THEFT OF GOLD

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 46, 24 February 1937, Page 8

THEFT OF GOLD

EMPLOYEE'S DEVICE

CONCEALMENT, IN SWEETS

(By Telegrapli-^Press Association.)

G;REYMOUTHyfFebruary,23.. i-

'-A married-man./S^'years'of-age, d metallurgist,' pleaded not/ guiltyf in the: Magistrate's Court,to <aj charge of theft of gold valued-at-jae. Hs 9d; the pro-; perty, qf/his.employers, a gold-mining company, /;.The'accused was convicted and- ordered to c.o'me up. f°r sentence if palled. upon within/tw-elve months. ; The ; evidence", showed., that the. 'ac'-, cused placed' five small.pieces of gold in the interJor of .chocolates for the' purpose /of forwarding them to his brother at Dunedin, who was also an| assayisfc, allegedly for the purpose olj a check assay. A parcel containing the chocolates and gold, however, was lost by the accused's wife and was picked up in a shop by a, little girl, who gave the ch£:olates. to an" invalid woman' for her twenty-first birthday. The gold was found when the wairna'n-struck a metallic substance, while eating one of the sweets, which she-then .handed to; the police, ■ ■ ■ ,-' ;

The Magistrate held the qpinion that the actions of the accused were not; those of an honest man. / Suppression of the accused's name was ordered. '■■