CONSPIRACY TRIAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 63, 12 February 1936, Page 7

CONSPIRACY TRIAL.

MRS CAMPBELL’S EVIDENCE. SYDNEY; Feb. 11. Giving evidence to-day in the hearing of charges of conspiracy to defraud against John Ellis Findlay, Ernest Pierce Coombe, Charles Richard Tanser and William Campbell, Madge Campbell, wife of one of the defendants, told of plans allegedly made to enable her husband, William Campbell, to abscond to New Zealand. On one occasion, she said, the ex-detective, Findlay, had told her to go upstairs at the Hotel Australia as Detective James might recognise her. He had also advised her not to go to the boat, as the water police might recognise her. As a matter of fact, Findlay had assisted her to accompany her husband to New Zealand, where the pair were later arrested. She was discharged on bond. On one occasion she paid £3O tc Findlay. Asked whether she had seen, men with the Chargol mixture, Mrs Campbell said: I could not help seeing them. They were always messing about with it. Tanser never discussed anything else but Chargol. I got sick of the song. She added: My husband had many aliases, and when he lived under another 'name I adopted it.

While Mrs Campbell was being crossexamined by her husband, hindlay made a remark, whereupon Campbell appealed to the Bench to protect him, declaring that Findlay had called'him a very offensive name. Findlay interjected: “I never used that word,” adding, “Campbell is a liar if he says I did.” The Crown Prosecutor’s assistant declared he had heard it. The Magistrate (Mr Shepherd) ordered that Findlay be charged with contempt of Court and be dealt with later. , , When Findlay was later charged with contempt of Court he pleaded guilty ar.f* was fined 20s. Mrs Campbell had not concluded her evidence when the Court adjourned.