Conspiracy Case; 32nd Crown Witness In Box

Northern Advocate, 11 May 1940, Page 4

Conspiracy Case; 32nd Crown Witness In Box

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

The trial was continued in the Supreme Court yesterday, before Mr Justice Smith and a jury, of Gordon Percy Aston and Harvey Maitland Chrystall, on conspiracy and othercharges arising from the alleged invention of a device to divert torpedoes from ships. The accused, among other counts, are charged with conspiring by deceit to defraud Hartley Roy Sellers of £6765. Instruments in Water Continuing the evidence yesterday afternoon, Winifred Weston, who looked after “The Hut” for some weeks, said the garage was full of olct junk. There was some electrical machinery in a shed at the back of the garage. She also saw accused doing something with instruments in the water on one launch trip. To Mr Leicester (for Chrystall), Weston said Chrystall appeared very interested in the devices. She agreed he appeared very intent and very serious about them. In reply to Mr Russell (for Aston), she said she would likewise say that Aston was very interested in them, toe. William John Kyle, licensee of the Trafalgar Hotel, Nelson, gave evidence about Aston tearing up bank, notes. Hold Over Sellers? He told Mr Leicester that it might be that these incidents were intended to convey the idea he was a superman, and also that he was carrying round a secl’et of international im-. portance. Mr Leicester: A previous witness has expressed the opinion that Aston appeared to have some hold over Sellers. Would you agree with them? —Yes. Kyle agreed with Mr Russell that it would be fair to say Aston had what might be called a dominating nature in regard to Sellers, Chrystall and others. I. B. Cromb, of Christchurch, testified as to Aston’s claims as to the invention and his relations with the Admiralty. NO' Evidence of Experimental Work. Cromb said there was .no evidence at “The Hut” or on the launch at Nelson of experimental work. He detailed certain trips made to Sydney by Aston. Cromb said that on the day that Sellers disappeared Aston rang and told him that he thought he might have taken a train to Auckland to catch a boat for England or he might have jumped into the harbour. Cromb continued that Aston said he had a receipt for from £3OOO to £4OOO, which he had paid to Sellers. Aston told Cromb the police were barking up the wrong tree if they thought he had anything to do with the disappearance of Sellers. Aston said he had gone into Sellers’ office and destroyed quite a lot of correspondence from Chrystall, for, he said, if it had been discovered it would have hanged him. No Plates Fitted to Awatea.

Captain Everard John McLennan, assistant marine superintendent of the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand, Ltd., said that at no time were plates or any other de.vice for deflecting torpedoes fitted to the Awatea. Paymaster-Captain Norman Thomas Cooper, naval secretary and member of the New Zealand Naval Board, said he had no knowledge of such torpedodeflecting invention as had been mentioned. Cooper had inquired from the Navy Office, Melbourne, and the Admiralty, London. Replies had been handed to the police. Base Metal into Gold Claim. Ernest Marsden, secretary to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and former professor of physics, said he met Aston about 10 years ago when he was sent to Christchurch to investigate a claim that Aston could transmute ordinary metal into gold. In his opinion the claims were false. He considered it absolutely Impracticable to communicate with London solely by earth circuit. Replying to the reported torpedodeflecting device. Dr. Marsden said he could only presume magnetic forces were involved from the description. Such magnetic forces would have attractive, rather than repulsive force on torpedoes. The power likely to be available would be such that its effect on an oncoming torpedo of normal weight; and speed would be negligible. j Statement by Chrystall. ! Detective-Sergeant W. R. Murray j outlined inquiries undertaken on the j discovery of Sellers’ body on August j 2, 1939. | On December 15 at Nelson, Detec- j tive-Sergeant Hayhurst and he saw Chrystall, who made a statement. Chrystall was most insistent that he was concerned with Aston throughout, was closely associated with him, and accepted full responsibility. He was no less a principal than Aston. In .the statement, Chrystall said experiments were actually carried out at Tahunanui, as stated. Referring to a cheque handed to j Chrystall by Sellers for £ 150 and i drawn on the Racing Conference No. 2 account, Murray continued, Chrystall stated that Sellers assured him it was all right. Accordingly, when Sellers wrote out the other cheque on the same account for £750, both he (Chrystall) and Aston were completely disarmed. Accepted Responsibililj\ Chrystall . further stated, Murray said, that he frankly told the conference committee he accepted full responsibility for what had happened, but did that as much to help Sellers as anything else. He had a basis for promising the money would be paid within a week. Chrystall said that from his own personal knowledge and experience as an engineer the whole business was bona fide, and all matters he had represented to Sellers, Batt and others in obtaining finance for the business had been genuine. The thirty-second Crown witness was in the box when the hearing was adjourned until today.