THE ALLEGES "LONG" FIRM.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4409, 3 May 1893, Page 3

THE ALLEGES "LONG" FIRM.

Prisoners Before the Court,. At tho Wellington R.M, Court yestorday George William Qoode and John William Orabtreo were charged with conspiring, with H. J. Thompson, to obtain from Cunningham, Badliam and Go, goods to tho value of £7B 138 8d by false pretonsea with intent thoreby to cheat and defraud. Tho following rather interesting account ot tho proceedings we republish from the N. Z, Timeß:—Constable Smith,stationed at Foatherston, stated that on the ?4th of last month he arrestsd. the accused Crabtree in his. store at Foatherston. Accused handed him subsequently, in the lockup, a pocket-book, containing certain documents—a sale, note and a cheque. Wbilo in tho store, Crabtree wrota out a receipt for £65 lor goods reooivod : from Qoode. When giving witness, the sale noto, Crabtree said: 1 This is a receipt trom, Thompson to me for my Bharo in .tho store, 1 - Dotoctivo.|Herborf, who brought Crabtree. down from Feathoraton to Wellington, .deposed that on' tho journny Crabtree said lie bought the Grey town store from Thompson for £l5O, paying .iSO in cash and tho rest in bills. Ho also said ho and Thompson imd'Goode came from Tasmania together, and-.that he had known Thompson befora.lcaving.Tasmania. .r'V.v'-: K ■<.''■

Constable McKinnon, stationed.at the Upper Hint,-deposed that he arrested Goode there on the 24th, ns he was going Wellington, Accused said lie hid nothing to Jo with Thompson or Crabtree. He found oh him the receipt from Crabtree mentioned by Constable Smith. He said he M business .it Feathersion and Wellington, and no one but himself had anything to do with them. Chief Detective' Campbell stated that on April 22nd he .went to the the store in Moleswortli streot.occupied by Gocde; .Mrs Orabtreo was present in the shop, and fold him that she was M ia Gpode, and was in chargo of the shop. Later on he saw Goode and Mrs Crabtree ■'there, .. Witness asked Goode if he knew wliero a man named Thompson was,;':arid Goodo replied that lie kneiv nothing at all about liim. He (Goodo)' knew.ho bought.' Thompson out. of a shop in 'l'aranaki street, and knew nothing of him since then. ■ In reply to a further question Goo.Jo said he know nothing about Crabtree. Witness said; 'Don't you think it is strange that-Mrs CrabI tree is here going' under the name of your wife, and that you know nothing a':out Ciabirea ?' Goode ngain declared that ho. kiiew nothing' about him, and that Mrs Crabtreo was simply staying.in tho shop with him. Witness had previously told Goo.le who ho was, warned him to be careful as to what replies ho made, as probably'something more would come of it. In a drawer in the shop lie found a document signed by Thompson and directed to a Mrs Hodge, stating that Gcoile was authorised to receive accounts.

Margaret Hodgo, wife of Charles (lodge, living in Tarmittki atrcot, Wellington, elated that, in February lost she and her husband occupied some rooms at the back of a Btoro in that street. A man named Thompson carried oh the Htore. After somo time Blio was employed in the. store by Thompson. • She could not recollect having . over seen cither of the prisoners at the Btoro until ' Goode bought tho store' about the 15th of March last. At that tinio Thompson told her he was going away. She had worked for Goode ever sinon. Thompson had been to the store once since then, end she had also seen Crabtree af er Goods took over the store. On the only two occasions she saw. Crabtree there he asked for Thompson. •While 6he was in thii store she had to send doVir. for- supplies to Goodo's store-in Moleaworth street, Qocde warned her against Thompson coming into the- place, and told her if he came into, the place to. turn him out. She could not remember Goode Saying anythingabbu^ Thompson sold the store he said he was going to start up. country in the samo.line of business, but that in any case his name would be "Walker," and admitted that he was a " rolling stone," She identified,tho aignatUTo |to a recaipt produced as being ■in tho handwriting of Thompson, She sold the goods in tho store, according to/a price-list made out by Goode. - John Let!, bootmaker, Taranaki street, Eaid lie was the owner of the store in question in. that street.: In January last ho lot it to. Goodeon: a twelve months' lease. Goode opened the■■ store' immediately ' afterwards, having. Thompson and Crabtree to help him. The two la'ter prepared the shop, and Thompson remained, in the shop. Thompson told witness he was maaager for Goode. He thought something' was said, by Thompson about transferring the lease from Goodo to himself, 'Ho understood the goods in the.6hop came from the store in Jiolowsorth 6trect, and he bad seen bard goods taken away from the Taranaki street store. Ho thought it was Crabtreo and.Thompson who took the goods away in a trap. . By Mr Jellicoe: He thought old Mr Crabtree was driving:the trap on one occasion. ■/■r.

