"ALL IS NOT GOLD THAT GLITTERS."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10434, 5 May 1897, Page 5

"ALL IS NOT GOLD THAT GLITTERS."

ALLEGED UTTERING GILDED SIXPENCES. THE ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. At the Police Court yesterday afternoon, Frank Ryder Davies Was brought Up before Messrs. W. H. Shakeepear and J. Qilmour, justices, add charged that on April 23 he did utter a counterfeit coin, to wit, a sixpeuce, knowing the same to be a counterfeit coin. Sergeant Clarke pfoiecuted, and Mr. Campbell appeared for the prisoner. George Otto, a 'bus driver on Crawford's line of 'buses, I'UtiniiiK between Queen-street and Richmond Road, stated that the coin produced (■/> gilded sixpence] was handed to htm by the prisoner on the mglit of the 23rd of April in payment of a faro. Witness first thought the coin was a sixpence, atid gave Davies threepence change, but when the latter said, " Hold on, that's a half-sovereign," he looked at it again and then thought it was the coin prisoner represented it to be. He handed prisoner the necessary change for a half-sovereign. Witness put the coin in hit waistcoat pocket for safety, and first noticed it Was counterfeit when handing over Ids takings to his employer. To Mr. Campbell: Piisdiierlooked like the mail, but witness would not swear to his identity, witness picked Davis out at the police statiou from among tWo other men as the 1 person who had tendered the bad coin. Sydney Greenhough, a passenger by the last witness's 'bus on the trip when the foregoing occurrence was alleged to have taken place, identified prisoner as the man who gave the driver a coin purporting to be a half-sovereign. W. S. Rainsom also travelled on the same 'bus, and remembered seeing the prisoner on it. Acting-detectives Bailey and Hollls deposed that when Davies was arrested the bottle of liquid gold produced Was found on him. The laatmentioiied witness said the words "six pence" had been erased from the coin. Mr. Campbell reserved his defence, and prisoner was committed for trial. Counsel applied for bail. Sergeant Clarke asked that it might be substantial, and the Court fixed the sureties at two of £50, and accused himself in one of £100. Prisoner was then charged with having on April 22nd uttered a counterfeit coin to one Augustus Coates, knowing the same to be counterfeit. Augustus Coates, a commercial traveller, said he was travelling by the 6.30 tram from Newmarket on the date mentioned, Prisoner was also a passenger, and when he got out handed the Conductor a coin. The conductor said. ''I'm sorry, sir, I can't change a, half-sovereign." Witness knew the accused, and volunteered to give change, The conductor gate witness the coin produced, and witness handed him change. When witness afterwards discovered the coin was counterfeit he communicated With the police. James Fitzpatriok, tram conductor, identified the coin produced (a gilded sixpence), as the one which DaVies tendered, and whioh Mr. Coates had ohanged. Actingdoteotives Hollis and Bailey also gave evidence. The defence was reserved, and prisoner Was committed for trial. Bail was applied for and granted, on the same terms as it) the last case. A third Information charged Daties with having uttered a counterfeit coin ti one Alfred Lyons, driver of a Moubt Roskill 'bus. The evidence was somewhat similar to that given in the first case. Prisoner Was oommitted to stand his trial, bail being allowed as before.