WAS IT A RAZZLL?

NZ Truth, Issue 92, 23 March 1907, Page 4

WAS IT A RAZZL L?

STUBjSS, JiP., SELLS A SECTION.

Dealings m a Chinese Den.

Swears He was Swindled of a Tenner.

A Charge of Perjury is the Sequel.

The latest sensation, if it can W so called, at Hawera, is the recent prosecution and committal for trial of an individual named Edward Pointon on a charge of on March 7, stealing the sum of £10, the property of one George Stubbs, an accountant of Napier. Stubbs is a Justice of the Peace, and the sequel to the prosecution of Pointon is that a charge of perjury has been formulated against Stubbs, J.P. The charge against Pointon was heard at the Hawera S.M. Court one day last week, and Stubbs' story was a singular one, being more than usually interesting m the fact thaiJ^ the alleged thqft /'occurred m a Chinaman's shop, whither they repaired for business and a drinic of hard tack. Another interesting fact is that this Chow is A SLY-GROG SELLER, who is to be, or should be, prosecuted by the police. Stubbs and Pointon, it appears, had some deal over a .section at Port Ahuriri on the <ia,ie mentioned; Four men, including Stubbs and Pointon, drove to the Port to view the section, and Pointon agreed to purchase for a tenner, after which they came back to town and went to the Chinaman's shop to fill up a document. In the shop Pointon asked for the loan of £10, averring that he had authority to sign his father's name, Stubbs shelled . out, and Pointon picked up the sovereigns, put 'them m his pocket, and walked off, and was followed, by Stubbs to various places m the town, though Stubba, J. P., thought all the time that it was a joke. Eventually it got beyond a jofte, and the J.P. rang up for a policeman. A constable came down, and ' while they were talking the accused came back. The constable called him ifftp the room, and witness told the, accused not to play the fool, but give him the money t and he replied he had not got it. The constable, then searched him, and witness left the room while he was doing so.- Witness rang up for a cab, arid they all drove to the police station. Witness begged the accused to give him the money' and own that .-■'.]. HE WAS ONLY JOKING. Having found th,e : money on him, the constable decided not to let him go. Witness had not if seen ' the' money since accused ( .got it., As to the other sovereign foUiitf 6ri him, witness lent him that at the Spit, and received an 1.0. U.; for ity he remarking white they were there that be had no money. The, accused said that', the eleven sovereigns found on him had been received from Ms customers. There was no doubt as to the meaning of -Lawyer Cresswell, who cross-examined; Stubbs. He more /than broadly - hinted that the honorary "bealc had been on the fazzle that day. He was: not, he said, drinking to excess on Wednesday and Thursday. Met the accused- about 10.30 a.m. on Thursday on the Marine Parade. Had aboUt £3° ln S°Nl on me at the time.^Gashed my Own chequefor it. Did not meet Pointon between 6 and 7 a.m. on Thursday m the Central Hotel and, have a drink with him . Couldn't have changed money, as I 'didn't see Pointon; Had business with Mr. Juden, and Was not with anybody else at the Albion Hotel qn that ■ morning. Am positive I did not see Pointon. Called at the Union Hotel and had a drink about eleven ; it was only , a soft ' one. Also had a drink at the Railway Hotel. Went from there to the Western Spit, and had a hock and soda. Called at the Royal, and had another, reaching there some time after 11. Could not remember if I. had a drink in| the Albion m the morning. Went about m G. Davis' trap, and paid five shillings for hire of it. Took the trap first and paid the hire afterwards. Was not taking out my money and flashing it m the hotels, visited; only looked for what was necessary. Had a drink m the Chinaman's shop, THE ONLY HARD DRINK, during the day. Was not under the influence of drink when the constablecame along ; was excited. Was not m the Criterion Hotel late on Thursday very much the worse for liquor. Was not m the Empire at all on Thursday. Am satisfied to stand by the answers given by me, but I consider it a most unfair and unheard of examination. Stubb's evidence was supplemented by John Jacob Juden. He was posi.tive ,that only soft drinks had been consumed that morning. He had heard nothing about money till m the Chinaman's shop, when Mr. Stubbs counted out some, but witness could not say how much. The accused took it. It was gold. Was not sure where the accused put it, owing to the. disturbance between Stubbs and Pointon, who were pushing each other about. Witness knew no more on the subject, as he went out. He heard some "talk about £10. Constable Esson said that the Sergeant had received a telephone* message from the Working Men's Club at "about 10 minutes to 12 on the 7<th instant, and witness was sent down to inquire. Met Mr. Stubbs on arrival, who< made a complaint m reference to the matter now before the court. Was speaking to him m the passage, when the accused and Mr. Odium came into the club by the back entrance from Dickens-street. They enteted the bar, and witness called accused out into the passage, and explained to him that £10 had been taken from Mr. Stubbs. He replied that he knew nothing about it. and was never m a Chinaman's shop that morning with Mr. Stubbs, or any other person. He also said that , STUBBS WAS TELLING A LIB when he said he (Pointon)had his money. The accused said he borrowed £1 from Mr. Stubbs, and had given him an 1.0.U for it. The accused said he had never agreed to sign any P.N. for the loan of £10 from MrStubbs. He snid he had agreed to buy a. section from him and to pay , him £10. Witness took the accused

into a side room, and told him he wanted to search him, which he did, and found 11 sovereigns on him. Witness asked where he got them, and he replied "I got tihem from customers this morning." Witness asked the names of them, and he replied, •' Go and find out," and asked for the money back, making a grab for it. While they 1 were scuffling, Mr. Odium came into the room and stopped the accused. The accused was under the influence ol drink, but appeared to know what he was doing. After being locked Up for a time, he still persisted m saying the money was his own, but never mentioned from whom ho got it. Pointon reserved his defence, ana as stated, was committed 'for trial.