Star. — London, England, 1814-03-12 00:00:00

THE LATE FRAUD ON THE STOCK EXCHANGE. . . COMMITTEEROOM, MARCH /. ' The Sub-Committee of the Stock Exchange appoin ted to inquire into the circumstances relative to the late Fraud on the public, have unanimously agreed upon the following Report c It appears in evidenee, from the examination of va rious pasties, and is already well known to the public' that a person representing himself to be Colonel R. Du Bourgh, Aide-de-Camp to Lord Cathcart, came •tc' the Ship Inn at Dover, about one o'clock, on the morning of the 21st of February. He stated, that he Iliad just arrived from the coast of France, that he brought the intelligence that Bonaparte had been slain in battle, that the Allied Armies were in Paris, and that Peace was certain. He immediately or dered a poit-chaise and four to be got ready ;—and after having dispatched a letter to Admiral Foley at Deal, communicating to him the above informyion, with a view to its being forwarded to Government by the Telegraph, set off with all expedition to London. This pretended Messenger has been traced all the way to town, and it appears that about a quarter before .nine o'clock, he arrived at - Marsh-gate, Lambeth, where he alighted, and got into a hackney-coach, in which he was taken to No. 13, Green-street,.Grosve. nor-square. • • It likewise appears in evidence, from the examina tion of various persons, that (whilst this grand plot was carrying on from Dover to London) a sort of under-plot was also carrying on from North Fleet to London. For, on the same morning, a person of the :name of Ralph Sandom, who had ahiented himself from the Rules of the King's Bench, set off from North Fleet, in company with two other persods dres sed as foreigners, in a post-chaise to Dartford. When they arrived there,' they got into a post-chaise and four for London. They decked the horses with - laurel, and directing the post-boys to drive over London Bridge and through the City, they circula ted on their way, the same news as the pretended Du Bourgh at Dover. This chaise passed over Black- Friars Bridge, and stopped also within a short dis tance of the Marsh Gate. The Sub-Committee, far various reasons which it is unnecessary here to allude to, refrain from making any observations 'on the evidence which they have obtained relative to this subject. They therefore com municate it without a single comment. Their only object has been to endeavour to find out the principal Agents in this disgraceful and dishonourable transac tion; and they are happy to state, that there is every reason to hope that the chain of evidence. which they have been enabled to obtain, will finally lead to a full discovery of the offending parties ; at the same time they ha‘T the satisfaction of being able to de slare, that it does not appear that any Member of the Stock-Exchange has been• implicated in the know! •or participation of a measure which would ',Ave inevitably rendered him liable to expulsion from the House. It is unnecessary here to state the time and atten tion which the Sub-Committee have devoted to the investigatiem of this subject. 'They cannot ,however refrain from noticing the great difficulties and delay whiiTh they have experienced in obtaiuing information on those points, which would have-eriabli dithem to - have brodght their 1 tbours to a mote-speedy anti complete issue: For though they -hav had every means of assistance voluntarily rendered to them by his Majesty's Government and by the'Bank of Eng land', • inthose eases wheie it was very.ess - ential and desirable, yet having - no legal power to compel the attendance of persons whose evidence wont(' have been of the greatest importance,', they have been ob.. • liged to resort to'a mores indirect . .mode of procuring the information on which their report is"founded. Although the Sub-Committee, in thus presenting the result of their labours, ; may be considered as vir tually dissolved, yet they beg leave to .state that they *are ready and willing to continue their exertiops as long as they may be considered necessary. They are in possession of still further information on the sub ject, which it is considered proper not to disclose at Present, and which they hope acd expect will even tually crown their efforts with complete success. . CHAS. L4VILENCE, CI:al/Tina FRANCIS WAKEFIELD CHAS.NAIANC.Dtp.Chairmau FRANCIS