JEWELLER’S FRAUD

Hokitika Guardian, 27 October 1932, Page 5

JEWELLER’S FRAUD

, “GOLD” MEDALS TWO MEN STAND THEIR TRIAL* (Per Pnss Association — Copyright.) CHRISTCHURCH, October 26i Charged with obtaining money by false pretences, Morris 'Blaxall, aged thirty-nine, a jeweller, and Luke Stephen’ Dolan, aged a ship’s steward, • appeared for trial "before Mr Justice Ostler and jury at f,he Supreme Oourt; I-t:was alleged that they made spurious gold medals, and sold them to gold buyers, representing the medals tb be sofid 18-c‘arat gold. {There \were six charges, the total amounted involved .being £29. The Crown Prosecutor /said Blaxall, a manufacturing . jeweller, found it easy to make spurious moaais, coating the silver core With > eighteen carat gold, so that jewellers would get » good test from the outside. The medals had been Tubbed or beaten, so that they .appeared to be some* years old. Bilaxall was the ringleader, though the enterprise had to be regarded.as a joint one, and it. was easy for, him to make the medals. 'He sent Dolan down to Christchurch with a list of “prospects” and a line of sales talk. Dolan sold one medal but then a, jeweller cut one medal in half and showed •• plainly that, it was suprioua, Th<m'Dolan, getting nervous, wired to Wellington, and ‘Blaxall came down himself and sold medals before the fraud was dis«

,covered. Blaxall, in a statement aU the Detec. tiv e Office, said that he made a medal with a core of silver. He sold it to a dealer without asserting that it was gold Tight through. He made several medak intending to sell them to buyers who could take the risk ,of their being filled with silver. , <<l did this,” his statement, read, “because they are, our worst opponents commercially. I needed the money to meet debts.” Dolan, in‘ his statement,' said that he,had seen Blaxall making silver cor-, ed medallions. He asked for a loan, and Blaxall told him t 0 go to Christchurch and sell the medals. He sold one. but he had said nothing about it being solid gold. - Blaxall had to d him that there * was nothing legally wronv with what they were doing. Several jewellers and go 1 ! buyers ga.ve evidence as to hav.ng bought medals from Bacall, who to'-d some of the purchasers that he was selling a medal for a -woman,. ors-JEor a relative, and told others "that he was hard up. All of the witnesses said they had,' found it to ibe gold of the quality stamped, ' . . „ Constable Parrish said that -Bilaxall admitted selling a medal to a hand dealer/at more tlum its true' value. He hat sold several moflale. which he brought from Wellington for the purpose, but said that in no case had he told the buyer that the medal was solid gold. Dolan said he had been given the medals by Bla- 41 to sell in Christchurch. He was to be paid expenses, and was 't 0 receive other money when he returned to Wellington. One jeweller had cut a medal in halves and discovered a core of silver, and had refused to buy it. Do-an had then communicated with Blaxall, who came to Ohristqhurch and took Charge of the selling of several medals. .

The jury after a retirement of three hours, found Blaxall guilty, on all

counts. h , Tlie jury added a rider recommending mercy on the grounds that the g°l d buyers had had the opportunity of purchasing the medals at their face value. .. > Blaxall was remanded till Friday for sentence. .