Dentist Digs Up £345 But Shares It With Heir

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28436, 16 November 1957, Page 13

Dentist Digs Up £345 But Shares It With Heir

(Rcc. 11.45 p.m.) MELBOURNE. Nov. 15. About 17 years ago a Blackburn orchardist. Mr George Hen wood, changed his money to silver coins and buried it in earthenware jars on his land. 12 miles from Melbourne. No-one could find it when he died and the land was sold to a dentist, Mr James Reid Lane, aged 33, of Brazeel street, Blackburn South. One day as Mr Lane dug his garden, he turned up an earthenware jar containing £345 16s 9d in silver coins. Mr Lane handed the jar to the police and put in a claim for the money. So did Mr George Henwood’s nephew. Rupert, who is 45. of Blackburn road. Blackburn South He is also an orchardist. Mr Lane and Mr Rupert Henwood went to Court today to put their cases to Mr McArdic, S.M. Both had counsel, but a private agreement was reached which made the legal contest unnecessary. Mr R. E. McGarvie, for’Lane. asked the Magistrate to give the

jar of coms to Henwood. Henwood. he said, had signed an agreement that he would share the money equally with Lane once it was officially handed over to him. “This is in accord with moral right and saves the Court hearing an involved academic argument.” Mr McGarvie said. Mr G. Waldron, for Henwood, agreed to the procedure. The jar of coins, present on the Bar table, contained mostly florins, though there were several crowns and some 1926 coins recording the opening of Canberra. Lane said that in the afternoon of July 17 he was digging up the garden in his backyard "My spade struck something hard and when I probed further I found the jar. which I took to the police.” Mr McArdie then ruled that the jar of money be handed to Henwood by the police. Outside the Court, Lane and Hen wood shook hands and said they would divide "the loot’ as soon as possible, in accordance with their gentleman’s agreement.