DAILY BENJAMIN OAKLi.Y JOHN !awls Lewis A. DE LA CHAUMETTE JOHN CAREL CuRISTOP#Lit TERRY WILLIAM HANISIOND. MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. TIIOMAS SHILLING stated, that he is a post-boy at the Marquis of Granby Inn, at Dartford; that he took up a person about halt-past seven o'clock, on Monday morning, February the 21st ; that he drove *the wheel-horses; that when the gentlemat got into the chaise, 'the waiter asked him if he knew of any news, to which he replied, that , f it was all over :" that when the waiter asked him what he meant by its being all Qvir, he said; that Bonaparte was torn in a thousand pieces, and that the Cossacks fought for - a share of him that, at the time he said this, he was in the chaise; that he ordered the post-boys to drive fast, and that - they accordingly did drive very fast for the first threg miles, but when they came to the first hill at Bexley Heath, he told them they need not drive so fast; that he said his business was not so particular now, Since he thought the telegraphs could not _work, Shilling replied, that he was site tEcf! could not, as he knew all the telegraphs ; that tl* gentleman then looked out of the chaise-window and said, " post-boy! you need not mention the news as you go along ;" to which Shilling repligd, " I shall pot, Sir, unless you desire it ;" and at the same time • asked him what the news was ? The gentleman then . told him exactly what he had stated to the waiter, with these additional circumstances, that he came, ashore within two miles of Dover, the Fienchnien being afraid to come nearer ; That he came from the lace where he landed to the Ship Inn at Dover, and left it at two 0 4 ciOCk in the morning ; thathe had sent the intelligence to the Port-Admiral at Deal, in or der that the telegraph : itight be worked, and that he was obliged to do so. The Gentleman then ,a to the post-boys till- they got to when they dismounted and walked by the horses, He Ikaye . them out of the f- a bottle of wine and Some,biseuits, and ' Post-boy ! I think I shall take a Shilling told him that the first 1 :1410. Was at the Bricklayers' Arms. . • He replied, 0 I shall not get out there, &at wont do ;" and asked if there was not a coath.stand in Lambeth. road, and desired him to drive on to that place, a; the chaise would go faster than a coach. At the same time the Gentleman told Shilling, that he need not mention any thing as he went on, but that on return ing he might mention it to whom he pleased. When 'they came to the Stags at Lambeth, there was no coach there. The Gentleman then drew up the side blind of the chaise (at the corner where he sat) as if to hide himself, and the post-boys drove on to Marsh- Gate. They stopped at the side of a hackney-coach standing there, and on the chaise-door and the coach door being opened, the Gentleman got into the coach and drove off, after having given a gold Napoleon to each of the drivers. Shilling asked the waterman where the Gentleman ordered the coachman to drive, and he replied, to Grosvenor-square." Shilling described the Gentleman as having a large red nose, large whiskers, face rather blotched, and that, when he spoke, his eyes seemed to catch ; he thinks him about the height of Sayer, the Police-officer, but not quite so tall or so lusty : he had on a brown surtout, and a red coat under it, a brown fur cap with some thing like silver lace ca it. He had also a sword and a small portmanteau, which were laid on the seat of the chaise. He paid for the chaise at Dartford, and ordered it to drive to Downing-street. Shilling says, he has no doubt but that he should know him again. WILLIAM CRANE stated, that he is the driver of the hackney-coach,. No. 89();----that he took up, on Monday; February '2l, at about forty minutes past eight o'clock in the morning at the Marsh-Gate, a Gentleman who had just alighted Worn a Dartford chaise and four ;—that he was directed to drive to No. 13, Green-street, Grosvenor-square, where the Gentleman alighted, and knocking at the door, in quired for Colonel or Captain man did not hear the name] and was told by the servant, that he was gone to breakfast in Cum berland-street ;—that on receiving this reply, the Gentleman asked if he could write a note to him, and on being answered in the affirmative, he went into the parlour apparently for that purpose; that he took his portmanteau and