HOPE HAS LOST HOPE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 461, 17 September 1928, Page 1

HOPE HAS LOST HOPE

“DOUBLE” STORY DISBELIEVED GAOL SENTENCE TO STAND IN his fifth effort to convince the Crown that he is the victim of mistaken identity, John William Hope, principal figure in the now famous “Hope Maintenance Case,” appealed to Mr. Justice Reed, in the Supreme Court this morning, against sentence of six months’ imprisonment imposed by Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., a year ago for failure to maintain a wife in England.

Mr. V. N. Hubble, for the Crown, alleged that Hope married Annie Bray in Sheffield in 1916. In July, 1921, he was ordered to pay maintenance, which he did not do. In 1923 he married Edith Alice Barnes in Bolton and came out to Auckland. The following year he was brought before Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., for default of maintenance. The magistrate decided he was the man. Still defaulting, he appeared before the late Mr. J. W. Boynton, S.M., and served six months’ imprisonment. In April, 1925. Hope again came before Mr. Boynton, still denying that he was the Hope married in Sheffield. He served a further two months. He finally appeared before Mr. Hunt, who listened to protracted evidence, and passed sentence of six months. Mr. Hubble said that exhaustive inquiries had been made by the Crown in England. These only went to strengthen the evidence that Hope had no double, and was the wanted man. Hope claimed that he was being mistaken for another John Hope employed

at the Manchester Dry Dock, to whom he was strangely similar, but the evidence of the foreman of the dock disclosed no similarity. The Registrar-General of Shipping In England, said Mr. Hubble, had conducted an exhaustive search, yet had failed to locate the name John William Hope among any of the crews of ships in which appellant stated he had served. Certain inquiries by the Lancashire police revealed that no other John William Hope than the person now in New Zealand had ever lived at 103 Walkden Road, Worsley, the residence of his mother. Ellen Hope, of that address whom appellant had stated was his foster-mother, was interviewed also at the instigation of the New Zealand police. She stated definitely that Hope was her son and had married Annie Bray in 1916. SCOTLAND YARD CURT For appellant, Mr. J. J. Sullivan intimated that Hope would swear he had never been in Sheffield. Counsel had communicated with Scotland Yard but received the curt reply that the Yard did not take up problems of that kind. “The difficulty you have, setting aside everything else, is the evidence of the mother,” his Honour remarked. Counsel argued that the woman who would be very upset, had made no reference whatever to the most important feature, the arrest of her son for maintenance. Mr. Sullivan dismissed the rest of the mother’s evidence with the declaration that she had probably answered questions as suggested by the constable who interviewed her. “I wish site were here,” said counsel fervently. Counsel submitted that the other Hope was a man sft sin high, with brown eyes, while appellant was sft 2in, with blue eyes. Otherwise they were doubles. From the witness-box, appellant said that the woman who claimed to be his mother was not his mother. The latter had died while he was a youngster. Witness admitted the women’s names were alike, and had children with the same names. He had never been arrested in England. Mr. Sullivan: What is your height? Hope: Five feet two. Have you ever been five feet five?— No. You have never had an accident to make you smaller?—No. What colour are you eyes?—Blue. Have they ever been brown?—No. The questions and answers caused the court to chuckle. Further evidence similar to that given in the Magistrate’s Court followed. “If I was home in England I could get the whole thing settled in three months, whereas out here I have been trying for five years and it is not settled yet/ said Hope in a weary voice. Witness was cross-examined at length, denying identity with the Hope employed at the Manchester Docks. He denied also that the woman at 103 Walkden Road was his mother. She was his foster mother. He admitted living there for some time. “Are you not flogging a dead horse?” asked his Honour. “As your Honour pleases,” replied counsel, and sat down. “I have not the slightest doubt of two things,” said the Judge. “First, that Mr. Sullivan believes in his client, and secondly, that Hope is the man wanted. “It is too much of a tax on one’s credulity to believe all these extraordinary coincidences,” concluded his Honour. Dismissing the appeal, the Court allowed 10 guineas costs.