COUNTERFEIT NOTE PLANT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1916, 17 December 1918, Page 1

COUNTERFEIT NOTE PLANT.

FOUR PERSONS ARRESTED

Four important; arrests were made in Melbourne on 271 h November in dramatic circumstances by members of the Victoria Criminal Investigation branch, and as a result three men and a woman arc to answer (-barges of having had in their possession devices capable of producing Commonwealth bank notes. Prior to the arrests the detectives raided a house and seized a quantity of photographic material and numerous proofs and negatives of bank notes, and they believe that but for (he capture of the gang and the confiscation of the plant counterfeit notes would shortly have been circulating in Melbourne. Acting on information received from the Sydney police some time ago (reports the Age), Detectives T. Hawkins and Madin and Plain Clothes Constable Lambell, attached (o Ihe Criminal Investigation branch, have been -keeping certain men under surveillance, and maintaining a <dose watch on a house in Pd ward St reel, Clack Koch. A week ago Constable Lambed shadowed a Russian —believed to be the principal in (he gang —to lodgings in Car!!on, and from there to the house at Black Rock, which is partly screened from view by a thick hedge. Running along tlie seashore and facing a belt of ti-tree a Horded a, hiding-place for the detectives, and they kept a constant vigil, Avatehing all (he men avliu entered the house. Definite action avus taken on Wednesday, 20th November, Avhen it avus ascertained that the Russian had not returned to Ids Carlton lodgings since Saiurday. At -1.30 pan. he was seen leaving the house, and Detectives. IlaAvkins and Madin followed him to to the Sandringham station. While he avus Avalking on the platform (hey seized him, and began to crossquestion him. As his replies Avere not considered satisfactory he Avas temporarily lodged in the local watch-honsc. With one man in custody, the police then hurried hack to EdAvard Street to raid the house. They crept round to the rear of the promises, effected entrance through the hack door, and burst into Iho comfortably-furnished dining-room, Avhcrc (avo men and a Avoman Avcrc rating a meal. Even the dramatic suddenness of the police entry did not ruffle the equanimity of the occupants, one of the men calmly finishing bis meal before ansAvering the questions. He avos hungry, be said. Then be explained that be and bis companion had just come to the bouse for lunch, and bad not been staying there. An examination of the bouse Avas made by the detectives, and it is alleged that they discovered numerous prints of £1 CommonAvealth bank -notes.

Closer investigation, it is said, resulted in the finding of a complete plant for the production of counterfeit notes. In one of the rooms there was a big camera, which is said to have been used in photographing the notes. In a case were a number of negatives, which on examination, proved to be the exact size of a Commonwealth note. Other negatives were of a much enlarged size, their purpose, it is thought, being to give the forgers a belter chance to study the notes minutely. Th<> detectives seized numerous photographic proofs and a quantity of papei', which, on a cursory examination, proved to be of similar texture to the paper used in (he genuine notes. Between the leaves of a French novel Detective Hawkins found many of these proofs, some still damp, and two hank notes, which had evidently been photographed. The genuine notes had been photographed on both sides. It is estimated that the plant alone would cost nearly £IOO. All of the notes which had been photographed were for £l, the reason being, it is assumed, that notes of higher denominations gave more trouble in putting them into circulation. It is believed that if the police had not raided the house when they did nearly 3,000 counterfeit notes would have been in circulation in a few weeks’ time. It is asserted that one of the gang, who was apparently financing, the scheme, had an order for this amount of notes.

The following men and women were ■arrested: Mex Selling. 33 years, Russian photo, process engraver; William Burke, 24 years, labourer: George Dowling, 33 years, ■showman; Maud Dowling, 30 years, married woman.