SMUGGLED SILVER
£2O FINE AND CONFISCATION. (Australian Press Association). SYDNEY, July 10. Charles W. Merrill, who was a passenger to Sydney irom New Zealand by the liner Niagara on June To, was to-day fined £2O, and oils costs on a charge of possessing prohibited silver coinage to the value of £lO4. The monev was found by a Customs officer. He discovered it was secreted in a speciall.v-constructed waist belt, that was supported by shoulder straps. M errill’s explanation was that most of the silver came, not from New Zealand, but from Honolulu - where the hanks used to save it for him, as they did not want it. He stated that lie intended to land it at Vancouver. Merrill’s original statement to Customs officer was that he had imported the silver on a previous trip on the Niagara while employed as a musician, hut had not landed it, owing to losing his position. He asked the court: to forfeit the CKM.
The Magistrate declared: “That’s a matter for the Customs Department.”
It was announced the whole of the silver would he forfeited.
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Bibliographic details
Hokitika Guardian, 11 July 1935, Page 5
Word Count
181SMUGGLED SILVER Hokitika Guardian, 11 July 1935, Page 5
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