THE GREEN HARP SWINDLE.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1294, 21 September 1872, Page 4

THE GREEN HARP SWINDLE.

The Auck'and coi respondent of the Daily Times says : — The majoi Ity of those charged w .'th conspiracy in connection with the notoilous Green Haip case are committed for trial. The investigation had lost ; nterest with the general public, although disclosing some queer proceedings im connection with it. One of the most amusing was an effoii of two well-know a and popular you*"» men, who had been severely "skied," to "pick thorpielves up," as they phrased it. For this purpose they ai-'au'jed an inteiv'ew -with Fergusson (<he shatebroker involved with the directors) at h ; s request, and offered to get proceedings aga ; r)st him stopped if the money paid by them to Fer^osson for shares were retp icd. A*ter a long conversation and much barga'Vng, they were suddenly tv» jc I upon by Fer<,asson, . reproached with an endeavor to extort money, and informed that eveiy word they had Baid was taken by a repoiier placed for the pmpose ; n the adjoVTj room. They were fairly caught in. the trap, and had no help for it. The notes themselves were curious, and sonic of them read out in Court proved highly amusing. The presiding Magistrate, for example, was spoken of as an old ass, the Crown Prosecutor in equally complimentary terrasj aad Ferguaaon was especially warned that it would go hard with him, as some of these gentlemen had been themselves " let in " by the swindle. You will see from this that the Green Harp, like all similar cases, has its comical side. It has in fact been rather productive in that way, and people having become reconciled to their losses havo lost interest in it so far, that were it not for the funds provided by the subscription first raised, the prosecution would probably have dropped.