UTTERING COUNTERFEIT COINS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12282, 28 August 1905, Page 2

UTTERING COUNTERFEIT COINS.

GILDED FARTHINGS FOR HALFSOVEREIGNS.

A young maa namod James Lyndhurst appeared before Mr W. G. Biddell. BM., *t the Magistrate's Court an Saturday upon three charges of having used gilded farthings es halfsoveredgne. ■'■•.',,. , Emma Toms; wife of the licensee of the Royal George Hotel, gave evidence that on Moaday night last the accused, who was in the bar, paid for five drinks with what purported to be a half sovereign. Hβ put the own on the counter with the head up. She gave him 8s 6d change, and tho accused then left. Later in the evening she discovered fhat the ooin was only a gilded farthing. That was the only coin eke bad taken as a half sovereign that day. Samuel W. Burfcitt, licensee of the Eastern Hotel, stated ihat on Monday evening, August 21st, the accused wes in the bar. He found the coin produced when counting oveir has money at the close of the ovenmg 3 but he could not cay whether tho aocusod had tendered the coin, for he had taken a number of half sovereigns during the evening, end in each casa had given chartf^. Joseph Nowman, barman at the City Hotel, said that on Monday evening last he had taken one half sovereign and given some change. Hβ did not remember seeing the accused in the bar that evening. Frederick Wilfiam Whittle, assistant at the City Hctel, said that he cleared the till on Monday evening, but did not notice a spurious half sovereign then. The next day he discovered the coin produced. Detective Cox gave evidence that ho hod arrested tho accused on Tuesday afternoon. The man at first deniod being in <any of the hotels,mentioned or passing any gilded farthings ss half edveteigne, but subsequently made the statement, produced, in which he admitted having nassed off the gilded farthings as half-sovereigns. The accused pleaded "Guilty" to each charge, find was committed to tho Supreme Court for sentence.