ROBBERY OF GOLD AND NUGGETS AT THE VICTORIA BANK.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 226, 20 December 1859, Page 4

ROBBERY OF GOLD AND NUGGETS AT THE VICTORIA BANK.

George Kane, alias Reynolds* was brought up on Saturday at the Melbourne Police Court, on a charge of stealing certain gold and nuggets, the property .of the Bank of Victoria. The prisoner, i a clerk in the bank had, on the preceding day, been entrusted with weighing and receiving the gold. As the quantities received did not tally with the quantites returned, information was given to Detective Black, with a suggestion that the prisoner might have stolen them. ; - ,;.''. . Charles Black deposed, that on the previous evening he visited the office of Mr Jude, gold broker, in Elizabeth , street. After remaining about fifteen iminutes, the prisoner entered the shop, and from a portmanteau took "out the nuggets produced, and laid them on the counter. Mr Jude requested the prisoner to furnish him with some reference, and he gave him the name of Mr Johnston, North Melbourne, said that he had a commission for Veiling the gold, and that he had obtaind it from a digger named Edwards.: On being informed that witness was a detective,1 prisoner refused to give his name. ;He said that Edwards resided in Collingwoddi and that he himself resided in North Melbourne;: that he had come from Ballaaratj and thathe had had no employment for a long; timerT-his; last engagement being in .a draper's shop. After taking him to the' Detective Office, witness accompanied him ta North Melbourne in search of Edward, filter : occupying two hours jn search and .visiting the Noah's Ark boardinginouse^ where all knowledge of either Edwards ;pr\ !, the prisoner was denied, witiies^re^uriiejD|; with him to the Detective Office,/and/searching him, found on his person £33. l6s 6d; and twelve nuggets produced;: • : leather bags marked;! Sj oz, aijci^wo^Jletters' addressed Kanei |3sq,;iijjanl^of. Victoria, Melbourne^ arid o. third similarly^ addressed to Elmbank: \ Terrace/; '-^fj ; then/ fiaid his name ;wai f .3fteyqc)l4s. t . l,As&i/fflg&. ing the Bank of 'Vjctoriaj; a^lwiwngiki witjj ftiq accQimtaqt. he conveyed

the prisoner, to the watch-house: A t few; filinutes before being locked vp r the prisoner said, " Mr Black, I hope yoU will forgive me fpr the abuse I hay« given you this evening. I will never deny having taken the gold from the Victoria Bank. I have sold gold in other places; one place in Little Bourke street. 1* Witness also found on^ him a promissary note for a pound. On searching his lodging in Elmbank Terrace^ the same (Saturday) morning, witness found another small nugget produced, on the floor of his room, among his clothes. Previously to receiving his statement, witness informed the prisoner that he had visited the banks. At the time of making it Detective Henniker was present. At the conclusion of the evidence, Dr Mackay addressed the bench on behalf of the prisoner, and he was admitted to bail in two sums of £200 each. We have been informed that subsequent to the adjournment of the court, the prisoner made a full confession of his guilt and the circumstances attending it in the presence of two magistrates.— Weekly Age.