sword in his hand, and laid them down as if familiar with the house; that on Crane's asking him for more money, he came to the parlour-door and gave him another shilling ; that Crane then left him in the house, and the door being stunt he drove away; that he should know the house again to which he drove, and also that he should know the gentleman again by his speech ; that he looked like a foreigner, had a cough, and was a red-faced man about the middle size ; that he had on a brown great-coat with a red coat under it, and a. fur cap with gold lace ; that the servant who open ' ed the door was a short man, rather elderly, and dressed in black clothe. Mr. SAYER, the Police-OfTicer in attendance, stated, that on Saturday, Feb. 26, he went. with 'William Crane, the. hackney-coachman, to Green -street, in order to identify the. house. When* . they arrived there he desired the coachman to knock at the door, and (under some pretence) to inquire for the gentle man whom he had set down there on Monday. He did so, but was answered from the area, that the gentleman did not live there, that Mr. Durand did live there, but that he had just left it ; that the fa- Mily nos*, residing there was Lord Cochrane's, and that they came in only on Friday last. Sayer asked the coachman if he had any recollection of the ser vant, heleplied tha-t it was riot the. same footman whs) opened•the'door here on Monday when the gen tleman alighted. At • • a subsequent examination Mr. Sayer stated, thatite had• obtained information in the neighbour hood, that Mr. Durand left No. 13, Green -street, on Wednesday,- Feb. 16, and that. Lord Cochrane came in a day or two afterwards. - Mr. Sayer being instructed to obtain the most correct intormation upon the subject, stated, at anr- Alter examination,. that he had ascertained that Lord Cuehrane came into the house, No. 13, Green-street, on Thursday, Feb. 17, but that, it is uncertain whe ther Mr. Durand slept there that night or not ; he likewise stated, that 4,e had ascertained that Lod Cochrane, his brother, and three or four more men, live in the house ; that the man-servant had been turned off and another hired ; that the servant who let in the pretended Du Bourgh is sent into the coun try ; that the maidservant is not allowed to be seen or sp:len to—that tho- house is Mr. Durand's, who has let it furnished, to Lord Cochrane—that Mrs. Durand has been seen to wear such a cap as the one which the pretended Du Bourgh is said to have worn. Mr. LAURENCE (Cha;rman of the Committee), stated, that he had been to Messrs. Bond and Co. bankers, and had ascertained, that the four tel Bank notes whiait the pretended Du Bourgh is said to have paid away to the Landlord of the Ship Inn, Dover, together with another £1 Note, which he had paid away on the road, were in their hands between the hours of one or two o'clock on Saturday, the 19th of February ; on being asked whether they could tell to whom they had paid away any quantity of R 1 Notes after that time on _Saturday, they said they could not without a great deal of trouble, but that if Mr. Lau rence would mention the name of any person, they would turn to their account, and endeavour to ascer tain the fact. He requested them to see if any cheque of Mr. Fearn's was paid on that day, wholly or in part, in R 1 Notes ; but it did not appear that any of his cheques were paid in that way. One of the clerks however stated, that about three or four o'clock on that day, Mr. Thomas Christmas, a clerk to Mr. Fearn, requested to have fifty al Notes in exchange for four £lO Notes and two R 5 Notes, which were accordingly given to him. Mr. THOMAS CHRISTMAS stated, that he was a clerk to Mr. Fearn, but could not recollect having ex changed the notes in question ; he however said, that he would not take his oath he did not. After much hesitation and apparent unwillingness, he at length acknowledged that be had exchanged the four RIO and two 45 . Notes for Mr. Butt, to whom he deli ? vered the fifty 411 Notes. 