The Dean Conspiracy Case.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 132, 3 December 1895, Page 2

The Dean Conspiracy Case.

SOME SENSATIONAL EVIDENCE. <Ter Press Association) Sydney, December 2. The trial for conspiracy in the Dean case be^an tc-dny. Dean's council pleaded the pardon as a bar, but this wus overruled, and in cominoa with the others the plea of not guilty wart entered. The question of admittiup; the depositions in the preliminary cuse against Dean in order to show Meagher Saik-d to ask Smith, the chemist, a vital question, was raised by council for the defence, who contended the evidence was immaterial. Judge Cohen held that Meapfner was perfectly right in uot asking a dangerous question. It waß decided, however, to admit the | depositions, because they roust be taken in conjunction with facts which came out I later on in the case. The Judge said that right up to the time of Dean's conviction, so far as guilty knowledge was concerned, it did not mat- [ ter whether Meagber knew anything i about nor not. There was no conspiC' | acy. The Crown was conducting Dean's [ prosecution in tbe original instance, and surely it was their duty to ask the question of Smith. Affairs took a sensational turn when Norton, a journalist, went into the box. He admitted that he was not friendly with Crick. He detailed at length conversations with Meagher. He asked the latter how he came to allow Crick to crawl to the top and extort a sworn confession from him. Meagher said : " I have been damnably or diabolically trapped 1" Meagher then told him he had visited Crick after the exposures, and asked him how he felt. Crick said, "Don't ask me! .I'm nearly dead; I have had an awful night ; I felt like blowing my brains out P' lie was lying in bed in the morning, groaning and saying, "We shall both be sent up !" Meagher suggested that an information should be laid against Sir Julian Salomons I for endeavouring to bribe a guilty man to become a refugee from justice., tjrick repffed, " No use ; we're both damaged !" Next day, Crick wens into Meagher's i oißce, and said " It's no use being at variance ; one or both will haye to go up!" ending, "If you don't help cue to get out of this I'll go to Darlinghursfc (the goal) and admit the whole truth. I will not be chained to a blank murderer, but if you get me out I will deal fairly with you in the partnership accounts. If you don't you wont #et a penny !" Meagher admitted that Crick knew Dean's guilt many weeks before April 29. Crick is not allowed bail.