MORLAND TRIAL

Grey River Argus, 14 May 1943, Page 2

MORLAND TRIAL

CHEMISTS' EVIDENCE. CHRISTCHURCH, May 13. The trial of Leo Edward Morland for* alleged theft of 36500zs of gold valued, at £31,496, was continued before *Mr. Justice Northcroft, and a jury, ft) the Supreme Court, to-day. Morland a metallurgist, is alleged lo have stolen the gold from Arahura Gold Dredging Company at Ara.hura about October 29, 1940.

Stewart Henry John Wilson, physical chemist of the Dominion. Laboratory, detailed the- results of spectogranhic analysis of the samples of bullion, alluvial gold, and gold from thirteen principal West Coast dredges, and also samples of gold brought to New Zealand from Canada and United States. His conclusion was that th e Canadian and American samples could have come from the Arahura dredge. George Stanley Lambert, chemist, emoloyed in the Dominion Laboratory, said he examined samples of gold from America, Canada, and Arahura, a fir e assay being made to determine the amount of nure gold in the bullion. There were slight variations in the composition of the bars but they were not greater than would be expected from gold smelted at different times from the same source.

Corporal Harry Amos Maxted, of the Criminal Investigation Branch, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Vancouver, said that as a vyartime measure all persons arriving in Canada had to declare their assets. Morland had not declared the gold. Witness told of visiting the Georgia Hotel in Vancouver, where Morland was living and also 416 Pender Street, Vancouver, and finding a number oi boxes containing bars of gold which had been secreted in cleverly arranged cavities, which were concealed by a false bottom of three-ply wood. He produced photographs of the boxes, also a box showing the cavities which had concealed the gold and also pieces of wood that were used to make a false lid for the box. ' „ . Arthur S. Atherton, a United States Customs official, stationed at Seattle, repeated the evidence given in the Magistrate’s Court by him as .to searching Morland’s car at Blaine. State of Washington, and finding bars of gold. There was a law m the United States that any one entering the States was required to declare in writing if the value of his assets totalled more, than 25 dollars Morland had not declared _ anything. Witness gave details of his taking charge of a motor car and of arresting Morland. In a statement which was made under oath, Morland said that he had accumulated gold in Australia. That statement, however, he had refused to sign. The case will be continued to-morrow morning when the counsel will address the jury.