DEVICE NOT KNOWN

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21042, 19 February 1940, Page 8

DEVICE NOT KNOWN

ADMIRALTY INFORMATION EVIDENCE AT FRAt'D HEARING STORY OF AMERICAN CAPITAL DESTRUCTION OF PAPERS ißy Telegraph.—press Association) WELLINGTON, Monday Six witnesses remained to be heard when the hearing was resumed in the Magistrate’s Court of the police case against Harvey Maitland Chrystall and Gordon Percy Aston, jointly charged with having conspired by deceit to defraud Hartley Roy Sellers, deceased, of sums amounting to about £6765 Is 9d. The case was opened before Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M., on Wednesday. Mr C. E. Purchase is appearing for Aston and Mr W. E. Leicester and Mr R. T. Peacock for Chrystall. Continuing his evidence, lan Burns Cromb, of Christchurch, managing director of Cash Radio (Westland) and Cash Radio (Southland), said that on occasions Aston came to his office unshaven and tired in the mornings, and said he had been talking to the Admiralty by means of his earth telephone. He also said he used the telephone to communicate with Sydney, and that he had offered it to the Racing Conference, which turned down the offer. American Capital Witness said that Aston frequently referred to a man named Levine, who, he said, had been sent to him by an American group to assist with various patents. Aston also said the American interests had invested capital in the invention. Levine, according to Aston, was receiving £SOOO yearly plus expenses from the American group, and the experiments to date had cost £85,000, which had been supplied by Levine’s company. Aston told witness a man named Wright had died in Australia and left him £200,000, which he invested in several companies. Aston said that on March 31, 1939 he was to receive £500,000 from the Admiralty. Witness referred to a visit he paid to Nelson and “The Hut” there. He saw nothing at “The Hut” of a laboratory or any electrical or mechanical device. While at Nelson with Aston witness went out on a launch, but did not see any experiments carried out. Both Very Pleased Dealing with a visit to Christchurch by Sellers and a conversation between him and Chrystall, witness said he gathered that money had been paid o\ er and that both men were very pleased. Sellers said it would be nice to walk about Wellington and feel he did not owe any debt. Chrystall discussed buying a section of land to present to Christ's College. Aston said the Admiralty had sent them to Singapore to meet the chiefs there and discuss his invention. Aston and his syndicate were to pay £BS 000 expsriments ’ whi ch had cost Aston also said the Admiralty would not allow torpedoes to be fired at any of its ships, but for the purpose of experiment he had an American boat he kept in Sydney. Detective-Sergeant McLennan: Did Aston produce any proof that he had been to Singapore? Witness: He showed one or two tickets that he was supposed to have obtained in the East. IVlust Clear Mortgage Witness added that Aston promised to show him a film of the experiment but so far witness had not seen . Aston went to Sydney in May, 1939. saying he was going over in connection with the “quad” plant and returned in June. He referred to an Admiralty stipulation that the mortgage on “The Hut” must be cleared, and said that Chrystall was to take the documents over to Sydney and then proceed to England to pick up £27.000, which was to pay out Batt, Palliser and Sellers On one occasion just before Aston left for Australia he had two fifty pound notes in his possession. Bef or ® *?5! left Christchurch to come to Wellington for the trip Aston was hard up and obtained some money from Cash Radio. He told witness that Chrystall had seen the racing Conference about a sum of £llOO that had been overdrawn, and that the money had been paid back to him (Aston) and probably would be returned inside ten days, on June 10. Aston told witness that Sellers had disappeared. Aston seemed very worried. Reference to Awatea Witness continued that Aston in conversation with him frequently referred to his alleged invention. He told witness the Awatea had been docked and his plates fitted, and that immediately war was declai'ed the Awatea would be commandeered by the Government. Witness said that at no time had he any financial interest in the alleged invention, and he had never had any particular dealings with Chrystall. Detective-Sergeant McLennan: Did Aston make reference to papers destroyed at Sellers’ office? Witness: He said Chrystall had written a lot of stuff that would get him hanged if it came out, and that he had visited Sellers’ office and destroyed those papers. Eggard John McClellan, assistant ! marine superintendent for the Union Steam Ship Company, said that at no time were any plates or any device ; of any nature whatever fitted to the . Awatea when in Cockatoo Dock j (Sydney) or any other dock. Admiralty Declares Ignorance j Paymaster - Commander Cooper. | R.N., secretary to the New Zealand j Navy Board, said he did not know either of the accused, nor did he ! know anything of on anti-submarine , device such as had been mentioned 1 in the evidence. Witness added that as a result of representations made to him by private citizens he had made inquiries of the Navy Office. Melbourne, and the Admiralty regarding the alleged invention. The reply from Melbourne was that nothing was known of a Gordon Ashton (as he understood the name to be). From the Admiralty the reply was that nothing was known of any invention by

a Gordon Ashton, nor of any com- ’ munication with the Admiralty from the source claimed. The Admiralty's letters further stated that none of His Majesty’s ships had been fitted with the alleged anti-torpedo device with a view to purchase. Witness assumed that had any information; been available regarding one named I Aston he would have been advised. J (Proceeding.)