SPURIOUS MEDALS

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 101, 26 October 1932, Page 11

SPURIOUS MEDALS

ALLEGATION OF FRAUD

TWO MEN ON TRIAL

(By Telegraph.—-Press Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day.

Charged with obtaining money byfalse pretences, Norris Blaxall, aged 39, a jeweller, and Luke Stephen. Dolan, aged 27, a ship's steward, appeared for trial before Mr. Justice Ostler and a. jury in the Supreme Court to-day. It was alleged that they had "made spurious gold medals and sold them to gold buyers, representing the medals to bo solid 18 carat gold. There are six charges, and the total amount involved is £29. The Crown Prosecutor said "that the accused took advantage of the present gold boom and imposed on various jewellers and gold buyers in Christchurch.' Blaxall, who was a manufacturing jeweller, found it easy to make the spurious medals, coating a silver core with 18 carat gold so that jewellers would get a good test from the outside. The medals were engraved with a scroll on one side and a motto which meant "hasten'slowly." The victims, however, did not take notice of the warning. The medals were engraved with names and dates to make it appear that they had been won by athletes or in other spheres. They had been rubbed or beaten so that they appeared some years old. Blaxall was the ringleader, though the enterprise had to be regarded as a joint one. He sent Dolan down to Christchurch with a list of "prospects" and a lino of salos talk. Dolan sold one medal, but then a jeweller cut one in half and showed plainly that it was spurious. Dolan, j getting nervous, wired to Wellington and Blaxall came down himself and sold five medals lief ore tho fraud was discovered. STATEMENTS TO POLICE. After various city jewellers had given evidence, Constable Parrish said that lie and another constable interviewed Blaxall, who at first refused to discuss tho medals. However, he made a statement at the detective office in which he said that he had made ft medal with a core of silver. He sold it to a dealer without asserting that it was gold right through. He made several medals, intending to sell them to buyers, who could take the risk of their being filled with sliver. "I did this," the statement read, "because they are our worst opponents commercially. I needed money to meet debts incurred in Wellington." Witness also obtained a statement from Dolan, who said that ho had seen Blaxall making silver-cored medallions. Dolan asked for a loan and Blaxall told him to go to Christchurch and sell the medals. He sold one medal, but i said nothing about it being solid gold. Blaxnll had told him there was nothing legally wrong with what they were .doing. The case is proceeding.