SALE OF GOLD

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12195, 21 July 1925, Page 4

SALE OF GOLD

ILLICIT DEALING hotel manager fined HEAVILY. , Ptfr Press Association. I ■ . GREYMOUTH, July 20. ' Illicit gold dealing was alleged in the Warden’s Court to-day in a charge by the Mines Department against Patrick J. O’Donnell, hotel manager, • Waiuta. It is alleged O’Donnell had dealings 'in gold with mythical Chinese. He was charged) with making a false statement in the gold dealers’ book at the, Bank .of New South Wales, Greymouth, on Deoember 16th, that the gold bought' by the bank was sold on behalf of Hip Wan and Ah Goiv, and was obtained at Waiuta. He pleaded not guilty. The Crown Solicitor (Mr Kitching. ham) said evidence would be submitted that the Chinese names were assumed The police discovered that an Ah Gow died in 1923. O’Donnell refused to nnswer the questions of .the mining inspector. but later to Detective-Sergeant Young said two' Chinese asked hi in to sell the gold for them, as he could get a better prjee. He could not say where the Chinese could be found, and he had no written record of the transactions. O’Donnell wa.s convicted. The Warden, Mr Meldrum, S.M., said he did not believe the tale about Chinese sellers and had no doubt that the gold was obtained illicitly. The defendant was fined £5 on each of two charges for failing to keep r proper record, and £SO on each of two charges of making a false statement in the gold dealer’s book with costs.