PURCHASE OF SOVEREIGNS. __ «.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16823, 13 April 1918, Page 2 (Supplement)

PURCHASE OF SOVEREIGNS. __ «.

AUSTRIAN CONVICTED AND FINED. A jewel-mounter, of Austrian nationality, named Solo Kleinberg, 47, of Myddleton Square, Clerkenwcll, was charged at Bow Street Police Court, under the Defence of the Realm Regulations, with obtaining eight gold sovereigns to be used otherwise than as currency. The evidence showed that the defendant told a Mr. Alexander Brown that he could give him 22s 6d for every sovereign ho could obtain. Asked if he wanted to send them to Germany, Kleinberg replied. "No," adding that when he paid 22s 6(1 for a sovereign he got only a shilling profit on it. Brown communicated with tho police, and when ho saw the defendant in Holborn and told him that he could be supplied with eight sovereigns Kleinberg said he cctuld only pay £8 16s for them. Tho police, who had been watching tho transaction, then arrested the defendant, who remarked : " I am an Austrian, and this will go very had for me; but I only make sixpence each on these sovereigns there is not much in that." When searched bo had in his possession, besides the eight sovereigns, which the police had marked, £80 in Bank of England and Treasury notes and a quantity of valuable jewellery. Mr. Garrett said the defendant had been allowed to continue to live hero as an ordinary member of society, and trie least he oujiht to do was to observe the laws made for tho protection of tho country in time of war. Instead of that, he had deliberately broken the law, and must pay a penalty of £50. He would also bo recommended for expulsion.