1 Mr. Gtovea, from the Bank of England, Investi -gator of Bank Notes, stated, that . the four ten-pound Bank notes which had been delivered by Mr. Bnu to , Thomas Christmas, in order to get exchanged, Artie' paid on February 16, by Messrs. Bond and Co. in part of the value of a draft for seventy-five pounds, drawn.by Mr. Yearn, and payable to Mr. Batt, Mr. JOSEPH fameg, a stock-broker, stated, that he knew Lord Cochrane, the Hon. A. Cochrane John stone, and MI. A. G. Butt t¢aß he had been 14 the . • . habit 40f transacting business -each of them in the public Funds ; that on the morning of the 21st of February, he sold for various persons Consols and Omnium to a very large amount—in the whole about g 928,000, Of this sum there wese sold for •MNIUM. CONSOLS. Lord Cochrane ..... £139,000 None. 1-lon. A. C. Johnston.t Mr. Butt most of which had been purchased in the course of the week preceding ; that Mr. Butt often acts for Lord Cochrane, in his instructions to buy and sell Stock, and that such bargains are always acknowledged as correct by Lord Cochrane ; that Lord Cochrane, Mr. Cochrane Johrvtone, and Mr. Butt, were with him by ten o'clock of the morning of the 21st of February.; that Mr. Cochrane Johnstone took an office for him in Shorter's•court (next door to the Stock Exchange) without his knowledge, and that he entered it on the morning of the '2lst of February ; that although he sold a great deal of Stock on that day, yet ( with the exception of the three names above mentioned) he did not sell for any one person above ,E. 55,000 ; that Lord Cochrane bought 820,000 of the Omnium above mentioned on Saturday, Feb. 19, and Mr. Cochrane Johnstone bought £60,000 of it on Friday, Feb. 18 ; that he thinks Mr. Cochrane Johnstone and Mr. Butt acted in concert on Monday, Feb. '2l, al though at other times they have occasionally acted d fferent ways in the purchase and sale of Stock ; that the whole of the above business was done for the next settling days, and not for money. Mr. HICHENS, a stock-broker, was sent for ; but it being understood he was confined to his bed with a severe fit of illness, Mr. Wakefield (one of the Sub- Committee) waited upon him, and learned frcrn him, that .although he had known Mr. Cochrane Johnstone for some years, yet he had not done any business for him in the Public Fiinds before the pre sent year; that about the Sth of February he be— gan to make some purchases in Omnium, which had increased to such an extent, that on the 14411 . 0 f February it amounted to JESG3,(XIO ; that of this sum £200,000 was sold on Feb. the 16th, and £115,000 on February the 17th—that the remaining sum of £250,000 was sold on the morning of February the 21st; that out of this sum of £2.50,000, it was stated by Mr. Cochrane Johnstone, that £50,000 was for a friend of his, and he consented to be a guarantee for any loss which might accrue; that he does not know Lord Cochrane, or Mr. Butt. Mr. Smaueoxr., a Stock-Broker, stated that he had bought (a few days prior to February the 21st) £4.0,000 Omnium for Mr. Cochrane Johnstone, and £lO,OOO Omnium for Mr. Butt; that both these were sold in the morning of February the 21st ; that the bargains were made for the next settling-day, and not for money. Mr. J. M. RICHARDSON (a Bookseller, but occa sionally acting AS a Stock-Broker) stated, that on the afternoon of Saturday, February the 19th, Mr. Butt applied to him to buy £150,000 Omnium frr the next settling day ; that he had once purchased £20,000 Omnium for him, and gained 5-Sths per Cent. on the transaction ; but that he declined enter ing on so large a speculation as the one now proposed; that however he did purchase £30,000 Omnium tor him as he requested ; and that he sold it on tlic morn ing of February the '2lst. [From these statements it appears, that on the af ternoon of Saturday, February the 19th, the three parties above-mentioned may he considered as having purchased for the next settling-days the following sums, viz. OYINIUM. CONSOLL Lord Cochrane £139,000 Han. A. C. Johnstone X410,000 set 00,000 Mr. Butt Total £773000 £268,000 The whole of which was sold on the morning of Monday, February the 21st]. F. 11A I.Dfl EY stated, that he is a post.boy, at the Rose Inn, Dartford ; that on Monday, February the 21st, he took up Mr. R. Sandom and two other per sons at Dartford, in a post•chaise and four ; that he was ordered to dtive over London Bridge, through the City, and over Blackiriar's Bridge, down the New Cut, towards the Marsh Gate ; that the men had cocked hats with a white cockade in each; that the horses were decorated with laurel ; that they came from Dartford to London in about an hour and an halt ; that they all three got out about two hun dred yards from the Marsh Gate, where they arrived about twelve