ADMIRALTY SENSATION

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 19 October 1917, Page 3

ADMIRALTY SENSATION

I BARRISTER AND WING COM- ! MANDER ACCUSED.

STRANGE STORY OUTLINED" IN CONSPIRACY CHARGE.

Statements of a sensational character were made at Bow Street Police Court recently where William August Casson( 64), retired Civil servant and barrister, of Bediord road, Chiswick, was charged oil 'a warrant, and Wing Commander John Cyril ■rorte, R.N.A.S.j appeared on a summons. iqi-7 betv l een August, 1914, and July, >. *hey did unlawfully and corruptly conspire together with Lyman J. Seeley to contravene the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1906, m respect to large sums of money from time to time corruptly paid to and received by Commander Porte, an agent of the Crown, concerning certain contracts mado between the Admiralty and the Curtiss Aeroplane Company, of New

Casson, it will be recalled, was arrested at, Waterloo.as he was about to depart in ftlie boat tram for Southampton. The At-torney-General (Sir Frederick E. Smith), Sir Archibald Bodkin, and Mr R. D. Uoomc appeared for the Crown. Sir Geo AfTw a ?P 6 = u ' Qd [ 01 : Commander Porte, and , ?- r Casson. Sir Charles Matthews, the Public Prosecutor, occupied a seat beside the Magistrate, Sir John Uickinson. Casson and Commander Porte occupied seats m front of the dock. The former wore a, groy suit, with dark oveivom.l f V n P ° rt6 .' a fair ' c lean-shaven young fellow, was in naval uniform. The other defendant, Lyman Seolev. did not appear —ln opening the case the Attorneygeneral said that defendants were charged with conspiring together and with otlier with regard to sums of money corruptly received by Porte amounting m all to about £48,000 The matters involved came to light as a result cW" ™3 ulr y. P ro « de d over by Mr BntK 'P'! Wlth regard to the business reS Z b |tw e en Admiralty and the Curtiss Aeroplane Company. This inquiry was set up by order of Sir Edward Carson, the First Lord of the Admiralty, fv u certain matters which 1 had Tn?v Porte wenfc & America in y « - ' 111 co " necfcl °n with a project for flymg across the Atlantic .on a flying boat called the America," constructed by the Curtiss Company, and which he was w> piJot. Casson was connected with the Curtiss Company, for which the third defendant. Seeley, was publicity agent. ~0 1, , s agreement with the company was oc should receive a commission of 20 ° r 4b per cent, on all sales of flying boats and spares which he might effect for the Curtiss Company. All the

PROJECTS FOR FLYING THE ATLANTIC, " however, said Sir Frederick, came to an end with the declaration of war. and Porte returned to England in August-, 1914. After the outbreak of war Porte was ottered and received a commission in the u.j\.A.b., and was instructed to obtain an W? a + i? °n *- ehal f of , the ' Government nom the Curtiss Aeroplane Company concerning the lowest price of "America" and sister boats. Porto at once cabled to 7,... all estimate, saying: Clients will only accept delivery in Lonreply to this the company nnn thafc , th ® P rice ° f a boat would be ° additional boats for ±4,000 each, payment to be made in New ?, • , \ ] ; ls estimate was accepted and cabled to fcew York by Porte. The boats were duly delivered, and, after beins? tested, were favorably reported on bv Commodore Souter. Casson, who knew'of the order for the boats, seemed at once to have seen that the situation would be advantageous to Porte, who had told him of the arrangement with the Curtiss Company as to commission. He thereupon drew out a document by which the whole of lortes interest in the company should be transferred to himself. in consideration of tins he agreed to pay all Porte's debts v , pro^,eci own expense to A'ew i' \i \ ob j ecfc of th is was to, make it clear tliat lorto's position as a naval officer prevented him from continuing his connection with the company. The real agreement, however, between Porte and Casson was a verbal one, and by this it was arranged that Porte was to receive three-quarters of 20 per cent, or 25 per cent, -of tho commission ou all the orders and that Casson was to receive one-quai-tel. The Attorney-General proceeded to read a number of cables sent by Casson to the Curtiss Company with regard to contracts for flying boats for the Admiralty During this time Seeley arrived in London horn INew York, bringing with him authority to pay to Casson 15 per cent, commission on all Admiralty orders. In order that Casson should not bo brought too prominently beforo the Admiraltv, it was aranged that Seeley would act as' agent of the Uirtiss Company in its dealing with the Admiralty. For this Soelev

WAS TO KECJQLVE A COMMISSION of 1 pel cent., iii. addition to halving the 15 per cent, paid by the company to CasP ? n ". i aaranged that Porte should take Seeley to the Admiralty, and lutroduco him there to see Comuuuider Soutei. When at the Admiralty Seelev gave a xeceipt for an order for four Jiyinrr boats for the Admiralty to the Curtiss Lompaiiy. There could be no doubt that .Porta was kept well informed of the arrangements that were being, made between Caseon and Seuley, by which Porte was to receive three-fourths 0 i the % per cent and Casson one-fourth, the otiier half of the 15 per rent, going to Seeley. It was obvious, isapxi tno Attar njey-Ca-eneral, in. view of the large sums involved, that the money paid for commission wo old be very considerable for each of the defendants. On November 28 the Admiralty realised the great necessity of adding to our air resources, and placed with the Curtiss Company an order for the whole of their output- for 12 months. From time to tune they remitted large sums to the company for aeroplanes, seaplanes, and other inaciiines on account of orders amounting to £2)200,000. Machines to the value uf £] .000,000 were delivered, but the Admiralty had actually paid £1,200,000. 1 orte s share as a result of the transactions amounted to over £48,000, while Gascon's was £16.200. At the time of tlk> Admiralty inquiry investments had been made in Porte's name by Ciisson, but these were subsequently transferred bv Porte to Casson's name. Porte knew that Casson was receiving enormous sums for practically doiug nothing, and that he (Porte) was receiving money as the result of the Admiralty contracts with the Curtiss Company, which he must have known he was not entitled to. It was not suggested that Porte was not a thoroughly capable and skilled oiiieer in his duties, but the fact .remained that he had accepted this money kuowing full well that he was not entitled to a penny of it.. It was the first case of the land, concluded .the AttornevGeneral, since the war began. At the conclusion of the" AttorneyGeueral's speech Porte became suddenlv ill. He was seen to be bleeding from the mouth, and had to lx> assisted from the court. It was explained that lie was suffering from hemorrhage of the lungs. The hearing was adjourned. Porto- was admitted to bail in hi? own xecognisance-s of £2,000, and Gisson vas allowed bail in two sureties of £SOO.