A CHARGE OF CONSPIRACY.

NZ Truth, Issue 107, 6 July 1907, Page 6

A CHARGE OF CONSPIRACY.

ARE Tim JREGIsm OFFICE ROOKS ? |

Sage and Co. Again.

Warrants Issued for Missing Witnesses.

.The (drama -of the '"Registry Office Keeper" opened m Wellington Court on Wednesday, when Patrick Francis Brosnahan and Alfred Crossey were charged that they did, on June IS,, conspire to defraud Thomas Elliott,. Geonge Martin, and Lionel Wallace.j , Ohief • : Detective McGrath prose- [ cuted ; Mr Herdman appeared on behalf of Brosnahan,; Mr Luckie- defended Crossey. The prosecution cal'lecl" .. George Martin, laborer, Cal)astreet, who said "that on June 11, he, ! m company ..with Jamds Elliott a nd Lionel Wallace, went to Sage and Cos. office, King's Chambers, Willisstreet; "Sag© and Co." was the name on the board outside. They ! saw. Brosnahan. and Crossey there, i •Asked Brosc'aihan if there was any j -work. He said 'he wanted, four pick and shovel men at Palmerston,- on i behalf of McCurdy and McA-uley for a man named. Dan Bourke- Bosnahan said to Crossey, "That's right ?" and Crossey replied "Yes ; I have it down m my, pockeinblook." They did , -not take the situation then. Returned on the same even,ing. This was on June 14. He had been at the office on the 11th. Brosnahan "then offered him a 'billet, but he did not take it. On the afternoon of tlie 14th they returned, when Brosn-ahan and Crossey. were present, with others. Askjed Brosnahan if the Palmerston job was all right. Brosnahan said m reply •""I WOULDN'T. DO ANYTHING, t WRONG •*] like that, or I would lose my license." He star-ted to write .out the agreement- Wrote a few lines, and i cai'Apdi another man> present to finish it. Brosnahan was under the influence of liquor, and tihey, left the office, balled 'back next morning, ; at a quarter to 11V when they again saw, Brcanahan. He said lie could no|b d.o k'Aj business then,, as he was going, to the Court- Called I back a\* the office with Lionel Wai- j lace abtfat three o'clock when Brosnahan > fixed up the job. Brosnahan said, "Wibere's your other mate?" Witness. repJied, "He's coming m. later." Brosnahan started to .write out tbe agjreeanent, and as he 'was wri'tin'£ft; Martin's other mate, Elliott, came m awl accepted the billet, and' Wallace v gave Brosnahan 22s Gd, Bros-naiian having told them on the previous even-ing that the fee wouM -be 7s Gd.eaoh- .He read the agreement to Martin. It was signed "Sage, and C 0.," and. purported to obtain a job at 10s per day,. with Dantiel Bourke, rthrougli McCurdy and Co., Saw- Bourke on Monday morning- and gave him the letter. He returned it, bait 'gave them no enxploymenffc. Came back to 'Welldng'ton on June 19, and- next day visited Sage awd Cos. office. 'Saw Brosnafein alone. Elliott ask-ed him wba,t sort of a job Brosndnan. had sent them up to- Brosnahan said he had bad his instructions from McCurdy and Co. Asfeed him "What about expenses ?"i He -told them ,1/hey couldn't get -the-ir expenses, which' would have to be paid toy McCurdy and Co. He said he would return the 7s 6d to each of tin-em, and that was: all, he could 46. He did not return the 7s '6d. The thtee them went, up ' the street and met Crossey. Martin told him they Jm'd not got any. .work, , and he said also that he had had his ininstructions from McAuley and Mc'Curdy. He said he woukl show it m Ifiis book, amd 'told them to call down atUtbe office. Saw both Crossey -amd Brosnaban when! they arrived. Crossey, said, .""■THIS IS -A 1 NICE STATE OF •AFFAIRS." Told ham 4;bey had seen Mr Dan Bourke,, wihb bad said, "Its like their imipudence 4;o send you up." Crossey said they, would send to McAuley amd McCurdy and see about it-> .They left the office after receiving an,in[vitatipn to return on the following morning.. They di<d so, and saw Brosnahan, and asked him if ho had come to any. arrangements. He said he hadn't, and they again retired. Returned m the afternoon and found Crossey alone. He said the firm v/as going to wire to McCurdy and McAu'ley to tell t-hem to come down to the office. He told the men they would have to get their expenses from McCurdy and McAuley. He said that McAuley had written for four navvies, and Crossev 1 read out to', them from his book, "McCurdy, and McAuley, four navvies ;• must be good pick and shovel man ; 10s per day." Crossey said the entry m the book was written by McAuley. He had a barmaid to prove it. Saw similar words on a crumpled-up piece of paper m the book, and on the afternoon of the 2.lst (same day) called again, when they asked Crossey, "Have you got any word yet ?" He replied, "No," and they walked out.* On one occasion after they returned from Palmersfton North, Crossey told them, the business belonged to Brosnahan. Their money bad not since been returned. To Mr Herdman :: Brosnahan told him on the 14th that they might be required to go to Waipukurau a job of pick and shovel work.' He said that Mr Dan Bourke liad a contract at Waipu'kurau laying gas mains. Wfhen Brosnahan offered to give tdiom their 7/6 back, they refused to receive the money. They wanted \]witexpenses. He did not learn m T'almerston North that Dan Botii-lu> was working for McAuley and McC!i.ir>i|iy. To Mr Luckie : Brosnahan hail 1 rwver informed 'him that Cros.wy war a partner m the business, James Elliott tfave corrobni'n.l.ivc evidence.- -When he retu'rniM 1 J'Voin Pnlmerston lie' said to 1 Uros'inilnvn : "What game' have you" got on over Umk work ?" He replied' that ho had liln instructions from' McCurdy Aiitt McAuley. They met Crosscy l'sltfir,- mid he said* that ho would fix libcuv up.. Lionel Wallace 1 , laborer 1 ,- .presently or Picton,- corrobbratcd.. Crossey -had informed them iilVaii .McAuley;, b'acf K'Ven inKtructiGiis m the Pi6r" i-I6tcl ;i---bout tlie empjoyment of fourfiavvioi;. The instructions y/ere given to Bro, i :~ m\ws to $8 p;i,eseSfG ! §i ®v§my.4