o'clock, and tying up their cocked hats walked off in round ones ; that he knows Sandom very well, but does not know the other two; that these two others had blue great coats on, one of which was laced across ; that one of them is a thin man, and the other had a roundish face ; that he thinks he should know one of them again, but is not certain of knowing the other. Sandom gave the post boys twelve shillings each, but did not settle•for the chaise ; that he had seen Sandom since. Mr. WoLee stated, that on the evening of the 21st of February, he was at the Carolina Coffee-house, where he saw Sandom, who said that he had received an order to bring the twp persons to town with him ; that Sandom showed him the order, which was writ ten in French ; a gentleman present copied it. Mr. P. Foxatt., master of the Rose Inn, Dart ford, wrote to the Sub-Committee, enclosing Mr. Sandom's order for the chaise, and at the same time mentioning that Sandom had not yet called to pay for it. Mr. VINN stated, that on Tuesday, February the 15th, 3.e met by appointment at the Carolina Coffee house, a person named Alexander M'Rae, whom he had formerly known ; that Mr. M'Rae proposed to him a plan similar in every respect to that which was adopted on the following Monday by the pi etended Du 13ourgh ; that if he would personate the Mes senger, he would have all his expenses paid, and would be handsomely rewarded for his trouble. Mr. Vinn, however, considering this to be a dishonour able transaction, declined having any thing to do with it, and has since been very active in endeavouring to find out M'Rae, but hitherto without 'any effect ; M'Rae is considered as a man in distressed circum stances, as intentionally secreting himself from the Public. Mr. HoLLowAY, hiving requested to attend the Committee, stated, that although he knew Mr. San dom and Mr. M'Rae, yet he Was totally unacquain ted with the plot which was carried into 'effect on Fe bruary the 21st; that be certainly did sell someatock * At a iubsequent exatninttion, Mr. Fawn e : apressed some doubt upon Ws point as to Lord Cochrane. OP on that day, but not so much as lie had been in the habit of doing at other times, when a rise in the pub. lic funds took place, Mr. R. SANDom having requested to attend the Committee, stated that lie resided at North Fleet; that about an hour before day-light on the morning of February the 9.lst, two men dressed like foreigners, and pretending to have come recently from the coast of France, landed near his house from a six -oared galley, and having called him up, delivered to him a note, purporting to have been written by a persoil of the name of Partridge, whom he had formerly known at Dever, requesting him to take these two persons to London, who had groat public news to com municate to Government, but not to suffer them to be at any expense; that accordingly did order a chaise from Dartford, and they proceeded (in O lt . manner already described) to Marsh-Gate, where they alighted :—that they then went to Westminster- Bridge and teak a boat to Whitehall, and on entering one of the passages of that building the two men tcrk leave of him, by saying they had no further occasion for his services :—that lie has not seen or heard of them since ;—that he has•however seen partrid g e and finds that the order sent to him was a forger). Mr. Sandom stated that he had no account in the Stock Exchange ; that he disclaimed all knowledge of any of the parties in the plot, and said that fc; some time he believed the report (which was circula ted) to have been true. . 4. $ r id no more 0 4 0 Ptvra4-lill, the s* of the fhaise, part of a . to, §hiping h4ckP?Y !coach.' t4c1.917-c9ish. LORD COCNRANE•'S DECLARJ7I.W Having obtained leave of absence to come to trwn in consequence of scandalous paragraphs in the pub. lic p;pers ; and in consequence of having learnt that handbills had been affixed in the sheets, in %chid-. I have since seen, it is asserted that a person camp to my house, at No. 13, Green -street, on the 21st day of February, in open clay, and in the dress in which he hael committed a fraud, I feel it due to myself to make the following Dersit;on, that the Public may know the truth relative to the only person seen by tr.l in military uniform at my house on that day. COCHRANE. 