COUNTERFEIT MONEY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20514, 15 March 1930, Page 2 (Supplement)

COUNTERFEIT MONEY.

COINERS SENT TO PRISON. CLEVER IMITATIONS.. VAIN PLEA FROM A WIFE. There were manifest flaws in the excuse put forward at the Old Bailey recently by William Rawliugs, labourer, 38 years of age, in answer to a charge of making counterfeit florins. Ho pleaded that two men had persuaded him ,to manufacture tho cojis by making him drunk. • Tho Recorder, Sir Ernest Wild, K.C., however, pointed out, that it accused had boon persuaded whilo drunk, he was not drunk when lie carried on tho work for (ho florins woro some of tho clevorost imitations lie had si?en, and would- pass easily as good motley. Mr. Hoi ford Knight, for the, prosecution, said that polico officers visited' Rawlings' house in Stratford on January 3, and there found all tho paraphernalia of a coiner. Behind a picture wero 15 base florins, Rawliugs declared, " That's done it, Don't take the wife. It will kill her. She has nothing to c'lo with it." Detective-inspector Lawrence said that Rawliugs was sent to Borstal in 15il, and since then ho had been bound over. In 1925 he was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for coining. _ lie was a married man with five little children under ten. " Tho homo was clean, and

the children-all looked so well clothed and fed and happy that I hoped we should find nothing," addeel tho officer. "He told me—and it may bo true—that he was approached recently by someone to make tho' coins. Hu apparently made them in his spare timo and sold them to others who passed thorn." Rawlings, from tho dock, declared that lie intended when ho camo out of prison tho last time not to get into trouble again. He was approjiched by two men to make the coins. 'Ho refused thorn several times, but was finally persuaded under tho influence of drink. He had been working, he added, by taking a barrow round with greengrocory. Rawlings called his wife to speak for liini, and she pleaded earnestly with the judge to give him another chance. "We have been down and out," she urged, " and I did not know where to get my children a crust of bread. Then these men approached him and gave him beer, and I could do nothing with him. Give him a chance so that I can go to a sanatorium and come back and look after my babies." The Recorder, who asked that Mrs. Rawlings should go ou'i of court while ho passed the sentence, observed that ho could see no excuse for the crime. Accused had been sentenced for a similar offence, and he was in work at the time. It was a class of offence which must bo

visited willi severe punishment.-.lie..im-posed a sentence of throe vents' penal servitude. Harry .James Whatloy. aged 31, baker, who pleaded guilty at. ilie same: court.to possessing ti moiilrl for coining, '.exclaimed, "I've tried to make (Itetit. Lint I.could not turn them nut." It was Mated Unit tlte. paraphernalia for making spurious coiiis was found in a room Whatley occupied at Stratford. On being arrested lie remarked, " That is not my game." and admitted his failure to make spurious coins. In a written statement Whatley declared that when ho canto out of prison lie found his wife in d'pbt and his children with no boots to their foot, and one of his children had to be taken to hospital. He. had not made a penny pieco out of coining. A sentence of 21 mouths' imprisonment was passod..