RINGING-IN CONSPIRACY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18703, 8 May 1924, Page 10

RINGING-IN CONSPIRACY.

THE KfNGSDALE CASE.

ACCUSED' -FOUND GUILTY. JUDGE DEFERS SENTENCE. {"BY TELrcrOAPH.PRSSS ASSOCIATION.] 1 DTJNEDIST. Wednesday, The Supreme Court was filled with a large crowd of auditors again to-day to hear the continuation of the alleged ring-ing-in at the Gore Trotting Meeting in October of last year of The Dingo for the trotter E!ingsdale.

The accused, John Richards and Walter Leonard James Cameron, are indicted on four counts of conspiring to defraud the Gore Racing Club, William Francis Jame3 and the public, the four counts being: . . -

((1) On, or about October 1, 1923, at Dunedin, did conspire one with the other by fraudulent means to defraud the public, and in particular, William Francis James and the Gore Racing Club. (2) On the same date did conspire one with the other to commit crime punishable by imprisonment with hard labour for three years, namely, the crime of obtaining moneys from the Gore Racing Club with intent to defraud by false pretence by representing a trotting horse named "The Dingo" to be a trotting horse named "Kingsdale." (3) On or about October 20, 1923, at Gore, with intent to defraud, did attempt to obtain from the Gore Racing Club the sum of £95 by means of a certain false pretence by representing "The Dingo" ■to he "Kingsdale." (4) On the same date at Gore, with intent to defraud, did obtain from William Francis James the sum of £1087 10» by means of a certain false pretence ; by representing The Dingo to be KmgsAs indicated yesterday members of the jury were kept together last night. They slept at the Leviathan Hotel under police guards. Earlier in the evening they went to a place of amusement under escort. Freeh Evidence Called. After the remaining witnesses who had given evidence in the Lower Court had been examined, the Crown prosecutor,Mr. F. B. Adams, intimated that he had a fresh witness, one who had not given 'evidence in the Lower Court. It was objected by Mr. A. C. Hanlon, for the defence, that the defence had no notice of what the fresh avidence was to be. • • , The witness arrived from Chnstchurch last night, Mr. Adams explained, and he had notified Mr. Hanlon five minutes after he knew that witness was available. His Honor permitted the witness to be called. Witness, Oswald Edmonds Hooper, a neighbour of McNeill's, said he Knew The Dingo. He had seen it driven about the roads since it was young, and hall a dozen times he had _ ridden and driven it himself. This morning he examined a horse in the police yard, and to the best of his belief it was The Dingo. In reply to Mr. Sinclair, witness said he had come to Dunedin because he had brought some horses down for the meeting to-morrow. When he was here in January he went to Grant s stable and recognised a horse in the box as The Dingo. , _ This closed the case for the Crown. Both Mr. Hanlon and Mr. Sinclair intimated that they would call no evidence. Demonstration to Jury. After an adjournment for lunch, the horse in the police yard was taken into Stuart Street and ridden in hopples by Arthur Buttorfield' for the benefit of the jury. The demonstration attracted a large crowd. ■ • *'./'-■• Addressing 'thfe jury* Mr. Hanlon stressed the point that Richards had acted in a very straightforward manner, and pointed out that it was unlikely he would be engaged in a conspiracy when he went to James on the. totalisator opening, got a beating book from him, and gave him a blank cheque, and afterwards was paid his winnings by a cheque. That was not the action of a man conspiring. The point most strongly emphasised by counsel was that the horse shown to the jury stood 15 hands 3 inches high, while the measurement of The Dingo, taken by McNeill, the horse's former owner, was 16 hands 2£ inches. In summing up, His- Honor pointed out that the measurement of The Dingo was made by an amateur, and it might not have been quite accurate. The jury, after a retirement of half-an-hour, returned with-., a verdict of guilty against both -the accused on the first and second counts, and added a recommendation to the New Zealand Trotting Association to exercise greater care in accepting nominations. Sentence was deferred. His Honor complimented the police on the manner in which they had collected evidence.