"GROSS PERJURY"

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 282, 25 May 1912, Page 5

"GROSS PERJURY"

LOVE AND FINANCE. ' i Auckland, May 22. } An unusual case came Vfore Mr. C. }' C. Kettle at the Magistrate's Court thj» '| morning in which Miss Suth Breach }M sought to recover from Anthony Mela* 1 £l6 17s 10d, money lent and for jewel- a lery pawned. The defendant absolutely' | denied ever having borrowed any,money [js from plaintiff. The plaintiff stated in ,a her evidence that she was a single wo- il man. She first saw the defendant on l a ferry boat when she was in company <§ with % lady friend. He followed them 'J after they got on shore'and took them '-% for afternoon tea. She had not then % been long in Auckland. Melas had *.& her out for a drive and paid her other jj attentions. He told her he had started j | in business as a wine merchant:' He had ''l offered to marrv her. ' ' | Mr. Kettle: Were you engaged? ••« Witness said she had no ring'. Melas I told her he was pressed for money, and ,'.| she lent him £!). At that time she had :| about £ls. Later on she lent him £4, ■§ and £2. As he still wanted money for ,1 his business she gave him some) jewellery, ■' | which he pawned for £3 10s. It had . j been her mother's jewellery, and 'Melas 'i! promised to redeem it. Witness pro- j duced s> pawn ticket which bore the de- '| femlanTs name. She fiwther stated that -| the defendant had paid her back £1 10s, J and also bought her a pair of shoes for , 5 3s fid. After he got the money his at- -J tentions to her cooled. i Mr. Kettle: You suggest that he delib- I erately kept on with you to get money, 3 and then when he had secured it he got i colder? -i] Witness: Yes. ' ■« Anthony Melas, who spoke with a fo- "~\ reign accent, stated.that the girls laugh- J ed at him on the boat and after they >\ landed he was passing when one saidr ■ % "Good day, sir." He got into converea- J tion with the girls, and took them to | afternoon tea. They invited him home, $ and he stayed until 12.30 a.m. They & had tea and music together., He was I! always looking for enjoyment. * -J Mr. Kettle: Did you at any time bor- ;| row money of this young woman? • j Witness; Not a halfpenny. . J Continuing his evidence, the witness -| stated that the plaintiff asked him to pawn some jewellery, as she wanted to./iij buy a new dress. He pawned the things'"! for £3 10s in his own name, and gare 4 her the ticket and the money. In answer ' i to the Magistrate the defendant said he | had £l4 or £ls when he started as a. Sj wine merchant at Devonport. He sold ; f New Zealand wine. He had come to ,-% Auckland from Melbourne. N Before that -3 he was in Egypt. He left Cairo because ■% it was too hot. ,$ Mr. Kettle said most gross and delib- |] erate perjury had been committed on one M side or the other. He preferred to ae-~ M cept the evidence of the plaintiff. Judjf- "J ment would be for plaintiff for the,:|i amount claimed, with costs. ''Sal