A STRANGE CASE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2114, 21 October 1890, Page 4

A STRANGE CASE.

On Thursday, in the course of his evidence, Eden George said 1 next saw Gerstenkorn one Saturday ins September in Colombo street. I asked him if he had received my letter and he said ‘‘ Yes, but you know my terms.*-, I said, “ Yes, but you cannot 1 .'expect' me to give, you any moneyi” ,It was then arranged that! should: go up to bis hotel the next eveningat 7 o’clock. 1 went, and he once-commenced to urge me to give hinr£2s feut I refused. He said, “ Youknow, Mr George, you are ho. friend; of , mine. If- I gave evidence I; know you would endeavour to uso that evidence against me and withdraw the reward.” I said, “ I could not possibly withdraw the reward, as it is in Mr Pender’s hands.” He then said, “ I must have some-bold on you.” I asked him what he meant; Ho said “ You write-on a slip-of-paper that you did it yourself.” 1 laughed at him wanting me to do that. Then I tried to to get out of him the particulars of the damage. , He answered my questions pretty :freely-and |old me that M sinning had taken the leases oh the road to New Brighton. He answered a few Questions a good many times, and said that they got into my place over •Misers’ back yard. He said, “You give me £25 and I will put evidence in that is bound to convict.” On Monday night he said he had writing m^. ; Corirpbora|tion. .t-Jmi after that he ' opened his book and showed me one of Mr Manning's (memorandum forms He would not’det ‘mb' read the contents At the end of the interview ho said, •• I want you to write it on paper that you did it yourself.” He said be would put it in the hands of a confidential ,friend,of, Jii« t ,, I .had- several ■ interviews with Gerstenkorn, and the result was he said he would arrange the matter. He then proposed that I .should/write something that I would not prosecute, or withdraw the reward; and I went up on the Sunday night with a letter to that effect. When I got there he said; “I want to go qut, and I will tell you my last propositi, which you" will)see is a fair one. You write what I want you to, and you can carry it down to Mr Thompson, and bo will hold it with instructions to bring it forward) iffyoti attempt to prosecute me, or withdraw the reward.” I suspected? that : it was ; a trap, but I thought of invisible ink as a protection to me. I told Detective Benjamin, Messrs Thompson, Powell, and my brother on the Mondays morning. I wrote on the back of the paper in the presence of my brother with invisible ink, and ho marked it so as to recqgnUe it. When I got to the hotel Gei|tbnkorn toqtv up ink, pens and paper. 1 handed him the letter agreeing not to prosecute but he would not have that, as he said it was no protection to him. Gerstenkorn also said that it was "no good at all;"and' asked me to write to bis dictation. I wrote on the back of the paper stating that I had committed the damage myself and subsequently copied it on the form with the invisible ink on the bkck. He snatched it as I was folding it, and I took him by the coat collar to get it back. He asked me hot to get excited. We subsequently went to Thompson’s and I tofd him that we bad a letter for him, but that what was written was not true, but that ’ Gerstenkorn insisted <vn, having; some hold on me before giving his£ evidence in the case. Thompson declined to hear anything of the contents. Gerstenkorn said he would keep the letter himself. On Friday, counsel having addressed the Court, the Bench retired, and, in balf^an-bour, r .on-, resuming Mr Jamieson said they were of opinion that there was ; not enough evidence to induce* them to send the case for trial. The defendant bad acted very foolishly throughout, but there was nothing to prove that he had committed the act he was charged with, while Taylor’s evidence went to show that the plaintilff had expressed td /l be even l with him.The imformation was accordingly dismissed.

Gerstenkorn was then charged with baring stelen the letter of which so much mention had been made, but the Bench declined to bear evidence, and dismissed that information also.