“Anti-Torpedo” Finance From America?

Northern Advocate, 19 February 1940, Page 2

“Anti-Torpedo” Finance From America?

[Per Press Association. —Copyright.] WELLINGTON, This Day

gIX WITNESSES REMAINED TO BE HEARD WHEN THE HEARING WAS RESUMED IN THE MAGISTRATE \S COURT THIS MORNING OF THE POLICE CASE AGAINST HARVEY MAITLAND CHRYSTALL AND GORDON PERCY ASTON WHO ARE JOINTLY CHARGED WITH HAVING CONSPIRED BY DECEIT TO DEFRAUD HARTLEY ROY SELLARS (DECEASED) OF SUMS TOTALLING ABOUT £6765 Is 9d.

It was t Ik*'four! h day of the hearing. Mr •). 11. Lux lord. S.M.. is on the Bench. My (;. E. Purchase appears for Aston and Mr W. E. Leicester and Mr R. T. Peacock for (-hrystall. Lon tinning his evidence, lan Burns Cromb, of Christchurch, managing' director of ('ash Radio (Westland) and Lash Radio <(Southland.), said that on occasions Aston came to his office unshaven and tired in the mornings and said he had been talking to the Admiralty by means of bis earth telephone.

He also said he used the telephone to communicate with Sydney and that he had offered it to the Racing Conference, who had rejected his offer. Witness said that Aston frequently j referred to a man named Levine who, j he said, had been lent to him by an | American group to assist him with various patents. £SOOO From American Group Aston also said the American interest had invested capital in the invention. Levine, according to Aston, was receiving £SOOO yearly, plus expenses from the American group, and the experiments to date had cost £85,000, which had been supplied by Levine’s company. Aston told witness that a man named Wright had died in Australia and left him £200,000, which he had invested in several companies. Aston said that on March 31, he was to receive £500.000 from the Admiralty. Witness referred to a visit he paid to Nelson and the hut there, lie saw nothing- at the hut of a laboratory, or any electrical or mechanical device, While at Nelson with Aston, witness went out • on a launch, but did not see any experiments carried out. Dealing with a visit to Christchurch by Sellers and a conversation between him and Chrystall, witness said he gathered that money had been paid over and that both men were very pleased. Sellers said it would be nice to walk about Wellington and feol he did not j owe any debts. Gift for Christ’s College I Chrystall discussed buying a section j of land to present to Christ's College, j Aston said the British Admiralty ! had sent him to Singapore to meet the “Chief; 1 ." there and discuss his invention. Witness said Aston and his syndicate were to pay for the experiments which had cost £85,000. Aston also said the ■ Admiralty would not allow torpedoes i to be fired from any of their ships, but for the purpose of the experiments he had an American boat, which he kept in Sydney. Detective-Sergeant McLennan: Did ! Aston produce any proof that he had 1 been to Singapore? * Witness: He showed one or two tickets that he was supposed to have got in the East. Film Promised Witness added that Aston promised to show him a film of the experiment, 1 but so far witness had not seen it. Aston went to Sydney in May, 1938, saying he was going over in connection with “quad” plant and returned in June. He referred to the Admiralty’s stip* ulation that the mortgage on the hut must be cleared and said that Chrystall was to take the documents over to Sydney and then proceed to England to pick up £27,000 which was to pay out Balt, Palliser and Sellers. On one occasion just before Aston departed for Australia he had two £SO notes in his-possession. Before he left Christchurch to come to Wellington for the trip, Aston was hard up and obtained some money from Cash Radio. He told witness that . Chrystall had seen .the Racing Conference about a sum -of £llOO that had been overdrawn and that the money had been paid to him (Aston). and would probably be returned inside ten days. 'On June 10 Aston, told witness that Sellars had disappeared. Aston appeared very worried. “Get Him Hanged” Witness continued that Aston, in conversation with him, frequently referred to his alleged invention. He told witness ,the Awatea had been docked and that.his plates had been fitted, and that immediately war was declared the Awatea would be commandeered by the Government. Witness said at no time had he had any financial interest in the alleged invention, and he had never had any particular dealings with Chrystall. Detective-Sergeant McLennan: Did Aston make any reference to papers destoyed at Sellars’ office? Witness: He said Chrystall had written a lot of stuff that would get

him hanged if it came out, and that he had visited Sellars’ office and destroyed those papers. Eggard John McLellan, assistant marine superintendent for the Union Steamship Company, said that at no time were any plates or any devices of any nature whatever titled to the Awatea, when in Cockatoo Dock or any other dock. Net Known to Admiralty. Paymaster-Commander Cooper, R.N., secretary of the New Zealand Navy Board, said he did not know either of the accused, nor did he know anything of an anti-submarine device such as had been mentioned in the evidence. Witness added that, as a result of representations made to him by private citizens, he had made inquiries of the Navy Office. Melbourne, and the Admiralty, London, regarding the alleged invention. The reply from Melbourne was that nothing was known of a Gordon Aston (as he understood the name to be) and from the Admiralty the reply was that nothing was known of any invention by a Gordon Aston nor of any communication with the Admiralty from the source claimed. The Admiralty’s letter stated that none of His Majesty’s ships had been fitted with tho alleged anti-torpedo device. To Mr Purchase, witness said he assumed .that if any information had been available regarding one named Aston he -would have been advised. (Proceeding.)