ARMS FOR RUSSIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18879, 29 November 1924, Page 2 (Supplement)

ARMS FOR RUSSIA.

GUN-RUNNERS FINED. PENALTIES TOTAL £57,000. JUDGE AND THE SKIPPER. LORD DARLING'S HUMOUR. A case of alleged gun-running heard n London a few weeks ago had a sequel ast month when the Crown sought tc •ecover treble the value of machine-guns ind other munitions which were said tc lave boen illegally exported from Britain, rhe defendants were Mr. J. H. Attfield Captain C. H. Attfield, Mr. C. P. Hin man, and Mr. F. G. Firmin. Mr. Morris, K.C. (for the Attorney UeneraJ), said that on one count th< fjrown claimed against all the defendant; £15,960, and smaller sums \9kre claimed n respect of three other counts. Captair Attfield on April 9, 1923, entered into ar agreement with Messrs. Vickers, Ltd., to buy 56 machyie-guns at £95 each; 28 sets of spare parts at £75 a set; and 2c 2xtra barrels, making a total of £7582. 3n April 16 he made another contract ivith Vickers for 200 scarf mountings at Ell each. No license was ever granted bj Lhe Board of Trade to the Attfields for iho export of these munitions. At West Mersea, near Colchester, Mr. Morris continued, Mr. Hinman on April 15 agreed to buy for £160 a small smack named the Edith Frances. The Crown illeged that part of the purchase money lame from Captain Attfield. "Photograph Plates." Cases containing the guns were taken k> a garage in Felstead Road, Wanstead. The men there were told by Captain Attfield that they contained photograph plates. On May 10 Hinman and Firmin (a ship's master) visited West Mersea. On May 12 a Ministry of Transport official saw a sailing-boat, alleged to be the Edith Frances with her name painted jut, pass into Barking Creek, and was told the boat had come from West Mersea and was going to Hewitt's Wharf. Twelve cases were taken to .the wharf on May 13, and on the morning of May 14 the sailing boat passed out of the creek bound ostensibly for Erith. On May 15 it met a steamer from Rotterdam near the Gibbard Lightship, 20 miles off the Essex coast. A lightship man saw a sailing-boat alongside the steamer, and 50 machine guns were transhipped from the boat. After a consultation between. counsel Captain Attfield pleaded guilty to all the counts. Mr. Hinman and Mr. Firmin pleaded guilty to the first count only. The jury afterwards returned a verdict of guilty against the three who had pleaded guilty and of not guilty against Mr. J. H. Attfield, who was discharged. Mr. Morris asked for judgment against Captain H. Attfield for £15,960 on the first count, £2340 on the second count, £330 on the third count, and £7446 on the fourth count, making a total of £26,076; and for £15,960 against Hinman and Firmin. He asked for immediate execution. Guns for Cetrograd. Lord Darling: Firmin is the captain of a little sailing vessel, and I am asked to send him to prison. Mr Morris: Until the penalty is paid or he is released by the Home Office. Lord Darling (after calling upon Firmin, a tall and elderly bearded man, to stand up): It does not mean Tower Hill. 1 cannot help feeling that if they had asked Drake to have done it he would have done it. (Laughter.) Mr. Morris said that the case was regarded as serious. A considerable quantity of machine guns they now knew were taken to Petrograd. Lord Darling said that with regard to Captain Attfield and Hinman there would be immediate execution. There was not the slightest evidence that Firmin knew where the guns were going. While Firmin was liable to be arrested in 14 days he (Lord Darling) said he would allow the law to take its course without, any special order.,. Captain Attfield and Hinman left the court in custody. The solicitors who acted for Captain Attfield and Mr. Hinman have been instructed to present an appeal to the Home Office, asking for a reduction of the debt. "Our clients," the solicitors say, "are absolutely helpless in the circumstances, as they have not the means to meet the debts, and legally they are liable to imprisonment for the rest of their lives."