RANDOM RECOLLECTIONS,

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 25, 30 January 1926, Page 21

RANDOM RECOLLECTIONS,

SPECIMEN STEALING

(By J. McCOMBIE.)

Many a time in the evenings, towards the end of 1880 after the opening 'of Xc Aroha for gold-mining purposes the undernoted men used to assemble around our campflre and recount their personal eijperiences albout the early days of the Thames Goldfield, viz., Manakau Jones, Billy Tregoweth, Col. Fraser, J. D, Wickham, and J. W. Walker. Although they have all passed out to the Great Beyond, I will endeavour to -resuscitate some of' their reminiscences. r Early in the year, 1868 there "were quite a number of mines located along the foothills, ore exceptionally rich in the precious metals, and specimen stealing was ffchen reduced to a fine art. Jones was the principal owner of the Manakau mine, where he had erected a small cottage, which he used as a bedroom, and which overlooked the Golden Crown mine workings. One summer evening, just as night was setting in, Jones was seated 'insttde his doorway "when he saw the outlines of a. man landing on the -surface, above one of the travellingways connecting with, the underground workings of the Golden Crown mine. After a good look around tnis man proceeded to: poke a hole in one of the adjacent tipheads. Then, after a further survey of the -surroundings, lie produced from the breast of his singlet a bag, which he dropped into the hole and covered it over carefully. _ His next move was to return the way he came, and he soon disappeared down the manway. Jones easily found his way to the place -where the bag ihad been deposited and unearthed the plunder. Taking it over to his camp he emptied the bag, which contained about 601b of specimen ore, worth about 2oz to the lb, valued approximately at £300. Having secured the specimens Jones placed an equal quantity of country rock in the same bag, replaced it__in the tip-head, and allowed it to remain there. The rich stone was missed by the shift boss in the Golden Crown mine, andthe suspected man was shadowed Ijy a special detective, who was offered £10(1 provided he could sheet the crime right home to the delinquent. After allowing about ten days to elapse the "specimen thief" decided that it was time to turn the ore into money, and one dark night he paid a visit to the plant with that object in view. Just as he was in the act of unearthing 'the "swag" the detective nabbed him by the arm, and clapped the darbies on hie wrists. Then the detective took possession of the bag and marched-the culprit down to the police office. Here the contents of the bag were emptied out on the table, and both men goth the shock of their lives, because the product proved to be worthless country rock. Treatment Plants. Away back in ■ the years 1868-69, fronting Blank Street, Thames, there was a chemist's shop controlled by a foreigner, who also owned an ore treatment plant, which was located at the back of the premises. It -was generally known that large or small parcels of stolen gold specimens were speedily converted into marketable bullion by the owner of this plant. As the following will 'Serve to show, this man very soon got into bad odour, and he never went' out after dark without a bodyguard of two men in Ms company.,, One Tuesday evening Bill Bowyangs walked into the chemist's shop, sadd good evening to, the owner, and then broaeKed the subject of treating a percel of rich ore. The chemist 'agreed to carry out the work and. to deliver the proceeds on the following Saturday evening. Bowyangs turned up at the appointed time, explained the Object of his visit, and asked for the bullion. Chemist: "TTou- must be mistaken; i never saw you before in my life. Besides, I am not in the habit of dealing with stolen specimens.' 5 . |■" ■ Bowyangs, realising the full force of the old proverb "Biter Bitten," had to pull in his horns and retire from the scerie. When this chemist left the field it was rumoured that he had a bank balance of (fully £13,000 to his creditmostly tie proceeds of 'lambing down" specimen atedan. .