LA MILO.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 380, 4 May 1910, Page 5

LA MILO.

ACQUITTED OF FRAUD. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright London, May 2. The judge, in summing up, declared that the evidence against La Milo was insufficient. Easten and La Milo were acquitted, and Eggena was sentenced to twentyone months' hard labor. MOTOR MERCHANT'S STORY. On the close of the case for the prosecution of the well-known music-hall artist, La Milo, and her fellow defendants, the pleas for the defence were opened at Bow street on the eighth day of the hearing of the £SOOO conspiracy charge (says a telegram dated March 10). The three defendants are Pansy Montagu, or Eggena ("La Milo"), Ferdinand Eggena, and Percy Holland Easton. The last word in the prosecution consiftett of evidence called with the object or showing that La Milo paid a Leicester Place dressmaker's bill with two £SO notes, which formed part of the money received 'by Eggena from the pawning of the jewellery which the prosecution alleges he obtained from Mr. Wood o"i ilu security of 25 motor-cars for which be had only paid a deposit to Mr. Easton.

A feature of the ca*e was the suggestion made on behalf of Easton that his signature had been forged by Eggena to a document acknowledging the receipt of the 25 ears, and undertaking to hold them at the motor house at the jeweller's disposal. Mr. Symmoits. on behalf of La Milo. submitted that a jury would not convict her. Assuming that there had been a fraud, what was there to show that she was a party to it ? She had never negotiated any part of the arrangements by which the cars were to be taken as security for payment of the jewels. The ieweller, Wood, and his manager, Mr. TeKer, who were men of business, -both believed that the transaction with the Motor House was n. perfectly legitimate one. nnd if thev believed it why should not La Milo have believed it? If La Milo was the wife of Ferdinand Epgcna. then her defence was all the stronger. The Magistrate (Mr. McrshanO pointed' out that there was no evidence at present that she was Eggena's wife. "I can't say there is no case against her." the Magistrate proceeded. "She must go for trial." La Milo accordingly pleaded not guilty, and reserved her defence.