ACQUITTED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17573, 25 June 1925, Page 7

ACQUITTED.

N.Z. MAN GOES FREE. BINGO MINE WAS NOT “ SALTED.” FRAUD CHARGE FAILS. By Trjegrapli.-—Press Assn.—Copyright. Sydney “ Sun ” Cable. (Received June 23. 9.55 a.m.) OTTAWA. June 21. After a long trial at Winnipeg, Joseph Myers, the New Zealander, who was arrested months ago in England, was acquitted on the charge of fraud by "salting" the Bingo Gold Mine. HISTORY OF CASE. WAS THERE A DEEP-LAID PLOT? An accusation that the Bingo Mines, in Canada, had been deliberately "salted” by Joseph Myers or his agents, and a counter accusation that the prosecution was part of a huge conspiracy by American capitalists to obtain control of the field were the outstanding features of this case, the principal figure in which is a member of a family well known in New Zealand. Joseph Myers, managing director ol the Bingo Gold Mines, Limited, was charged, in the Winnipeg Courts, on four counts of making false statements with intent to deceive. One of the counts covered fourteen statements i made in 1923 and 1924 to the chairman and shareholders of the company. Myers was arrested on January 31 in London under the Canadian Fugitive Defendants’ Act. two days after the annual meeting of his company had passer! a unanimous vote of confidence in him. The Bingo mines cover about 350 acres of country and contain fifteen known veins of varying quality. They were explored at various periods by different experts and the reports were extraordinarily at variance. Myers’s explanation was that the field varied greatly in richness and that assays at different points and different levels were not at all likely to give identical results. Myers was not admitted to bail and complained that he had no access to his own papers, which were held by his solicitors. The case created widespread interest because of the allegations on either side of conspiracy, espionage, "salting" and interference with witnesses. In the course of the case, the prosecution produced a witness named Dowson, a plumber, who declared that in 1923 Myers employed him to file down two pieces of gold, and later paid him to file down other pieces, the filings being placed in small glass phials. Dowson. under cross-examinatin, admitted that he was not sure of his dates, and that there was no suggestion of secrecy in Myers’s attitude. The Crown alleged that Myers placed these filings in sample bags of specimens from the mines intended for assa v. Counsel for Myers declared that the charges were " based on financial interests,” that the prosecution was - a bogus one. and that Myers was only a pawn in a spectacular bid by American interests to oust British interests and to obtain control of a valuable property.” The first definite turn of the case in favour of Myers came in the lower Court, when one of the experts who had made assays at the mine was under cross-examination. Tic declared that if the “ pulp ” remaining after the assays were examined it would show whether the samples in the bags had been “salted” by the addition of jewellers’ gold or filings. At one stage a witness from the mine declared that free g<J*i was common about the camp. lie shook out the dust from his pocket, and examined it with a microscope, and told the Court that particles of free gold were mixed with bits of tobacco and other i dust. Here is a pen picture of Myers in Court:— " At the far end of the table sits the accused. Dark hair, sallow features, hawk like nose. Keen, shrewd, piercing black eyes, roving restlessly from face to face. Strong lines drawn round a firm mouth. Every movement firm and decisive. Now and again a quick smile at some happy legal thrust. We remember his statement as he stepped from the train last February: ‘ Every-

ing will be all right, and I have nothing to fear.’ Xo sign uf fear, certainly, Confidence in every gesture. He gazes hard at the witness who has said he found no commercial values in the Bingo property. " lie begins to write a note, but the Court suddenly adjourns. He stops, takes up the note., tears it up and puts the pieces carefully into his coat pocket.”