DETECTIVE’S FIND.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3754, 14 February 1928, Page 1

DETECTIVE’S FIND.

BLOCKS OF £1 NOTES. Prosecuting solicitor unfolded to the Pudsey (Yorkshire) magistrates a remarkable story of a man’s visits to a number of firms, and alleged that great ingenuity had been displayed in the matter. Before the Court was William Fieldhouse, 24, upholsterer, charged with having in his possession certain plates upon which appeared words, figures, letter’, marks and lines peculiar to and used on £1 Treasury notes. Mr. J. E. Lightburn, prosecuting, stated that about the beginning of November a Mr. Pickard was asked by Fieldhouse to make a block of the Houses of Parliament similar to that on the back of a £1 note. Mr. Pickard replied that he was not allowed to reproduce anything of that description. On November 4, Messrs Gilchrist, blockmakers, of •Claypit Lane, Leeds, received an order from Fieldhouse for three plates. Enclosed were three sketches of certain parts of a £1 note. On the same day Fieldhouse went to Messrs Burman, Norton and Co., engravers, of Leeds, and took there two postcards, which bore the garter round the King’s head cut off a £1 note, and asked to have a block made of it. His explanation Avas: “I want it just like this, not filtered in any way, for a friend of mine, an amateur printer, and it is for some Boy Scouts.” The firm also received an order to do further blocks —one of the Fisher signature and the other for the £ mark. From another firm of engravers Fieldhouse oi'dered a block of the King’s head, which was also to be used in connection with Boy Scouts, The dragon was divided between two other firms of block-makers. A few days later Fieldhouse ordered ink from a Leeds firm, and was very difficult to satisfy. The clerk com--mented on this, and Fieldhouse remarked,. “I want real good ink, and the price is no object.” “If it be that he intended to produce £1 notes,” commented Mr. Lightburn, “of course the price would not be of very much object. But, if, as he explained, he was simply going to have an advertisement, one would have thought that an upholsterer in not a very large way of business would have regarded the price as of some object.” When another firm received an order for certain types, samples of the lettering were enclosed. “You will observe,” added Mr. Lightburn,.‘the sample is a distinct portion of the £1 note, and you will also see that in an endeavour to mislead people the letters ‘one pound’ had been arranged so as to read ‘dupe them.’ ” On November 10 a Bradford firm received a sample sketch for a block for the reproduction of the Houses of Parliament. All these blocks were found on the premises of Fieldhouse on November 25. Having got the ink and the dies, he then obtained the paper. This Avas ordered from a Mr. Wilcock, of Pudsey, and particular care Avas again taken with regard to the type of paper. Fieldhouse ordered 50,000 pieces.

“I want you, in considering this paper,” declared Mr. Ligihtburn, “to bear in mind the explanation given, that he was going to use it in connection with some blotter advertisement for his furniture. Defendant has used a great deal of ingenuity throughout this matter, but I think it would tax his ingenuity to use this paper as a blotter.”

Detectives visited Fieldhouse’s premises, on November 25, and in answer to questions he showed them the blocks he had obtained. He explained also that he was going to use them’ in connection with a blotter advertisement for. his furniture. He added that he went to Gilchrist’s and asked them to make him a block of the £1 note, but they could not do it without the authority of the Chief Constable, so he got blocks of different parts made from different designs. A quantity of ink and the paper was discovered, and subsequently a printing machine. - Mr. Lightburn concluded that he would leave it to the Bencn to say why Fieldhouse shoull take all this why Fieldhouse should take all this infinite care for ordinary advertisAfter evidence had been heard, Fieldhouse was committed for trial, bail being allowed.