THEFT CHARGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24530, 12 February 1941, Page 8

THEFT CHARGE

CASE AGAINST PRISONER CLAIM TO A TITLE REFERENCES IN COURT (Per United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 11. The hearing of two theft charges and one of receiving against Corneille Hubert de Mey. aged 47. a farmer, was continued before Mr Justice Fair in the Supreme Court to-day. In the course of his evidence, the accused said his real name was Baron Corneille Hubert de Mey d’Alkemade. The accused was charged with stealing £2O and £2BO and v/ith receiving £lO, the property of James McCann, and pleaded not guilty. The accused, in evidence, said he was at present serving a term of three months in gaol in connection with other charges. He had been desirous of getting a small farm, and had called upon McCann to see if he could lease his property. He denied the thefts from McCann. Aid for Haile Selassie To Mr Meredith, the accused admitted that in 1937 he was involved in civil litigation at Auckland and £9OO was awarded against him. In 1935 he was arrested in Wellington on an allegation that he was going to “blow up” the city. He was placed in a mental hospital for a month, and subsequently the charge against him was thrown out. The accused admitted he had been in Honolulu in 1935. and was known as “Baron.” Mr Meredith: And you were then fixing up a flying corps for Haile Selassie? The accused replied that there had been a lot in the press that was not quite correct. He admitted that the press photographs produced and entitled “ Baron Corneille Hubert de Mey d’Alkemade ” were pictures of himself. He had told the police chief in Honolulu . that he had been in trouble in New' Zealand and was going out to do his bit for Haile Selassie. He had backing in America, and the uniform which he wore in photographs would have been recognised if he had been able to get to Africa. Title Granted to Grandfather Mr Dickson, for the accused: You are in fact a baron? The accused replied that the title was officially granted by the Dutch to his grandfather for services in the Great War. He had dropped the title for the present, as it had been suggested he was one of the heads of the Fifth Column in New Zealand. He was definitely not a Fifth Columnist. The case was adjourned.