By the Bench: He did not see Crabtrco : and Thompson until after tho lease had been made out,, lie understood Thompson, was engaged by Goode. Ellen Emma- Lett, daughter of.the last, witness also gave evidence, Ouning-ham-saidhewasin partnornhip with Mr E, T; Badham as auctioneers and genenl merchants. ' On the 16th of February they, supplied goods to Thompson, which were sent to the storo ■ in ■ Taranaki-street, That <lot was paid for. ■■•.Neither of tho accused .waa. present at that time, On tha 15th Maroh last Thompson told him a Mrs Ilodga was going to managi tho ' Taranaki-street; store for ■him, and that he was also going to keep a store which'he had bought in Greytown from Mr.'Wood, the auctioneer, for £2OO, V He (Thompson) gave an order for certain goods amounting to £7B' 14s. Bd, and asked the firm to send them to the railway station to be consigned to Greytown. He said ho would pay for them with bills in one month. The goods were supplied, and Thompson sent down the promissory notes signed. The first bill waa dishonoured when it fell due on the 21st April, and on the following day witnoss went up to Greytown. Thompson was not there; Crabtree and anothir man were in the store. Witness asked Crabtree where Thompson was, and was told he was 1 out at present,' Orabtree also aaked witness if be had not heard from Thompson, and witness said yes, and be had come to see him about a letter they had received. He further said they were always willing to assist anybody who was trying to get pn, and Orabtree then told him that Thompnawas at the Queen's Hotel, Wellington "Witness said, 1 Thomp-

son said in his letter that be world give us some seouritv,' and Crabtree said, 1 What has he got to give you ?' Wituoaa then Bnid,' Well, there is the store and tho stock, 1 to which Crabtree replied, ' I don't know about that,' and ou witness asking whom the store belonged to-Crabtree or Thompson-said,'l deoline to answer that.' Witness then said he claimed some of the goods in the store, and Crabtree replied, 1 Everything in this store belongs to me,' and on being further questioned, said lie only owned tho goods and not the store. Some of the goods which witness had sent up were in the store at Ihe timo, While witness was in there a man carao in for some sugar, which he wanted for 2d a lb. Crabtree refused to sell it at that price, and said to witness : There, you see, ho was selling sugar at 2d a lb, and tobacco at is fid; lie never meant to pay yon for the goods,' On the 15th March Thompson had said Im was not in any way connected with the store in Molesworth Si root. Federick Hy. Wood, auctioneer, Greytown, deposed thstearly in March, Crabtree senior, came to him; the accused Crabtree, ho believed, was also with him, They oarae about leasing the Lion Store, but nothing was done then, Altor about a week Thompson oame to him alone about tho lease, and subsequently witness sold him tho goodwill of the lease, the price to be paid being £250. There was a mortgage of 1200, which was to remain, and of the £6O balance £JS was to be paid in cash, and £25 with a three months' promissory note. Eventually Thompson gavo a bill at one. month for the first £25, and a bill at three months for t-lio other £25. Tho first bill became due on April 22nd, and whb dishonoured. He went to the store on tho 24th, and saw Crabtreo (the accused); Thompson was absent, Crahtrpe Baid he had purchased tho stock and lease for £6O aod his back wages. He also said Thompson had. signed an agreement conveying Mo lease to him, but he did not know whether the mortgagees had consented to the transfer. The stock,belonged to him. He had bought the store, and Thompson had nothing to do with, it, but by 12 o'clock that morning he would pay the amount of j tbe'disiionored bill, He (Crabtree) had,not the money himself, but ho expected a Mr Goo.de «p by the mom" ing train, and ho would give him the money,'.. Witness consented, but subsequently from something he had heard .weut anU demanded possession of Ihe store, telling Orabtreo that he had not.told, hini (witness) when he made! the . arrangement that he was going to remove the goods wholesale. There was a lot of 'dummies', on the shelves. Witness eventually obtained possession. ' . . ' . Richard Uen'ry Smith, drap-'r; Groytowu, gave evidence to the effect that Thompson, and Crabtive . sold' the goods in their store very much cheaper 'ban tho usual price, He had seen Goodoand Crabtreo removing cases full of goods from the store. : Thofurtber hearing of the case was, at 5.50 p.m., adjourned until 11 o'clock this morning,