SPURIOUS MEDALS

Southland Times, Issue 21848, 27 October 1932, Page 6

SPURIOUS MEDALS

SILVER CORE GOLD BUYERS DEFRAUDED JEWELLER CONVICTED (Per United Press Association.) Christchurch, October 26. Charged with obtaining money by false pretences, Norris Blaxall, ager 39, jeweller, and Luke Stephen Dolan, aged 27, ship’s steward, appeared on trial before Mr Justice Ostler and jury at the Supreme Court. It was alleged that they made spurious gold medals and sold them to gold buyers representing the medals to be solid eighteen carat gold. There were six charges, the total amount involved being £29. The Crown Prosecutor said Blaxall, who was a manufacturing jeweller, found it easy to make spurious medals, coating a silver core with eighteen carat gold so that the jewellers would get a good test from the outside. The medals had been rubbed or beaten so that they appeared to be some years old. Blaxall was the ringleader, thougn the enterprise had to be regarded as a joint one and it was easy for him to make the medals. He sent Dolan down to Christchurch with a list of “prospects” and a line of . sales talk. Dolan sold one, but then a jeweller cut one in half and showed plainly that it was spurious. Dolan was getting nervous and wired Wellington and Biaxall came down himself and sold five medals before the fraud was discovered. Blaxall in a statement at the Detective Office said he made a medal with a core of silver. He sold it to the dealer without asserting it was gold right through. He made several medals intending to sell them to buyers who could take the risk of their being filled with silver. “I did this,” the statement read, “because they are our worst opponents commercially. I needed money to meet debts.” Dolan in a statement said he had seen Blaxall making silver cored medallions. He asked for a loan and Blaxall told him to go to Christchurch and sell the medals. He sold one, but said nothing about it being solid gold. Blaxall had told him there was nothing legally wrong with what they were doing. Several jewellers and gold buyers gave evidence of having bought medals from Blaxall who told some purchasers that he was selling a medal for a woman or for a relative and others that he was. hard up. All witnesses said that they tested the ,edge of the medal and found it to be gold of the quality stamped. Constable Parish said Blaxall admitted selling a medal to a second hand dealer at more than its true value. He had sold several medals which he brought from Wellington for the purpose, but in no case had he told the buyer that the medal was solid gold. Dolan said he had been given the medals by Blaxall to sell in Christchurch. He was to be paid expenses and was to receive other money when he returned to Wellington. One jeweller cut a medal in halves and discovered the core of silver and refused to buy it. Dolan communicated with Blaxall who came to Christchurch and took charge of selling several medals. The jury after a retirement of three hours found Blaxall guilty on all counts and Dolan not guilty on all counts. The jury added a rider recommending mercy on the grounds that gold buyers had an opportunity of purchasing medals at their face value. Blaxall was remanded till Friday for sentence.