CHAPTER IV.

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, Volume 1, Issue 5, 1 February 1900, Page 6

CHAPTER IV.

The Court was crowded to suffocation, for the interest in the Pearson case had quickly travelled from the Stock Exchange, and tbe whole city was alive with excitement. The young brokers were there in full force, and all eyes were turned towards the table, where Mr. Ormuz Pearson was laughing and

chatting with Mr. Scraggs, who was conducting his case. The business of the Court had not yet begun, for the judge was finishing his cigar in his private room. But the crowd found plenty of amusement in watching every movement of the plaintiff, and the backers of Cevic looked in vain for some evidence of disguise.

"No good, old man!" said half a dozen young fellows to Snelgrove, who stood to lose £500. " My book is not yet full," said that gentleman, doggedly. " You don't mean to say — " " I mean to say that I'll take as many as you like at three to one in .tens." " You must be mad." " Mad or not, I'll do it," and Snelgrove took out his pocket-book.

'■ Oh ! well, I won't refuse a certainty," said one young fellow, laughing. " Put me down." " And me — and me," cried eight or nino voices, and Snelgrove hastily booked tho wagers. He had hardly written the last name when there was a cry of " Silence in the Court!" and the judge entered and took his seat.

"Pearson v. Courtenay," said the Clerk of the Court, who explained that the defendant was a prisoner awaiting his trial on another charge. The prisoner was now brought in, and a buzz of astonishment ran through the Court when it was seen how exactly, even absurdly, he was the counterpart of the plaintiff. While Mr. Scraggs gathered up his papers, preparatory to opening the case, tbe defendant riveted his gaze on the plaintiff with

such a puzzled expression on his face that Snelgrove, who was watching him, was half inclined to think that the detective's theory was right. Mr. Scraggs now rose : "In opening the case, my Lord, I may state that the plaintiff, Mr. George Pearson, has, or had, certain shares in a gold mine at Taratahi, near Auckland, called the Knock-me-down. Mr. Pearson bought these shares in Sydney, and commissioned Mr. Snelgrove, of this city, sharebroker, to transact the business for him. Since that time Mr. Snelgrove has acted as agent for Mr. Pearson, who immediately afterwards went to England, where he has resided ever since. Now Mr. Pearson has never been in New Zealand, and had never seen Mr. Snelgrove, who, without a description of his client, would naturally be at a loss to identify him if he came out to New Zealand. On the 26th of November Mr. Pearson, who resided at No. 0, Brunswick Square, received a letter from New Zealand, or rather this letter came to the above address while Mr. Pearson was away on the Continent. This letter contained important news concerning the rise in the price of Knock-me-down scrip, and also contained a request from Mr. Snelgrove for a description of Mr. Pearson. Now, this letter was opened on its arrival by a boarder named Pawson, who had arrived at No. 0, Brunswick Square, while Mr. Pearson was away on the Continent. He had previously confided to a fellow boarder, named Courtenay, that he expected a letter. He had also publicly stated that nobody would know him in Auckland. This man Courtenay left the boarding-house on the same day as Mr. Pearson left for the Continent. Mr. Pawson appeared two days afterwards, and we have evidence to prove that Pawson was no other than Courtenay in disguise, who had wormed out secrets from the plaintiff. Beyond this we have only one witness, Mr. Snelgrove, who will presently swear that the correspondence, which the plaintiff has with him is genuine. This correspondence deals with the Knock-me-down shares from the time they were bought till Mr. Snelgrove

received instructions to sell out. The plaintiff has also letters relating to money matters with the Bank, and also a cablegram received to-day from the S. Pacific Bank that they hold certain deeds which Mr. Pearson deposited with them, according to his custom, before starting for New Zealand. The plaintiff has made it a practise for years never to carry letters about his person. All important letters he keeps under lock and key in this cash-box which lies before me. All unimportant correspondence he destroys. The plaintiff, as your Lordship will presently see, answers in every detail to the various descriptions of Mr. G. Pearson, which have been cabled to Mr. Snelgrove and to the police. We have thought it best to give a plain, unvarnished statement of facts, which speak for themsel ves. We withhold nothing, for the genuineness of our client's claim is too apparent for even caution. I now sit down, puzzled to know what possible proofs or arguments the defendant can put forward in the face of such overwhelming evidence as I have presented to the Court." Mr. Scraggs sat down with a beaming countenance quite foreign to his naturally shifty expression. He had, for many years, habitually fought on the shady side, and now he quite basked in the sunshine of a clear case. There was suppressed applause when Mr. Scraggs had finished, and Snelgrove and other backers of Cevic felt their chances were hopeless. Mr. Snelgrove was then called, and gave evidence concerning the cablegrams. Mr. Ledger, acting on behalf of the defendant, declined to cross-examine, and this being the only witness for the prosecution, the witnesses for the defendant were brought forward. Charles Henderson was sworn in. Mr. Ledger : " Your name, please ?" Witness : " Charles Henderson." Mr. Ledger : " You are the Inspector of Police for this district ?" Witness: "Yes." Mr Ledger: "Have you received instructions from the Home authorities about this case ?"

