PERSONS IN THE AMAZING BANK TRIAL.

Shannon News, 6 February 1925, Page 4

PERSONS IN THE AMAZING BANK TRIAL.

The Ordeal Of Mrs Charles Robinson. SURPRISING CONFESSION OF AN UNEXPECTED WITNESS (BY VINCENT WRAY.) In my experience there has never been a case, even in the Royal Courts of Justice that has equalled in sensation, dramatic interest, and amazing incident the one in which Mr. Charles Robinson sued the Midland Bank for the huge sum of £126,000. Lord Darling, who presided, is an outstanding personality. He lias been well called "the great little judge,” and now and again his wit flashed out, and his learning was indicated by apt reference to precedent, and quotation from some classic. Then there were as counsel Sir Johti Simon, probably the keenest and most acid crossexaminer at the Bar, and Lord Halsbury, clever and fearless, and the bearer of a historic name and title. There are also the six persons who were alleged to liave carried out an audacious scheme of blackmail. But behind all 'was ' the si aister figure of an "Eastern Potentate,” whose name "for State reasons” was withheld. He was spoken of all

through, except on one occasion when his identity slipped out, as “Mr. A.” There have been many protests against this anonymity. I understand that letters have even reached tne judge and the officials of the Court, demanding that Mr. A. should have the same publicity that would have come to you or me had we been in the position of this Oriental Potentate.

But reasons of state must have consideration, and though the identity of the personage, concerned is known to many, none dare make it public through ■ the medium of the newspaper. The same argument applies to the English A.D.C. It was feared that the identity of his employer might be traced through him, and therefore, his name also was not mentioned. But those who had to face the limelight a\’e, in the circumstances, of astonishing interest. Mrs. Robinson is a woman slightly under the average height. She is not quite what would be described as beautiful. But she iff fascinating, and has marvellous selfpossession. I watched her as she sat near her husbafrd in the Court. Her face was pale, but otherwise she showed little emotion. In the witnessbox she was Just as calm and unperturbed. I wondered at the absolute control this little woman had over her frame and features.

She had a terrible story to tell —a dreadful and appalling confession to make. She declared that she had miscondricted herself with two men. One was Montague ‘Noel Newton, who was stated by counsel to be abroad. She declared that, in consequence of this, she was in the power of the man, who terrorised her. The other man with whom she had guilty and intimate association was the mysterious "Mr. A.”

This story she related in detail. The crowd was hushed into quiescence as the woman in the case made confession of her gujlty intrigue. There was a room at a hotel in Paris where Mrs. Robinson and the Indian Potentate slept together. In the morning someone knocked at the door. The woman opened it, and there, she said, she found Newton.

Afterwards, according to the evidence of successive witnesses, the Indian wrote out two cheques, each for £150,000. One was undated and never cashed. The other was cashed. And it was alleged that the plunder was shared among certain conspirators, whilst Mr. Robinson received none or it. There was talk of forged endorse, meals, and missing papers. Mrs. Robinson had got £25,000; and it was for the balance that the husband sued the bank, Mrs. Robinson had to face the keen uml pitiless cross-examination of Sir John Simon. It it had been expected by anyone in that packed Court that she would break down under the ordeal they were doomed to disappointment. The woman neve|r faltered. Generally her tone was conversatonai though now and again she raised her voice, and her cheeks flushed, as she indignantly repudiated a suggestion that was distasteful.

She is a woman of spirit as well as of frailty. Once she beat the floor of the witness-box with her feet, ana her fingers trembled, as she uttered an indignant "Ridiculous!” That was when she was staring-at certain questions that had been written in pencil. Tlie nature of the interrogations was not stated. But I understood that they were concerned with certain native customs. However, that may be, it is certain that Hiey wove of an extraordinary character.

