LIGHTNING PHOTO.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15222, 21 May 1920, Page 8

LIGHTNING PHOTO.

, —.»~- ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO DEFRAUD. A few days ago two men, recent arrivals froni Australia, were taken "before the' Magistrate's Court at Auckland/ to answer charges arising out of an alleged attempt to defraud an Auckland resident of a sum of £150 by selling him.- a "share" m an alleged bogus "lightning photography" venture, and were commit--ted to tne Supreme Court for trial. A similar ciiarge Was. heard by Mr. E. Page, S.M., at "the Wellington Court. Ihe defendant was Joseph iiewis Alfred, also an Australian, and the charge against him was that he had conspired with one Jack Coulter to defraud Patrick Sarsfield Ford> an electrician, residing at Petono, of a sum of £200. Mr. R. C Kirk appeared a3 prosecutor, and Mr. A. B. Sievwright appeared for tho defence. The evidence given by the complainant Ford, was to the effect that he had seen an advertisement m the Post asking for m active business partner with'£2oo to invest m a-.business which would bring m £10 per week to the right man. He had answered the advertisement, and had 'been brought into contact with accused and Coulter through the medium of a land-agent. Then the merits of the "lightning photograph" business were gone into and, as he had seen the same sort of business carried on successfully m Englaud, he considered the opportunity a good one. Finahy, he agreed to buy a half-share m the business for £200. Wishing to have everything m order he 1 to a solicitor, Mr. R. Col- \ lins, and a deed of dissolution of the j old j partnership between Coulter and Alfred, aiid the hew partnership deeds j were duly made out and signed. Hoi then handed the money oyer to Coulter, two" £100 notes, and received a receipt. He was given to understand thatfCoul-; ter 'was leaving the country immediately^ but found", that he had remained m Wellington after the Sydney boat had sailed. Ho also became •. suspicious of the behavior of Prior to going south Ford discovered that one of' the cameras and a considerable quantity of materials had disappeared from tho room where the former -"partner, Coulter, had been staying, and When' he questioned the accused he was told that the goods wero "at the station." He madcj inquiries and found that that was not •o. Further, Alfred had lived at his boarding-house under an assumed name. Ih View-pf those facts and other circumstances which he- considered suspicious he laid an information.;" The notes produced were similar to those ,vh eh he had handed to Coulter. Evidence as to the drawing up of the agreement to purchase was given by Mr. R. Collins. Ho considered that Coulter and Alfred had been plainly anxious to Have the transaction completed without any delay. Detective Black gave evidence as to the arrest of the two men wanted .m connection with the Auckland case prior to the sailing of the Moeraki. Coulter was then m their company, but as no warrant had been issued i'or his arrest at that time ho was not detained., The notes were, found m the possession of one of the other men. Witness read a statement made by Alfred after his arrest, on his return from Cliristchurch, In it tbe accused flatly denied that j there had been, anything m the way of a conspiracy; the whole transaction had been a business deal, pure and simple. The magistrate decided that there Was a case to answer, and accordingly committed the accused to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail was fixed at £200, and an order was made that the accused must report to the police twice daily. ' mmammmmfmmtmmm^mm* »