COUNTERFEIT COIN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 179, 29 July 1907, Page 3

COUNTERFEIT COIN.

DISCOVERY OF A PLANT AT DOOKIE

Jot some time past the police of the Melbourne north-eastern district have had reports made to them of the circulation of a considerable quantity of spurious coin, mostly half crowns and florins. Qn Saturday, July 21, an arrest was made at Dookie Agricultural College by Constables Duck (Shepparton) and Murphy (Dookie), which may put an end to the gang which has been operating in this district for some weeks.

The constables went out to the college on Saturday morning, and searched a small wooden hut occupied by a, young man named Henry Montagu Walker, who had been employed, as pantryman at the College. Outside the hut, immediately under the window, was a neatly made furnace. A locker was found to contain two boxes holding the material for making plaster of paris moulds, and a couple of wooden frames evidently used to hold them. A search under the bed revealed a coiner's crucible. A tin box was examined, and found to be locked, and Walker stated that he had lost the key. A three cornered file, evidently used to complete the "milling" of the coins, came in handy to prize open->the box, which was found to contain a leather wallet, which held about 40 counterfeits, mostly half-crowns and florins. One of the moulds which were found in the tin box held genuine coins of the realm, held down by pieces of glass sealed down over them until the impression was obtained on the plastic material. Several sticks of solder and about 50 moulds were found in the trunk. Walker, who admitted sole ownership of this complete plant, and denied having any accomplices,'was arrested and conveyed to Dookie.