ALLEGATION OF FRAUD CHARGE AGAINST TWO MEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22329, 1 August 1934, Page 5

ALLEGATION OF FRAUD

CHARGE AGAINST TWO MEN

SAND INSTEAD OF COPPER WIRE

(Pcs Ukited Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 31. Charged with conspiracy by deceit to ; defraud Brown and Durban, Ltd., Wellington, of £69 12s 7d; and, further, with intent to defraud by falsely representing that certain drums contained copper wire, valued at £O9 12s 7d, John Patou Hardy, aged 30, a compositor, and John Augustus Jcunes, aged 29, a butcher, appeared bcj fore the Chief Justice (Sir! Michael Myers) and a jury in the Supreme Court to-day. Both pleaded not guilty. The Grown prosecutor (Mr P. S. K. Macassey), outlining the case for the Crown, said it was alleged that another man who, it was understood, was called Davis, but could not be traced by the 1 police, had assisted the two accused to carry out the fraud. On January 8 Davis went to the manager of Brown and Bureau, Ltd. (Mr W. H. Hindle) and asked if he wanted to buy any copper wire. Davis arranged to sell some at 2|d, a lb. On the morning of January_9 the two accused arranged for a carrier to purchase eight empty drums. The drums were filled with sand, and Hardy instructed the carrier to have the load weighed in the name of Davis. Davis had been told to leave the drums at Barton Gingers, and when Mr Hindle went along to inspect them bis suspicion was aroused by the weight of the drums. He found there was sand in them. "Jeanes and Hardy kept very much in the background in this,” said Mr Macassey. The evidence was not completed when the court adjourned until to-morrow.