THE THREE ACCUSED BEFORE THE POLICE COURT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2744, 17 October 1906, Page 3

THE THREE ACCUSED BEFORE THE POLICE COURT.

At the City* Police Court three men giving the namo3 of Walter Henry Mitchell. William M'Phcr^on. and Patrick Opperkuck were brought befcrp Mr C C. Graham. S.M., and jointly charged that they did. on the Bth October, at Dunedin, conspire with one another by deceit, falsehood, and other fraudulent means to defiaud one Joseph Dicktnson of the sum of £170. The charge was laid under " The Criminal Coc'e, 1893," section 238, .subnccuon 1. The accused (one of whom — a ucll-built man— has the appearance of a faii ly well-to-do farmer) were undefended, and th^v appeared to take the position in which they were placed in an unconcerned manner. They were all respectably dressed, and on their general appearance would not be buspected of being confidence-<rick-'>tcrs. Chiof Detective Herbeit. who prosecuted, Mated that the accused -nor-e arrested on the previous afternoon; and a3 a good deal of rnuuiVY had to ha uxuda, witnesses

searched out, interviewed, and so forth, h« asked for a remand for a week; and tha accused were accordingly remanded until next Friday in custody. It is not yet definitely known where tho accused came from or how long they have been in this part of the colony ; but it is believed they came from Australia. As a mean 6of gaining the confidence of Dickenson one of the accused is said to hays represented him.^elf as the heir to £7000, bequeathed by an uncle in Ceylon on the condition that a portion of the money was to bo expended in assisting deserving cases where monetary aid was required.