Witness: " I have." Mr. Ledger: " Will you please state them to the Court?" Witness : "I received instructions to arrest the defendant on a charge of obtaining £500 from the S. Pacific Bank by means of a forged cheque." Mr. Ledger : " Whom do you believe the defendant to be ?" Witness : " An ex-convict, who has lately been known to us as Courtenay, nlifts Paw-

Mr. Ledger : " What was his last offence?" Witness : " Ten years ago, he was sentenced for three years for personation." Mr. Ledger : " A similar case to this ?" Witness: "Yes." Mr. Ledger : " What was the name of this man ?" Witness : " Charles Townsley." Mr. Ledger : " Has he any marks about liis body that would lead to identification ?" Witness : "He has lost the top joint of one finger." Mr. Ledger : " Which finger ?" I Witness: "The middle finger,"

Mr. Ledger : " On which hand ?" Witness: " The left hand." There was a sensation in Court at this juncture. For the prisoner was ostentatiously stroking his face with his left hand, and the top of his middle finger was wanting." The plaintiff, too, was visibly surprised, and sat staving for some seconds at the prisoner, but the attention of the Court, being transferred to him, he performed the same movement with his hand, and -his linger was intact. It was now the prisoner's turn to be astonished, and the open-mouthed Wonder with which he regarded the plaintiff created a. laugh amongst the audience. " By Jove," thought Snelgrove, " Neither is the man. At least I shall lose nothing in that ease." The examination was continued : Mr. Ledger: "Is it possible to have an artiiicial joint so skilfully attached to tbe finger as io appeal* at a distance to be tbe natural linger joint ?" Witness : " Well, 1 suppose so." Mr. Ledger: "Thank you, .Mi*. Henderson, that will do." The next witness called was Henry Wigan. Mr. Ledger: "Your name" is Henry Wigan?" Witness: "That is my name." Mr. Ledger : " What is your profession ?" Witness ; " Doctor of medicine." Mr. Ledger: "Have you ever met Mr. Pearson?" Witness: "Yes." Mr. Ledger : " Where ?" Witness : " In ('barter's Towers, Queensland." Mr. Ledger : " Was be a patient of yours?" Witness: "Yes." Mr. Ledger: "What for?" Witness : " Cataract." Mr. Ledger : " Was it successful ?" Witness: "Yes." Mr. Ledger : " Have you examined the prisoner's eyes?" Witness: "Yes, in conjunction with Dr, Greene,"

Mr. Ledger: " What did you find ?" Witness : " We found distinct traces of a former operation for cataract." Mr. Ledger : " When you performed that operation, did you notice that Mr. Pearson had any peculiarity about his left baud?" Witness : " Yes, he put up his left hand while the operation was being performed, aud I noticed that he had lost the top joint of his middle finger." Mr. Ledger: Will you swear to this?" Witness: "Yes." Mr. Ledger : " Thank you. That will do." After the examination of this witness the whole Court was so interested that not a sound could be heard when the next witness entered the box. Mr. Ledger : " What is your name ?" Witness : " William James Shepperd." Mr. Ledger : " What is your profession ?" Witness : " Doctor of medicine." Mr. Ledger : " Where do you practise ?" Witness : " In Sydney." Mr. Ledger : What brought you to Auckland ?" f Witness: "I came in answer to a lettc/ from Mr. Pearson." Mr. Ledger : " Where did the letter come from ?" Witness : " The heading and post-mark were both Liverpool." Mr. Ledger : " And the date of the letter ?" Witness : " 6th December " Mr. Ledger: " Is Mr. Pearson a friend of yours ?" Witness: "Yes." The people in the body of the Court noticed that the witness never looked at the plaintiff, who, on the other hand, regarded the witness with absorbing interest, and seemed to hang on every word he said. Mr. Ledger: "Did you have reason to believe the letter was genuine ?" Witness: "Yes, it was certainly Mr. Pearson's handwriting, and contained private matters only known to Mr. Pearson and myself." Mr. Ledger : " Did the defendant explain why he was coming out to New Zealand ?" Witness ; " Yes, He wrote and told me

he had taken the name of Courtenay because he was afraid the police would stop him if he shipped in his own name. He asked me to come over to Auckland to identify him. He said he couldn't enter into particulars." Mr. Ledger : " Did you not think there was something wrong?" Witness : " Not about him." Mr. Ledger: " Why not?" Witness : " Because Mr. Pearson is a great friend of mine. I have known him too long to suspect him of anything shady." Mr. Ledger : " You once had a peculiar case under your notice in Melbourne, did

Mr. Ledger : " Will you explain it to the Court?" Mr. Ledger now looked round, and smacked his lips as if tbe bonne bouche were now coming. Witness : " A man was one day brought into the hospital suffering with a severe case of fever. We had to use force to undress him, and we found that he bad been tattooed. We found out afterwards, through an anonymous letter, that this had been done by his mates out of revenge in order that he might be known again. He had been tied down, and his struggles, combined with the rough way in which the operation had been performed, had induced high fever in which he was brought to the hospital." Mr. Ledger : " Where was the man tattooed ?" Witness : "On his chest." Mr, Ledger; "What was tattooed ?" .

The whole Court was worked up to fever heat, for the defendant had exposed, his chest, which bore no sign whatever of having at any time been tattooed. Witness : " The words were tattooed in large letters — ' Townsley Traitor.' " As the witness said these words the whole

Court rose to their feet. The plaintiff had fallen down in a dead faint, and when they tore open his shirt, they saw the fatal words — "Townsley Traitor" — in broad letters on his chest. Mr. Snelgrove netted eleven hundred pounds. [finis.]