Mrs. Robinson has been residing »n Kniglitsbridge, and every morning except on one occasion when her strength failed her, drove In a taxi-cab to the back of the Court. She was anxious to avoid the huge crow<*g which assembled in the Strand, eager to gain a glimpse of the persons *n this extremely unpleasant case. 1 shall refer to these crowds presently. The plaintiff, Mr. Robinson, is a typi. cal man of the world. He has had many adventures. His story, as told in the witness-box was intensely interesting. He had been in Australia. Two of his brothers and htmseir had established a large business as butchers, but fallen into the habit of betting, with the result that the business collapsed. Mr. Robinson came to Lon., don, however, with a considerable amount of money. by the betting mania, and that he had carried on a business under the name of Blomfield. I studied him when ho

was in the witness-box, and he apHe admitted that he had been bitten peared to me as a man of extraordinary will power. He faced Sir John Simon without hesitation or demur, He struck one as being a man of the world, who was ready to ; face what was inevitable without complaint. -It did not matter to him that he was confronting one of the most formidable Counsels that has ever appeared in a Court of Justice. Somebody who was near me remarked in a low voice that the description which was given of Lord Kitchener would apply to him —that he had "a brain packed in ice.”

There was another witness, who attended on subpoena, and who. haa been described by Counsel as one 01 the “big three” in the case. He was Mr. Hobbs. I saw Mr. Hobbs, and watched him while he wa s giving evidence, and whilst he was under crossexamination. He is a man of sturdy build, and with a growth of whitening hair round his chin, which indicated that he has .long since past the phase of early manhood.

He has been told to produce cheques and documents, but they were not in his possession. He spoke of a theft, and suggested that another man in the Court—rh “Captain Moss”—haw paid £2O for the stolen documents. Lord Darling said that “Captain Moss,” who was in the Court, should not leave the Court. Captain Moss was quite unperturbed, and he was not then called into the witness-box. At the close of ‘Mr. Hobbs’ evidence, he was perspiring profusely. The atmosphere of the Coui-t was heavy, and there were few who were not anxious to escape to to the corridor without. It was at another session that the greatest surprise ever realised in a Court of Law occurred. It had been said that Newton would not appear, but seated in front of Counsel, was a tall dark man with a heavy black moustache and aggressive eyebrows. With dramatic suddenness, Sir John Simon stretched out a long forefinger and pointed to him. “Mr. .Newton la here,” he said, and "he will give evidence.” Then he went on to explain that it had cost the Bank £30,000 to induce the witness “to take the risk” of returning to this country ana giving evidence. There was a hushed silence in the Court when Mr. Newton went into the witness-box and told most amazing concession that has ever been known in history of the Royal Courts of Justice. He gave his narrative in a suave, even voice, which at times staggered the Court, and at other times made them, rock with laughter. He spared neither himself nor anyone else. He admitted blandly that'he was to pose as Mrs. Robinson’s husband, and he alleged that the others, who had been named by the bank, were all in the conspiracy with him. It was almost like a tide from the Arabian Nights. Newton never raised his voice. He might have been conducting an ordinary conversation. He was unabashed and unconcerned. This, in sk° r t, was his story.

He said Mrs. Robinson called him up on the telephone, and he went round to her house in Chapel Street, and was told about “Mr. A” and his immense wealth. He told how the plot was hatched to trap the Potenate in a compromising situation, ana how the conspiracy developed. “Mr. A” was a wealthy man, and he was to be the subject of blackmail. Bui there wa s comedy in the picture painted by Newton of his assumption of the role of husband. He said that-Mr. Robinson did not look like a society man, that the A.D.C. of the Eastern Potennte wanted to convince himself that Newton was the kind of man who would represent an indignant husband of J.lrs. Robinson.

Newton admitted that he went for inspection and approval, and when asked if he passed muster,- a supercilious smile played for an instant on Ills face, and then he remarked “Well, he thought I would do.” All this time Mrs Robinson who- —in her evidence —had confessed that Newton was her lover, sat with her head bowed, but presently overcome by the heat, and possibly by llio emotion which possessed her, she rose and with difficulty a way was made for her through the crowded -corridor, whence she drove in a taxicabe to her residence in Knightsbridge Never in my experience have i known a High Court of Justice so roused and electrified by the unexpected appearance of a witness as In this case. There was not a person whose eyes who were not fixed on Montague Noel Newton, and even Lord Darling, through partly-closed eyes, looked at the man as though he were studying a new character. The only one who was unmoved was Newton himself —in his way one of the most amazing personalities of the age. There was something startling in his admission of a conspiracy, and when he left the witness-box finally, there were many who marvelled at the man’s audacity. And so this extraordinary cas e has gone oh—a case, as a well-known novelist remarked to me, which is crowded with incident and sensation such as no writer dare put into cold print or any dramatist could conceive. It is in its way the greatest trial of cen. turies.