VERSATILE DEFENDANT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19719, 19 August 1927, Page 13

VERSATILE DEFENDANT

COLOURFUL CAREER CLAIMED

" COMPANIONSHIP OF ROYALTY.'* STRANGE TALE TOLD IN COURT. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday. Claims that he was acquainted with Royalty, that he was at the relief of Tientsin, had investigated murders and the ramifications of the illicit drug traffic in India, had been pearl-diving in Australia and held valuable information regarding the Burwood murder, were made by a military-looking man who appeared in the Magistrate's Court to-day, before Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M., in connection with the recent disappearance of the Mayor's overcoat from the Town Hall. The accused, Albert Cox, was charged with receiving an overcoat, a pair of gloves, and a pocket-book, the property of John Kendrick Archer, knowing them to have been dishonestly obtained. He " was also charged with stealing Fhe articles. Mr. Thomas appeared on behalf of accused in the capacity of amicus curiae. Chief-Detective Lewis prosecuted. Accused's Carnival Scheme. , John Kendrick Archer said accused came to the Council Chambers on the afternoon of the disappearance of the coat, and asked if he could help to raise funds for the unemployed, by promoting a carnival. Mr. Thomas: Did he strike you as a man adapted to running a carnival! —No. Witness went on to say he had been informed that accused was an ex-soldier, and that he was under'the influence of liquor when he interviewed witness. These matters might be taken into consideration. The Magistrate: There is' another consideration—the man may not be quite normal. Detective Thompson said accused stated that the coat had been his property for some time. Mr. Thomas said if accused's story were credited, he had been bodyguard to the Prince of Wales, knew Lord Jellicoe as a personal friend, had had from 20 to 250 years' experience as a private detective, and had done a great-deal in huntingdown the illicit drug traffic.' "Also," continued Mr. Thomas, "he has his hands right on the Burwood murderer." " Decorated For , Services." Accused, a man of 57, with horn-rimmed spectacles, said he had served with the Prince of Wales and the King. He had been an advance officer for the Prince in India, and had been specially decorated on that Qccasion. He knew the King personally, was a friend of " Lord Jellicoe and had been at the relief of Tientsin. A police officer whom witness had seen in Court had been there, too, but a searching glance round the Court could : not locate the officer in question. He had | spent six months on salvage work in ! Japan, and completed a contract for the j building of a slipway in South Georgia, J where Shackleton had died. He came to i New Zealand in 1912, then went pearlj diving in Australia. Afterwards he '"got i mixed up in that disturbance in Europe." ! Mr. Thomas: Most people seem to have been, too. Witness continued by saying he had fought the Germans and Austrians, and ! had then, after reporting to the Admiralty, joined the Sportsmen's Battalion at the Hotel Cecil, London. Questioned further, Cox said murders and the illicit drug traffic had been his specialties in India. He had been sandbagged in Wellington by a criminal " lvn ® had been arrested. He had been robbed while in Christchurch, and the police had not been fair to him. As far as 'the Burwood murder was concerned, he was willing to help, for he "had information." He had asked the police to show him the spanner, but they would not. Mr. Thomas : The police treated you very coldly?— Yes. Denial Made of Theft. Accused denied that he had stolen the Mayor's coat. He said he had bought it foj*£l 5s from a man in the vestibule of the Prince of Wales Hotel. If he haa to comb New Zealand with a toothcomb he would get the man who sold him the C °The Magistrate: Ido not believe this story about the overcoat. Accused: I have spoken the whole truth. . ... The Magistrate: You have a fairly acute intelligence?— Yes. . The Magistrate: If you have that intelligence. and I think you have, it seems to me that you did not exercise it by asking questions about the coat before jou purchased it. , The chief detective said accused had wanted to help with the Burwood murder. Tt was not known what accused s records were. Accused had said these could be searched at the Christchurch 9tnce of tne Navy League. , . , . In ordering a remann the magistrate said he wanted to give accused every chance. Inquiries would be made in the meantime.