CHARGES OF FRAUD.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 March 1919, Page 5

CHARGES OF FRAUD.

ANCONIA SHEEP DIP CASE. HARRISON ON TRIAL. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. The trial of John C. Harrison upon a number of charges of fraud arising out: of dealings in a compound known as "Anconia Sheep Dip" was begun at the Supremo Court to-day before Mr. Justice Hosting. Accused was arrested last year at Vancouver and extradited to New Zealand. The trial was delayed by the epidemic, and by the difficulty in getting certain Crown witnesses from Australia, with the rtsult that accused was over ten months in custody. Tho indictment contained live charges of obtaining chiques by means of false pretences, with alternative charges of stealing cheques and of stealing the money they represented. The alleged offences relate to persons resident in Te Awamutu, Te Kuiti, Marton, New Plymouth and Palmcrston North. Harrison was also charged that on various dates in January and February, 1918, he obtained credit by means of fraud from five Auckland firms or business men. Mr. Tole, opening the case, said the series of transactions referred to in the indictment constituted f,ne of the grossest pieces ofimposturo ever discovered in fccw Zealand, and was carried out with a refinement that showed the practised hand. Five charges of false pretences all related to cheques of an aggregjie value of £3OO odd. The cheques accuatd obtained by false representations that certain packages of powder contained good and effective sheep-dip preparation, which was gold by accused under the name of "Ancona Sheep Dip," would be shown to be worthless for that purpose. In addition, accused also fraudulently obtained credit to the extent of £234 in procuring a quantity of goods, including sulphur, soda and alum, boxes, printed cartons, pamphlets, and other printed matter relating to the dip. Harrison arrived from Australia on December 20, 1917. He told the Customs officials that he was a farmer travelling for the beneßt of his health. Within ten days he secured the lease of r remises in Queen Street for a term of three years, at a rental of £lO5 per year. He represented himself to the landlord as a member of the firm of "John Harrison and Sons, warehousemen." By March 5 following he was out of New Zealand, leaving the premises derelict, but in the meantime he had succeeded in accumulating about £IOOO by means of bogus sheep dip. Although the present charges related to only about £3OO, accused went on a journey down the Main Trunk line, in the course of which he permnded persons to buy quantities of his preparation, and to give cpen cheques in payment. He declared that the nip was better than certain well-known preparations, and that it had been used successfully in the Argentine and elsewhere. He offered

them agencies, and promised to send canvassers to push '.he sale*. When tlte canvassers failed to arrive osrae of the victims made inquiries, but by that time Harrison was on the high aeas. Samples of the powder were sent for analysis, and were pronounced worthless as aheep dip or dliiinfectant, the estimated value of a 5s packet being about Cd.