. 24. Harry Abraham Samuels, tailor, of Hamilton, charged with attempting to bribe two detectives by giving each £lO and a case of pipes, appeared before Mr Justice Smith in the Supremo Court at Hamilton to-day. Samuels was recently convicted of bookmaking and fined £3OO. In summing up, His Honour said that accused was not charged with the offence of bookmaking, but an offence which affected the administration of justice. The jury had therefore to consider the charge entirely irrespective of the question of bookmaking. Did accused, in the jury s opinion, offer gifts to two detectives as a bribe in order to induce them to forego a duty ? he asked. The charge, said Ills Honours, was a serious one, which went to the whole root of the administration of justice. His Honour reviewed the evidence briefly, referring especially to Samuels prior conduct in approaching the two detectives, when they suggested an interview at Detective Thompson’s house, and when ho offered Detective White a suit of clothes. The jury was entitled to ask themselves what was the intention of accused in sending the two officers those presents in such circumstances, and in view of the fact that Detective Thompson already had announced his determination to put down bookmaking, and in view of the fact that a strange “cop” had already attempted to make a bet with him. also in view of the recent raids Samuels had escaped. Iho inference was that the bribes were offered with a corrupt intent. , After a retirement of two hours tho jury returned with a verdict of guilty. Sentence was postponed.