DISEASED MIND.

Waikato Times, Volume 120, Issue 19992, 16 September 1936, Page 7

DISEASED MIND.

THE MYSTERIOUS POWER. WAB IT GERMANY? McMAHON’S STORY NOT BELIEVED. United Press Assir.—Elec. TeL Copyright. LONDON, Sept. 15. It is stated on reliable authority that the name George Andrew McMahon, who was sentenced to a year’s imprisonment for brandishing a revolver, wrote down in Court was that of the German Embassy. When this report was referred to an authoritative quarter the only comment was: “Does anyone really take this seriously?”

Mr Alfred Kerstein, who appeared as counsel for the accused in the lower Court, stated to a representative of the Daily Herald: “ The foreign Power referred to by McMahon is Germany. “ I informed the authorities of this plot after hearing about it from the accused while he was in prison. Following my reports, the King’s holiday in France was cancelled and he went to Eastern Europe instead. Members of the Secret Service verified many of McMahon’s statements and several officers were subpoenaed to give evidence but were not called. In the meanwhile the question of the King’s safety was being considered.” Btory Improbable. The Daily Telegraph, in a leading article, says: “McMahon's story hears every mark of improbability. The notion that any interest of a foreign Power would be furthered by the assassination of the British monarch could only be born of a diseased mind. “ The policemen who were on the scene are worthy of all praise for their promptitude in handling the alarming situation, but it is plain from the trial that a little more offiolal perspicacity would have saved McMahon from his folly and avoided public alarm.” The Times says: “No Englishman would be inclined to conyict a foreign Power of plotting against the King's life on evidence such as McMahon’s. Evidently McMahon is part of the economic wreckage of the day—an intellectual and moral weakling broken by unemployment and nursing his grievances until lie became blind with rancour against society.” MoMAHON TO APPEAL. JUDGE’S ALLEGED MISDIRECTION. AGAINST THE EVIDENCE. United Press Assrr.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. (Received Sept. 16, 12.10 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 15. George McMahon is appealing, mainly on the grounds of the Judge’s alleged misdirection in pointing out to the jury that McMahon’s story was told at the Old Bailey for the first time, whereas there was unchallenged evidence that he told his story at the War Office months previously.