13, Green-street, March 11, 1814. " No. 13, Green-itreet, Grosvenor-squarr, • March 11, lbli. " I, Sir Thomas Cochrane, commonly called Lord Cochrane, having been appointed by the Lords Com. missioners of the Admiralty to active service (at the request, I believe, of Sir Alexander Cochr me) wl.en I had no expectation of being called on, I obtained leave of absence to settle my private affairs previous to quitting this country, and chiefly with a view to lodge . a specification to a patent, relative to a disco. very for increasing the intensity of light. 4 ‘ That in pursuance of my daily practice of su perintending work that was executing for me, and knowing that my uncle, Mr. Cochrane .lAnstene, went to the City every morning in a coach, I do swear, on the morning of the 2 st of February, which day was impre,sed on my mind by circumstances which afterwatds occurred, I breakfasted with him at his residence in Cumberland -street, about half.ptst eight o'clock, and I was put down by him (and Mr. Butt was in the coach) on Snow-hill, about ten o'clock. " That I had been about three quarters of an hour at Mr. King's manufactory, at No. 1, Cock-lane, when I received a tew lines on a small bit o f paper, requesting me to come immediately to my house; the name affixed, from being written close to the bott , ln. I could not read ; the servant told me it w2s from an army officer, and concluding that he might be an officer from Spain, and that some accident had be fallen to r.ly brother, I hastened back, and I found Captain Berenger, who in great seeming uneasiness, made many apologies for the freedom he had used, which nothing but the distressed state of his mind arising from difficulties could have induced him to do. All his prospects he said had failed, and his last hype had vanished of obtaining an appointment in Ame rica. He was unpleasantly circumstanced on account of a sum which he could not pay, and if he could that others would fall upon him for full £80:)0. He had 110 hope of bimefiting his creditors in h4s present situation, or of assisting himself. That if I would take lii ni with me, he would immediately go on board and exercise the sharpshooters (which plan Sir Alex ander Cochrane, I know, had approved of). That he had left his lodgings, and prepared himself in the best way his means allowed. He had brought the sword 'with him which had been his father's, and to that and to Sir Alexander ha would trust for obtain ing an honourable appointment. 66 I felt very uneasy at the distress he was in, and knowing him to be a roan of gieat talent and science, I told him I would do every thing in my power to relieve him ; but as to his going immediately to the Tonnant with any comfort to himself, it was quite impossible. My cabin was without furniture; I had not even a servant on board. He said he would wil lingly mess any where. I told him that the ward room was already crowded, and, besides, I coLl.! not with propriety take him, he being a foreigner, without leave from the Admiralty. " He seemed greatly hurt at this, and recalled to my recollection certificates which lie had fornieily shewn me from persons in official situations ; Lord Yarmouth. General Jenkinson, and Mr. Reeves, 1 think, were amongst the number. 66 I recommended him to use his encl:avour to get them, or any other friends, to exert their influence, for I had none ; adding, that when the Tonnan: went to Portsmouth, I should be happy to receive him ; and I knew from Sir Alexander Cochrane, the he would be pleased if he accomplished that object. " Captain Berenger said, that not anticipating ar . objection on my part from the conversation he 11-1. , formerly had with me, he had come away with is tention to go on board, and make himself useful his military capac:ty ; he could not go to Lord 1 37• mouth, or to any other of his II tends in this dress (alluding to that which he had on), or return to 1... lodgings, where it would excite suspicion (as lie to: at that time in the rules of the King's Bench), 1)::: that it 1 refused to let him join the ship now, 1.: would do so at Portsmouth. Under present circus; stances, however, he must use a great liberty, are request the favour of me to lend him a hat to we: l i instead of his military cap : I gave him one, whic.• was in a back room, with some things that had se been packed up, and having tried it on, his uniform , appeared under his great coat ; I therefore OlL :re, : him a black coat that was lying on a chair, aDJ