JEWELLERS AND THEIR YOUTHFUL PREY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 571, 28 March 1873, Page 3

JEWELLERS AND THEIR YOUTHFUL PREY.

—o— Before Vice-Chancellor Malins, lately a familiar tale of mingled folly and . cupidity was unfolded. The plantiff, a young Australian gentleman living in England, and being left to his own resources without anyone to take care of him, while still a miner purchased jewellery of a jeweller, carrying on businese in Pall Mall, London, under the style of Metcalfe and Co., fer which he gave acceptances for 1,000/. —a sum far beyond its value. He attained his majority in April, 1871, and will upon the death of his father, become entitled to about 4,000/, a year. In March last, wishing to purchase more jewellery, the defendant agreed to lot him have 500/. worth upon condition of his renewing the former bills, and giving fresh ones for the jewellery subsequently purchased This the plaintiff agreed to do, upon the faith of a letter (which the defedant wrote and showed him), giving a form al undertaking to hold over the bills until after the death of his father. The application was that the defendant should be restrained from dealing with the acceptances. The Vice-Chancellor said the young man seemed to have been made a regular prey of by money-lenders and others. In another suit it had come under him in Chambers that a well known firm of jewellers in Bond street against whom he never could have believed suchan accusation had he not seen their own signature on the back of the bills, had positively sold him during his minority 1,500/, of jewellery in one day—one item of which was “a pair of ear-rings, 300”—and two days after attaining his majority, 900/, worth more,- making a total of 2,400/, in jewellery within four month. Considering the nature of charges made by this bill, he would great an interim order extending over next seal, hoping then to hear a different story from the defendant in explanation of the conduct imputed to him.