THOSE-PAPER HALF-SOVEREIGNS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 958, 27 October 1910, Page 4

THOSE-PAPER HALF-SOVEREIGNS.

ONE CAUSES TEOUBEE,

(By atelegraph.—Press ABeoclationJ

Christchurch, October, 25.

On October.'B, at the .New; Brighton Trotting. Club's meeting,. a young i'ffian named"Edmond Spencer,' whilst .stalling ■:' about, espied what looked like-'a (halfsovereign lying! on, the ground, and pick-... Ed it up. A woman named Mrs, Hub- . bard saw. the coin simultaneously,; and . it was decided by. her and Spencer to invest it on tho totalisator. ; Mrs. Hubbard selected a horse, Number 19, as her. fancy, and Spencer went over to the •totalisator to mako the investment, ;,;Aa soon as the totalisator- clerk saw,the; coin, however, he'detected that'it .waa, a bogus half-sovereign, and" : refused, ,tp. take. it. ; , He asked Spencer his nanioj which was given him, and then sent for ; a policeman, who arrested Spencer. :, ', As tho outcome of tho affair, Spencer, was charged before Mr. Bailey, 5.M.,: at-'.' the Magistrate's Court . to-dajr with at, tempting to utter.a counterfeit coin. , Constable Eowe gave evidence -as-to, apprehending aconscd, who, he said, had from the outset protested that he thought that the ' coin , was ■ genuine. ... .-" ;-\ . Mrs. Hubbard detailed the• facts; of.:' the case. ■ She stated that she, too, hod thought' that tho ; half-sovereign was* good one. ".' '■.-.!•■:. Accused, in his defence, stated that ha had had no, suspicion whatever in re. gard to tho coin. He was in good cir»■cunistances, and there was' no 'for him. to. not dishonestly. •

Sub-Inspector, M'Grath: "That is nothing to-go by, Do you know that; a man worth 20,000 dollars was convicted of stealing ss.- Worth of gas?"'. Tho sub-inspector then produced ■ the imitation coin, which was examined by, tho magistrate. It was niado of gilded cardboard, and was one of those which were distributed in this city recently by. a travelling showman.' It was adduced duririg the hearing'of the evidence thirt several of them were lying about th« trotting grounds. ~ ■,'•' The magistrate said that he would gir*. accused.the benefit of the doubt, and dismiss the case. V . •)'