ALLEGED CONSPIRACY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 13 February 1932, Page 6

ALLEGED CONSPIRACY

TO DEFRAUD MONEYLENDER ACCUSED ADDRESS JURY (By Telegraph—Press Association) WELLINGTON, 12th February. Further evidence was heard in, the Supreme Court to-day in the case in which Charles Alfred Remmers and John Edward Fitzgerald were charged with conspiring by fraudulent means to defraud a moneylender of £ls. Fitzgerald protested this morning that the procedure adopted by the Crown was irregular. Four witnesses had been called, but only one, John Faine, had mentioned his name. Faine and Detective Fell were the only witnesses against him.' Mr Justice Reed said that the indictment joined Fitzgerald in the first instance with Remmers on a charge of coaspiracy. The other counts were against Remmers alone. It was perfectly regiiar to take the whole case together. Accused need not concern himself with any evidence dealing with Remmers. Fitzgerald did not call evidence. Whea is was announced that- other witnesses Remmers wished to call were not present Remmers asked for an adjournment, bub the Judge said that was ridiculous. Addressing the jury Remmers declared that the moneylender had stated definitely yesterday that he was not sure accused was the man who went to his office with Fitzgerald with the alleged object of endeavouring to defraud the moneylender of £ls. As to the evidence of identification by two other witnesses, Remmers suggested that they had mixed up an identity with a double peculiarity. U ntortunately he had had to wear - a wig for the 16 or 17 years, and he claimed that two witnesses had associated : hat peculiarity with some other person. Regarding the handwriting evidence, Remmers recalled the Dreyfus case, which showed that handwriting experts were not infallible. Remmers denied that he wrote the_ documents allegedly forged, and claimed that the police’had failed to adduce evidence that he had been seen in clerical garb. Fitzgerald protested that he had been placed under arrest and not dealt with on summons. He also wanted to know why he was placed in a dirty,, filthy cell with seven or eight other persons. He challenged the world to prove that lie knew Remmers before 25£h September of last year. There was not one business transaction lie was ashamed of, and the charge against him was preposterous. In the name of justice he demanded a favourable verdict. - , VERDICT OF ACQUITTAL WELLINGTON, This Day. Conducting their own defence Charles Alfred Remmers and John Edward Fite-, gerald secured their acquittal in the Supreme Court yesterday on a charge of jointly conspiring to defraud John Faine of £ls. , The jury returned with a verdict of not guilty. Remmers, however, was sentenced’ to eighteen months’ imprisonment on charges previously heard of forgery and attempted uttering.