Counterfeiting Charges Against Two Men

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7279, 5 October 1933, Page 7

Counterfeiting Charges Against Two Men

ONE FORMERLY IN POSSESSION OF BOMB Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Oct. 4. Charges of uttering a counterfeit coin, making counterfeit coins and making three coining moulds mere admitted in the Magistrate’s Court today by two men, William George Hart, aged 43, and William Babbage, aged 47, and they were committed by Mr. Page, S.M., to the Supreme Court, for sentence.

Evidence was to the effect that on receiving a complaint from a newsboy detectives watched in Lambton Quay and picked on and searched accused. They found coins and afterwards, at the 'place where they lived, more coins and apparatus for making them. George Sargiff, a Russian, aged 43, pleaded not guilty to having in his possession three coining moulds, and was committed for trial. In this case evidence was given by the manager of a city cafe, where accused was in the habit of having meals, that accused brought a tin with a request that it be put in the oven and baked. He said it contained moulds for little statues.

An assistant at the cafe said that when accused brought in tho tin a second time he was suspicious that there might be something dangerous in it

and so he opened it and he found three double moulds, and inside one which he opened he found a two shilling piece. He reported the matter to the police. Detective Hayhurst said he found in Sargiff’s room a blow-lamp, plaster of paris, metal, copper wire, pliers and other tools.

In opposing bail, the police mentioned that accused was sentenced at Auckland last year to 12 months for being in possession of a bamb. Tho police said he was a foreigner with strong tendencies against the betterment of the community. Bail was refused both in this case and in the ease of the other two.