Daniel Bourk'e,> "contractori,- Palm-at-ston North, said he was not coj - nected with McAuley and. McCurdy h business. Recollected the men calm p tn bim armed ' }T . WITH A LETTER FROM SACH&, AND CO, ] | he did not give them employment; he did not want men, andi had au' thorised no one to obtain meu for him. ' ] Factories Inspector Lindisi7 £a , ve evidence ,to the w! , effect that Sage usi3d to carry on the business m Willisstreet under the style of "Sage aid. Co." Visited the -office on May 27, and examined the books with Brt-s-. nahan. Asked Bronsnahan why. *c was carrying on without a'. licence. He replied, "Would Sage and Co.'s >Mcense not do." Lindsay said not." He replied, "Then I will apply for a license." Linds a y, said, "I'm afraid you are m trouble now." Brosnalian was convicted sub--sequently. on a charge of carrying tju a servants' registry office without a license. He had since applied for - a license, and as the Inspector had objected the application had been adjourned and had not since betin granted ; so that the firm was earn*. ing. on without a license. Cross-u,/-on the occasion of the Inspector's visit told him that it was all the same which of the two he dealt with, and he inferred that they were together m the business. ; To Mr Herdman : Brosnahan told him that he had purchased the busjness from a map named Moorehouss. Sage, who had Teen threatened wivta prosecution by the. Inspector, hem sold to Mooreh.ouse, who could ndft carry on business without a license./ Detective Rawle arrested boj)h Brosnaban and Crossey on different dates. Brosnahan lound himself i,n the clutches of the law first. Oftj the way to tbe station he remarked, to Rawle, "You might go and tell Crossey. He got orders from McAuley m the Pier Hotel to engage four men. On tihe 15th I got three msn and sent them on to Palmerston." The ' Tec met Crossey la£?rand elicited from 'him tfcat.' oxr^l'be previous Thursday week Crossey and Brosnahan met McAuley and McCurdy m the Pier Hotel.; Botb, McAuley and McCurdy told them TI-DEY WANTED FOUR NAVVIES for a gas-works contract at Wainukurau, and instructed that they, should be sent to Dan Bourke at Palmerston North and he would forward them to Waipukurau. . Brosn-aK han did ,not ihave has note book with him so he used Crossey's to make the following memorandum : "McAuley and .McCurdy, four navvies ; good pick and shovel men ; 10s a day." The same entry appeared on a loose piece of paper m the book. Bojth entries appeared to foe m the same handwriting.. ■ With Constable Stewart, arrested Crosse on the. 23rd. He remarked, •"! never as much, as saw the men till they came back from Palmerston." The much-mentioned Michael Mc'Auley and Charles McCurdy were called, but failed to appear, and, on the application of Chief Detective McGrath, a . remand svas granted' till Friday. Brosnah'an and McCurdy were again charged yesterday, when McCurdy and McCauley failed to appear. Chief Detective McGrath asked for a further remand till Monday 1 The police at Waipukarau had been telegraphed) -to for the purpose of securing the attendance of these essential witnesses, but they refused to come, and a warrant had been issued for their arrest. The remand was granted, tlie bail of Crossey and Brosnahan. being! reduced to '£30, or two sureties of '£ls each.