DECISION RESERVED

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 13, 6 April 1927, Page 13

DECISION RESERVED

PROSECUTION OF SALAMAN PATIENTS TELL OF “ATAH’S” CURES This afternoon, Abraham Wally Mohamid Salaman —- the Indian Healer, of Khyber Pass Road—stood in the dock for the third day of his trial on six charges of attempted false pretences. Twelve patients gave evidence yesterday afternoon, testifying to the “Atah’s” cures, but Mr. Schramm still had six more up his sleeve when the case opened this afternoon. The Magistrate, Mr. W. R. McKean, reserved his decision.

The police evidence on Monday alleged that Salaman had told two police officers that they were suffering from certain diseases, and had a’ccepted money from them for treatment. Three doctors testified that the policemen were in good health, and were of the opinion that the accused knew nothing about diagnosing or prescribing for diseases. The Indian “Atah,” as he describes himself, went into the box to give evidence late Monday afternoon. tie continued his denial of the charges against him yesterday—Chief-Detec-tive Cummings subjecting him to a gruelling cross-examination. “THEY CARRIED ME TO HIM,,” It was 3 p.m. before Salaman resigned his place in the witness box in favour of Mrs. Caroline Miller, one of his patients, and resumed his position in the dock. “I have known Mr. Salaman for four years,” said Mrs. Miller. Chief-Detective Cummings submitted here that this witness’s evidence was not relevant to tho issue. ‘‘The chief detective was allowed to put in a statement of four years ago. “Why should 1 not be allowed to produce evidence that long ago,” objected Mr. Schramm. “Well we’ll hear what the witness has to say,” said the magistrate, Mr. McKean. “She’s only one of a dozen, sir,” said counsel. ‘ ± could have produced hundreds only I want to finish the case some time.” “They took me out of my bed and carried me to him,” said Mrs. Miller. “In six weeks’ time I was walking about the room. I went to Mr. Salaman 20 weeks in all, and from that day to this I have never had need to see a doctor or Mr. Salaman. I had been under the doctors for twenty years before that.” Mrs. Proud Thompson, a Maori woman who lives at Man ere, said she was also carried to Mr. Salaman’s. “I had rheumatics and dropsy,” she said. “The doctors told me there was nothing wrong with me.”—“And they weren’t charged with false pretences although they took your money,” was Mr. Schramm’s thrust. “I didn <. know anything about it, but 1 see it in the papers, and came along myself to give evidence,” continued the Maori woman. “Why did you come?” asked counsel. “Oh, well,” she said, “he do me good.” “ANALYST BY THE EYE” Frederick Nottingham, a farm labourer of St. Heliers, said Salaman had treated him for blind boils under the skin sixtr weeks ago. “I had had them since I -vas 13 or 14. I am 21 next July. I hadn’t been to any doctors, but chemists’ mixtures did me no go 1.” “1 was a patient of his at the time ot his arrest. His treatment did me good. He said he would cure me in another couple of weeks.” “He broke a pill open and put a microscope over it, and told me what it contained,” he told the chief detective. “An analyst by the eye,” commented the chief. Mrs. Marshall, who also lives at Mangere, said she had known Mr. Salaman for seven years. Her little boy, who is now nearly six, was dying of cancer and had been operated on by two doctors when he was only a fortnight old, she said. “1 took him to Mr. Salaman and he cured him.” “Any treatment that Salaman prescribed I have never given to the boy. I took the medicine myself," said Mrs. Marshall .o the chief detective. “The baby took the goats’ milk Mr. Salaman prescribed.” CHIEF DETECTIVE’S OBJECTION While Edward Thomas Gates was telling the court of the benefits he had derived from Salaman the chief detective quietly left and 'e court and returned shortly afterwards followed by Mr. Schramm’s clerk.

“Your Worship,” said the chief, “I take exception to this man going out of the court and conferring with witnesses.” Mr. Schramm was up in arms at once. “I sent my clerk out to take the names of some of the witnesses,” he said indignantly, producing the list of names for the magistrate’.* inspection. “I don’t know if the chief detective wants to impede my case . . .” Mr. Cummings indicated that he had no desire to do so, but that the procedure to which he had draA T n attention was improper; and the case proceeded. Eight other witnesses gave similar evidence to that already given. Myrtle Elizabeth Gorton, a young married woman who had been tr ated by Salaman, said that she had been working for him as his clerk at r T.e .mie of his arrest. “I was working for what Mr. Salaman had done for me,” she said. “He paid me 25s a week.” When the twelfth patient. William Cnarles Clark, a Waiuku farmer, was called, the magistrate remarked, “This is the last witness I v/ill hear.” Counsel proceeded to ask Clark about the conversation which it was alleged he had overhead between Detective Knight and Salaman in the passage of the court yesterday. “That doesn’t affect the question at issue,” said the chief detective, and the magistrate agreed with him. “Does Your Worship rule that evidence cannot be given about it?” asked Mr. Schramm. “Yes,” said Mr. McKean, and adjourned the case until 2.15 p.m. to-day. MORE WITNESSES Mrs. Rose Olive Young stepped into the witness box to-day to tell the court that she went to Salaman five years ago after having been for 13 years under six different doctors. “He cured me in two years,” she said. “I have seen dozens at his place.” She told Chief-Detective Cummings that she had heard at least five dozen people call Salaman “Doctor,” but in every case he had corrected them. Medicine, pills and plasters had been prescribed in her case just as in that ot all the others. Foster James Tackaberry, a farmer, took her place in the box. “I’m happy to say I am a cured man to-day,” he said, with enthusiasm. He hastened to add that he too had come to give evidence because he had seen it iif the newspapers. Mr. . Tackaberry couldn’t remember having been given a plaster. “What, no plaster?” said Mr. McKean with an air of surprise. The witness admitted to Chief-De-tective Cummings that he had been at the court on Monday, but indignantly denied listening outside the door of the court. “Qualifications or no qualifications, 1 stand here a cured man!” he said. Mrs. Arabella Payne’s complaint was “so complicated she couldn’t say,” except that she had pains all over her. “Here I am to-day,” she said, when asked how she felt now. * “He used the magnifying glass on my husband to see if his hair was going,” she told Mr. Cummings. “Did he give him a plaster, too?” asked the chief. Mr. Schramm promptly explained that a plaster would have rubbed out any hair Mr. Payne might have had. “I got good value for my money,” was the testimony of Samuel Allison, of Onehunga, who told the chief detective that he thought he had signed one of Salaman’s indemnity forms mentioned on Monday, but that he had a bad memory and wasn’t sure. “That’s my case,” said Mr. Schramm 35 minutes after the case re-opened. “I don’t know if you intend to seriously dispute the analysis. of the Government analyst,” said Mr. McKean, when counsel drew attention to this point. “I shall have to rely on it unless you can place other evidence before me.” “I do seriously challenge it,” said Mr. Schramm, and asked to be allowed the opportunity of getting another analysis. Mr. McKean then agreed to reserve his decision, subject to Mr. Schramm being able to bring this evidence. Bail was allowed on own bond of £IOO.