RELEASED ON £6,000 BAIL

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 783, 2 October 1929, Page 1

RELEASED ON £6,000 BAIL

Helensville Man Faces Charges of Being Fugitive U.S. Criminal

FELLOW TOWNSMEN MAKE APPEAL FOLLOWING an eloquent plea by Mr. G. P. Finlay and the presentation of a petition from a number of accused’s fellow-townsmen at Helensville, the man held under the name of A. B. Crouch was granted bail in the sum of £3,000 and three sureties each of £I,OOO by Mr. F. Iv. Hunt, S.M. at lhe Police Court this morning.

John Grey, as the arrested man was styled during his 11 years’ residence in Helensville, is charged with being a fugitive criminal from the United States, within the meaning of the Extradition Act, being wanted on a charge of forgery in the State of Texas, U.S.A.

The man was arrested at Helensville on September 24. following the arrival from Texas of Sheriff Bigliam, who had been sent out from the States to identify Crouch. When drey appeared in the Police Court under the name of A. B. Crouch, described as a land agent, aged 4S, Mr. Finlay appeared for him and pointed out that he was admitting nothing byappearing under the name of Crouch. I'hief-Detective Hammond said that the man had been wanted for 13 years on a forgery charge involving 200,000 dollars. He was held on a provisional warrant and the papers from America were expected to arrive on October 7. Mr. Finlay’s application for bail was refused. HELENSVILLE'S PETITION

This morning Mr. Finlay renewed lhe application for bail, suggesting rhat the request might receive more favourable consideration now that the furore created by the arrest had died down. "Even assuming that this Is the man, the circumstances are somewhat in his favour,” said counsel. “He has been in Helensville 12 years and is a fixture there. He has a very considerable reputation for probity and honesty that is almost an example.” Mr. Finlay produced a petition from leading townspeople of Helensville offering to go bail for accused. There were also in court, he said, representatives of the Real Estate Institute, who could speak well of the man's reputation since he had been a land agent in Helensville: If a British subject were similarly charged there could not be the slightest doubt that lie would get bail, aud counsel considered that there was no -reason why his client should be victimised merely because he was held on a warrant from a foreign Power. “The wide publicity—l may even say the flamboyant publicity—that has been given this case has made any chance of escape practically negligible," said counsel. "Helensville is a very small place and accused can report to the police daily.” .Mr. Finlay was of the opinion that the constable at Helensville should be able to watch his charge without any difllculty. Another reason why the man should have bail was that he was receiving so many visitors at the gaol, mainly about business affairs. that it was difficult for his legal advisers to prepare a case. The gaol authorities were very patient and considerate, but the gaol was an awkward place to get to and the regulations were being broken in all directions. The Magistrate: Yes. they tell me that is so. APPLICATION OPPOSED

Mr. Meredith,for the Crown, applied Tor a remand until October !>, which "»9 granted. He also opposed the application for bail. Mr. Meredith admitted the reputation gained by

accused in Helensville, but pointed out that Crouch was* described in the papers from America as an ardent church-worker in his native Texan city prior to the committing of the alleged offences. “This is not an ordinary case,” he continued, “ft is not a case of a man living in our midst being charged with an offence here. This man has been arrested under 1 the Fugitive Offenders* Act, which makes the circumstances very different. A warrant was issued in 1916 but the man evaded arrest, and it was 13 years before he was again identified. The world is very wide and the chances of a man with money getting away are not so slight as Mr. Finlay has suggested, notwithstanding the high compliment he has paid to the New Zealand police. It. has been the practice not to grant bail in extradition cases.”

Mr. Meredith quoted an authority in support of his argument and pointed out that there was an obligation to a foreign Power that should not be overlooked. It was, in effect, a treaty case. “We have no wish to do the man an injustice, but this is a case where discretion must be exercised with the greatest care,” he added. Mr. Meredith assured Mr. Finlay that the gaol authorities would do everything possible to promote the convenience of accused’s legal advisers. “This man has evaded arrest before, and if bail be granted, there is a grave risk that what happened 13 years ago may happen again,” he concluded.

Mr. Finlay: Substantial townspeople will be his bondsmen Mr. Mereditli remarked that Mr. Finlay himself had made a point of accused’s being well endowed financially.

Mr. Finlay: Mr. Meredith is trying to stampede the case. A constable lives next door to the man and there is nothing to prevent him reporting twice a day. The residents of Helensville are prepared to put up the bail aud it i 3 in their interests to see that he does not get away. If accused is kept in gaol it would be an injustice, as he has extensive farming interests to look after that would suffer in his absence. “That sounds reasonable,” commented the magistrate. “Here is a man who has been in our midst for 11 or 12 years. His fellow-townsmen are prepared to go bail for him and I must not assume that he has given them the money to do so.” Bail was accordingly allowed cn the condition that accused reports daily to the police at Helensville. “We had better make the time 7.30 p.m., so that the constable can be sure he has not left on the evening train,” said the magistrate. “Are there two trains going through Helensville?” Chief-Detective Hammond: Yes: but one goes North and it would only get him into trouble.