A RAND LIBEL CASE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16486, 27 February 1914, Page 7

A RAND LIBEL CASE.

SUBORNATION OF WITNESS. THE PRINCIPAL SENTENCED. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. LONDON, February 25. In connection with the Robinson case, in which Sir J. B. Robinson obtained £IOOO from Louis Cohen, a journalist, for libel, Cohen has been sentenced to three years’ penal servitude for the subornation of James Berger. Berger was an impresario, who was sentenced to three years’ for perjury in giving evidence against Sir J. B. Robinson, concerning an alleged incident in Kimberley in 1879. Victor Woolf, a South African mining engineer, was sentenced to eighteen months’ hard labour for perjury.

Reminiscences of the early days of the South African diamond fields were recalled by Sir Joseph Robinson when the well-known Rand magnate told his life storv in the witness-box at Bow Street Police Court in the present case. Cohen was charged with conspiring with Emile James Richard Berger and Victor Wolff to commit wilful and corrupt perjury in the High Court. The cases arose out of an a chon brought by Sir Joseph Benjamin Robinson against Cohen in respect of statements contained in a book called “ Reminiscences of Kimberley.” One of vhe alleged libels was to the effect that Sir Joseph Robinson had sold a Boer a barrel of coffee containing pebbles at the bottom, and in the’ course of tho proceedings the man Berger swore that m 1879, at the Blue Posts, Kimberley, the plaintiff admitted to him the accuracy of tho facts stated in this paragraph. Berger_ was afterwards prosecuted for perjury and sentenced to three years’ penal servitude, and he subsequently informed the police that he had given perjured evidence at the request of Cohen. There was a further allegation in respect of the evidence given by Cohen himself, who asserted that Sir Joseph Robinson was recognised as “the foremost illicit diamond dealer,” and called in support of this statement a witness named Victor Wolff. The suggestions against Sir Joseph Robinson wero said to be without the smallest foundation, and he obtained a verdict against Cohen for £IOOO damages. Emile James Richard Berger, who had given evidence at tho previous hearing, was again brought from prison in charge of two warders and further cross-examin-ed. 1 Ho was once interrupted by the prisoner, who exclaimed in an excited manner, “ Speak up, you perjured villain, counsel wants to hear you.” Sit John Dickinson: You must not say those things, Mr Cohen. Witness denied that on occasions when he had dined at Cohen’s house he had told stories about his experiences in Kimberley. Ho had never been in Kimberley, and had never said that he knew Sir Joseph Robinson. He did tell Golion that lie had met Mr Barney Baniato, which was true.