HOBBS ON TRIAL

Southland Times, Issue 19492, 5 March 1925, Page 5

HOBBS ON TRIAL

SEQUEL TO MIDLAND BANK CASE. AN IMPORTANT RULING. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) LONDON, March 3. The resumption of the trial of William Cooper Hobbs, one of the witnesses in the Midland Bank case, on three charges—conspiracy to defraud Sir Hari Singh, stealing by means of menaces and receiving two bank cheques for £150,000 each, knowing them to have been stolen was interrupted for a brief period to-day owing to Hobbs having to leave the dock, as a result of a fit of coughing, for medical attention. Subsequently during the course of argument with Sir H. Courtis-Bennett for the defence, the Judge said so far he had heard nothing showing there was any stealing of cheques or justifying a conviction for conspiracy to steal. The Judge’s ruling that a letter from Sir Hari Singh’s secretary was inadmissable,, led to Sir H. Curtis-Bennett protesting that Hobbs was suffering because Sir Hari Singh and his secretary were not called as witnesses. The Judge retorted that nobody suffered because the rules of evidence had been properly observed. Newton gave evidence that Captain Arthur bought Newton’s share in the second cheque for 650,000 francs. The Captain subsequently sued Newton for £17,300 but the action was settled by consent on the payment of £lOOO. Newton denied that Captain Arthur paid him 20,000 francs in connection with Mrs Schmidt whom the Captain was taking to India as his wife. The case was adjourned.