ALLEGED OFFERS OF BRIBES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 62, 7 December 1920, Page 7

ALLEGED OFFERS OF BRIBES

AFTERMATH OF PERJURY CHARGE MAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPT' TO INFLUENCE JURY B.v Tcleirraijh-SBecial CojreßDondent., Palmcrston North, December G. In tho Magistrate's Court this afternoon, Thomas .Martin was brought up on remand ou a charge of having attempted to inHueuce Angus Duncan Campbell by means of a bribe not to do his duty in the case in which F. S. Basto'n was charged at the last sitting of tho Supremo Court with having committed perjury. Martin was further charged with having attempted to influence William Fuller, John Boeanowski and Edward Gilshnan not to do their duty in the same case. JMectivc-Scrgcant Qttirke, who appeared for the police, explained that at the last sessions of the Supremo Court F. S. Easton was charged with having committed porjury in a sporting case previously heard in tho Magistrate's Court. - ■ Mr. Ongley, who appeared tor accused, agreed to all tho charges being heard together. „ Angus Duncan Campbell, an ironmongery manager's assistant, gave evidence to the effect that he was drawn on the common jury and sworn, and was afler* wards included in the panel on th® Easton cn6e. Accused approached lum and said he was thore on behalf of tho Easton case, and that if witness wished to mr£s money hero was a chance for him. Hb stntod that Easton was a millionaire,-Jnrt that he had authority fro n him to say ho was prepared to spend .210,000 to get out of hIS trouble. .}VituGss pointer oiu to accused that h« was running great risk in making such statements, but ho replied that he was prepared for that, as he was getting well paid for it. filar tin then said there was a lot of talk going on about the era so, and he would find out who were Easton s friends on tho jury, and the names of those who were against him would bo handed to Mr. Wilford, .who was conducting tho case, Mora tho jury was empaneled. Later in the (lay ho again met accused, who rofer) ed to the case. Witness asked him what ho was prepared to give, alio hfLsually mentioned £69. Witness again advised accused that ho was running » great risk, and said that hit would ha\o nothing to do with It. H>> was later called on tho Easton case, but was chall(?Fffod by tH© Crown. _ Edward Gilshnan, builder, of Palmcrston North, stated that before the Easton jury was empanelled accused earn* to him and toll him that it wouW pay whoever was on the jury in t e bg case" to let Easton oft. Ho told win that ho hnJno Inolinatioii to be on the u-rv, and that he v could tako his pincc, ft 'ihioh accused replied "I 'ifV, ° find I coold.'* On the hist day ot li.is jSn- S accused 'came tollta at ftoiuMham h7 would not go With him, and advised him to be careful. Accused later said I-j him: "Whatevor you do. do not bung hini in guilty." On tho Saturday morning following the caso, wl " c \ r \ s ' l /] C( L'" the iury disagreeing, accused told mm that he would bo going to ceo him in a few days. Later accused c.imo to h.t, place and said that Easton was anxious ?o know who were his .friends on the jury. He replied that it was not his place to disclose how the wi and pointed out to accused that he had previously advised him to bo careful, as inquiries were already ! >01 ?6. 1 m f (I ® His action. He emphasised that no do finite offor of money had been ™ a de. C. W. Fuller, foundry maiiagei, gave evidence that on the opening day of tho sessions he was sworn 111 as a jnroi. Accused approached him outside the court house during the luncheon nd! o,lru ® e " t and asked him if he was one ot the in jmen. On his replying in the nlhrmatne, ho said that if he was picked as a juror in the Easton case and returned a verdict of not guilty Easton would seo him right," as lmd plenty of money. He immediately left, accused, Witness was afterwards made foreman of that jury. J. ,B. Rosanowski, carpenter, said that | he also was sworn as n juror for the . session. On the first day of the. Court I sitting accused approached litll] in tho procincts of tho court alter a jury had given a verdict of iuk 111 i"" decent exposure case and told him he was glad they had returned a verdict ot not guilty, ns he knew the man vas innocent; Ho said he supposed witness would like to get on the Easton case, but he replied that ho did not want .to be on any case, as lie was losing money by waiting at the court. Accused then suggested that it might pay him hotter to get on the perjury case and let Easton o< Fred Robinson, horsa dealer, of Foxton, who was a witness in the Easton perjury case, said that while the case was on accused was. frequently in the witnesses' room and he there mado statements to the effect that any . witnesses could be got at if they were paid enough. T J. Proctor, labourer, of hoxton, who was a witness in the samo caso, said chut while waiting to bo called accusod came into tho room and said he would bet in to 1 that the jury would disagree and 1 that Easton Vould get oft. He declared that the jury we.ro nearly al men, nnd as such could be bought. He suggested that witness could also bo bought, but ho replied telling Martin not , to speak to him like that. -Accusod was about tho court a govd deal during Laston's trial, and appeared to take a great interest in the case. He did not know what right accused had in tho witnesses' room, but he did a good deal Culloty deposed that accused had no right in the witnesses room. When Mr. AVilford left the court after his final address, he saw accused go up to him and tell him that ho knew ot another good witness for the defence wlm was a steward of the Foifcm iw*og< and was somewhere about the court, but Mr Wilford replied, that it wis then too' lato. When the jury were rotiring to consider their verdict he cused in tho passage through w hicli thwhad to pass, and he scanned tholi faces eagerly, no had no right thero. fiounsel asked for an , acquittal. He stated that tho charges were drawn, and that certain of them disCl Ur l said that under commoil law thoro was a caso to answer, nnd Hie matter should be lefrto the Supreme reserved his defence,jwas committed for trial at the'next sessions of the Supreme Court jt lalmereton North, bail being ollowed, self in i! 100 and two sureties of SCIOO eacli.