EXPERT FORGERS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8343, 1 February 1913, Page 11

EXPERT FORGERS

DARING ROGUES SENTENCED. EARL’S COURT MONEY FACTORY. LONDON, December 15. 'X'hc case in which men were charged with conducting a money factory at Earl’s Court was concluded at the Old Hailey Sessions, when three of the four prisoners were found ‘‘guilty’ and sentenced to penal servitude, Duncan Browne, 30, engineer, for ten years, \\ jlliaur Dyrne, U2, bookmaker, for seten years, and John Watts, 45, printer, for three years. George W neer, was found “not guilty," but the Judge intimated that the charges in connection with counterfeit coining would bo proceeded with against him. Prisoners were indicted for conspiring to forge a largo number of dllO Dank ot England notes. Thu Bari’s Court flat, which was the alleged scene of the conspiracy, was occupied by Browne, and when Detective Inspector Gough raided it he found in addition to the forged notes a quantity of counterfeit sovereigns, half-sovereigns, and half-crowns, a printing press, and a number of chemicals. One point of the defence was that Watts only knew Browne among his fellow prisoners, but the Judge said it was not necessary for the jury to be satisfied that the four men were together in any one place at the time when the forgery was complete or any part of it was performed. After an absence of fifty minutes tho jury returned a verdict of ‘‘guilty” against Browne, Byrne, and Watte; they acquitted Wallace. Mr Muir -said there were u number of other indictments on the file against Wallace, but as they were based on the same facts he thought it would be name of time to proceed upon them. A formal verdict of "not guilty” was then returned on thirteen other indictments concerned with the forged banknotes. It was intimated that Wallace would be proceeded with in connection, with the making of counterfeit coin. Browne admitted a sentence of five years' penal servitude in 1903 at Glasgow for theft. Byrne also admitted a conviction for felony in 1905. DetectiveInspector Gough said ho had known Browne for fifteen years. Since his release in 1908 prisoner had been tho associate of tho most export forgers and criminals in this country. Before his sentence he associated with Dr Bridgewater, who was also convicted for forgerey. The Judge-. Have you known him do any honest work? Witness: He has never done a day’s honest work since his release, I am sure, my lord. Witness added that when he raided tho flat at Earl’s Court he found thirty-eight counterfeit sovereigns in the first stage after leaving the mould dated 1908, twenty-five counterfeit sovereigns in an advanced state of completion, some dated 1912 and others 1906, and 125 base sovereigns in a stone jar. In the flat was a complete coiners’ outfit. Byrne first came -under the notice of the police in 1905 when he served sis months’ hard labour for stealing JE3B Gs 8d by the confidence trick. He later was sentenced to three months' hard labour as a rogue and vagabond. Byrne was an Australian. Originally ho was a long distance runner and an iron moulder. Since he had been in this country the man had been with the most expert Australian convicts now in London and those who travelled on the Continent. The Judge: I hope there are'not many of them. Witness: There are a great number, my lord, just now. There has been an influx for some years past. Detective-Inspector Gough added that under the names of Russell and Day. Byrne employed hie. time in working the confidence trick. He would drop a little parcel in front of his victim, who would probably pick it up, and Byrne would then assert that he was conveying jewels to the Pope, and that his victim had been of tho greatest service to him. In.

this way ho would secure a man’s confidence. and generally succeeded in getiing _l‘2o9ft or .£3OOO a time. This employ men', took him fo the Continent very frequently, and since his release from prison he had certainly never done a day’s honest work. Watts had not previously been convicted. Browne, asked if he had any question to put to the witness, replied: I will say ho is a dastardly liar and is malicious towards me. The Judge: That makes no iraproesion on me. Tho Judge said the prisoners had been convicted on very clear evidence indeed of being engaged in the manufacture of forged Bank of England notes upon a very large scale- Over 100 JtTO notes were found in various stages of completion; how many similar notes had already passed, or if any had done so nobody could tell. But the fact remained that they had the material for turning out these notes in any quantity. He had also to note that, upon Browne's premises were found over 209 counterfeit sovereigns and all the apparatus necessary for making them. "A man like you,” said tho Judge, “‘is an absolute danger to 'the community, and for 1 his offence you must go to penal servitude for ten years.” Byrne, as' stated, was sentenced to seven years’ penal servitude, and Watts, who. said the Judge, had prostituted his skill as a primer to assist the others in carrying out this nefarious design, to three years’ penal servitude. Wallace was put hack lor trial upon, the indictment charging him with offences against the coinage.