On The Rebound

NZ Truth, Issue 1196, 1 November 1928, Page 8

On The Rebound

AS a result, of scathing remarks . embodied m the judgment of •

Judge Ostler' at the Dunedin Supreme Court some weeks ago, when Thomas Henry Brown ; failed to establish a claim for £500' for alleged slander, the defendant, George Augustus Herbert, and one of his/witnesses, William Cavanaghi Mercer,' have been corrimitted for trial on charges of perjury.

The prosecution against Herbert is based on the following extract from his evidence m the hearing of the ' slander case: "Two days after that, he brought the car m to get the speedometer set back., He said he was: m a hurry, and asked if I would do it while he waited. I told my chief mechanic, Mercer, to do. the job. Mercer set it back and I made ,a : statement to Garter m . Stedman's garage. There were 'present; iwo Stedmans and Carter-"' '

It is alleged that Mercer committed perjury by stating m his evidence during the same caso: "That before Brown went to America,' "Herbert- '..instructed me to'work on the speedometer. Brown was m Herbert's office. I- was ■(' told to remove the speedometer and turn it bgck; I swear I was told to wind it back.

At the lower court hearing of evidence fifteen witnesses, were called by Chief-detective Cameron. Lawyer Hanlon appeared for Herbert, and Lawyer Sinclair for Mercer, bail being allowed the defendants m sums of £50 each m. their' own recognisance, with « further surety of a similar amount m each cast. .