TRIAL AND CONVICTION OF MR BENZON.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 462, 12 April 1890, Page 4

TRIAL AND CONVICTION OF MR BENZON.

(From Our London Correspondent.) London, February 14. The spectacle of the most noble, the Marquess of Ailesbury, giving evidence in favour of his “old pal,” Benzon, before the Correctional Tribunal, at Nice, was from all accounts worth travelling the whole distance between England and the Riviera to witness. When it transpired that the charge of forgery was to be dropped, and that the “Jubilee’’ would probably escape with a nominal punishment for escroquene (swindling), the majority of Englishmen who had resolved to say a word for the wretched youth in the hope of mitigating punishment, elected not to mix themselves up in the case. The Marquess, however, “ came to time ” (as he expressed it) like a trump.and when he perceived that his slang was perplexing the Court and reducing the dignified interpreter almost to tears, commenced to enjoy himself hugely. Ho said “ the boys no, not the street boys, but “ chappies ’’—always thought Benzon “ a silly joker ” and in consequence christened him the “Jubilee Juggins.” Didn’t think he would “run crooked ” purposely ; had always been a “ shingle short,” and now gambling had driven him “ clean dotty.” Benzon himself sobbed rather less than on the previous Friday, but was at best a miserable liguro. His conceit is ineradicable apparently, for he seems to consider it quite natural that everyone should sympathise with what he terms his misfortunes, and has throughout been fatuously anxious to know what the papers said about him. “ They’d never have put me in prison in England,” he remarked to a visitor. “I’m too popular. Besides, who ever heard of achappie with £30,000 being locked up? It’s dam’nonsense.” Benzon was brought from prison to the Correctional Tribunal in the ordinary prisoners’ van, in company with - half-a-dozen bad characters. When placed before the President, he seemed to feel his position less keenly than last week. Witnesses were first called to prove that Benzon gave cheques in his own name, when he had no assets at Coutts’s Bank. The first was a cheque of one hundred and eleven pounds to the keeper of the Hotel d’ltalie, in Mentone, where he stayed. His hotel bill was for a small amount, and the hotelkeeper, after being assured by people who knew Benzon that the prisoner bad money, gave him change on the cheque. The latter was dishonoured, but the witness said he had since been reimbursed in full by a gentleman named Jinks, acting on behalf of Benzon's friends at Monte Carlo.

The second witness, an English gentleman named Munday, spoke to having lent forty pounds to Benzon to gamble wdth in the rooms of the Monte Carlo Casino. He receivedin return a cheque for sixty pounds, which was dishonoured ; he had, however, since been paid, Mr Unwyn, manager of the English Department of the Credit Lyonnais, described the way in which Benzon induced them to cash the cheque for a thousand pounds in the name of Mr Hargreaves. He first came with a cheque for ono hundred pounds, and, after witness had telegraphed to London, and been informed that Mr Hargreaves was good for any amount, witness paid the amount of the cheque to Benzon. However, he returned to the Bank next clay, and withdrew the cheque. A few days later, he presented a cheque for five hundred pounds, which was paid and withdrawn in the same way. Then, on JanuarylSth, he presented the cheque for one thousand pounds, and received the money. Meantime, the suspicions of the Bank were aroused. They sent a tracing of the signature of Mr Hargreaves written by Benzon to London, and, on learning by telegraph that it was a forgery, Benzon was arrested. Witnesses- were called to speak as to Benzon’s previous character. Captain Day called. him an imbecile, much more of a fool than a rogue, as was proved bv a conversation he had with him on the ve’rv day he gob the thousand pound cheque cashed. Benzon asked Captain Day if he thought a bank there would pay him a cheque written out by him in the

name of Rothschild. Captain Day replied that he would be sent to prison for such an act. Benzon responded lightly that it would not bo so great a crime, as his friends would pay the money afterwards. Several other English gentlemen spoke to having known Benzon for a couple of years, and believed him to be more of a fool to himself than a swindler towards others.

The prisoner himself was then interrogated. He said he was twenty-three years of age. He had come into a fortune of three hundred thousand pounds when he was twenty-one, bub was now a bankrupt in England. He had, however, a private fortune of fifty thousand pounds left by his father, which was in the hands of the trustees, and could not be touched. When he gave cheques in Mentone and Monte Carlo on Coutbs’s Bank he firmly believed he had a ; sufficient balance there to cover them. Further, he was playing at Monte Carlo, and hoped to win enough to pay off his debts ; but ho lost and lost, and then in despair made out that cheque in the name of Mr Hargreaves. That amount of one thousand pounds he also lost at Monte Carlo. The Public Prosecutor addressed the Court, and then M. Lairolle, who defended Benzon, made an able speech, imploring the mercy of the Court for one who had already been severely punished by his fall from the position of a rich and respectable English gentleman to a prisoner in the dock of a foreign country. A sentence of three months’ imprisonment was then passed, and Benzon was removed by the gendarmes. A number of bis friends were allowed to see him in tho ante-room. Mr Beckett, M.P., and Sir Frederick Milner had scats near the President on the Bench. I need scarcely say the general feeling is that the J.J. has got of! very easily. In England, where influence could scarcely have been brought to vary the ordinary course of justice, the forgery alone would have landed him in penal servitude for at least five years. Ernest Benzon is now, of course, both socially, and from a sporting point of viow, dead ; but his self-conceit seems so illimitable that the fact will probably have to bo forcibly brought home to him.