The Sun. — London, England, 1814-03-12 00:00:00

ii2PORT OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE STOCK EXCHAN GE, RELATIVE TO THE LATE FRAUD. COMMITTEE-ROOM, MARCH 7. The Sub-Committee of the Stock Exchange, ap pointed to inquire into the Circumstances re lative to the late Fraud on the Public, have unanimously agreed upon the following REPORT. It appears in evidence, from the examination of various parties, and is already well known to. the Public, that a person representing himself to be Colonel It. Du Bonrgh, Aide-de-Ca►np to Lord Cathcart, came to the Ship-Inn at Dover, about one o'clock, on the morning of the 21st of Fe bruary. He stated, that he bad just arrived from the Coast of France, that be brought the intelli gence that l3uonaparte had been slain in battle, that the Allied Armies were in Paris, and that Peace was certain. . He immediately ordered a post-chaise and four to be got ready ; and after having dispatched a letter to Admiral Foley at Deal, comnimunicating to him the above informa tion, with a view to its being forwarded to Go vernment by the Telegraph, set off with all expe dition 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 ar rived at Marsh-gate, Lambeth, where he alight ed, and get inta a Hackney-coach, in which be was taken to No. 13, Green-street, Grosvenor square. It likewise appears in evidence, from the exami nation of various persons, .that (whilst this grand plot was carrying un from Dover to London) a sort of ander-plot was also carrying on from North- Ilea to London. For, on the same morning a person of the name of Ralph Sandom, who had absented himself from the Rules of the Eing's-Beach, set off from North Fleet, in company with two other persons dressed as Fo reigners-, in a post chaise to Dartford. When they arrived. there, they got into a post-chaise and foe.- for London. They decked the horses with laurel, and directing the post-boys to drive over London-bridge and through the City, they circu lated on their way, the same news as the pretended Bourgh, at Dover. This chaise passed over If' Ic'.-.friars-bride, and stopped also within a short distance of the Marsh-gate. The Sub-Committee, for various reasons which it is %tanecessary here to allude to, refrain from nrikin iA any observations on the evidence which they it ire obteiaal relative to this subject. They therefore commuocate it without a single com ment. Their only object has been - to endeavour to find sh- riaoir .1 agents in this disgraceful and d:al;onourable transaction ; anti they are b-appy to state, that there is every reason to hope that the chain of evidence which they have been enAled to obtain, will finally lead to a full dis cover of the offending parties ; at the same time ey have the satisfaction of being able to declare, tlitt it does not Appear t!:at any Member of the Stock-Exchange has i.ieen implicated in the know ledge or participation of a measure which would Ii inevitably rendered him liable to expulsion froin the kionse. It is unnecessary here to state the time and attention which the. Sub-Committee have devoted to the investigation of this subject. Theycannct however, refrain from noticing the great ditbeul ties and delay which they have experienced in obtaining informaticin on those points, which could have enabled them to have brought their labours to a vivre speedy and complete issue. For though they have had every means of assistance voluntarily rendered to them by his Majesty's Go vernment and by the Bank of England, in those cases where it was very essential and desirable, yet having 'no legal power to compel the atten dance of persons whose evidence would have been of the greatest importance, they have been obliged to resort to a more indirect mode of procuring the information on which their report is founded. Although the Sub-Conunitiee, in thus present ing the irsult of their labours, may be considered as virtually dissolved, yet they beg leave to state, that they are ready and willing to continue their exertions, as long as they may be considered ne cessary. They are in possession of still further itifortnation on the subject, ‘shicli it is considered proper not to disclose at present, and which they hope and expect will eventually crown their ef forts with complete success. C LAURENCE, Chairman. CHARLES NeI,IHNE, Deputy CbairWan. 13ENJANI!!%1 OAKLEY. LEWIS .INDKEW LIE LA CHAUMETTE. roPt IEII 'FERRY. FRANCIs - WAKEFIELD. FR.II%;CIS BAILEY. JOHN LEWIS. C'APEL. WILLIAM HANIMOND. MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. TIMMAS SHIL!_ING stated, that he is a post-boy at the M.:rquis ot Granby Inn at Dartfoul—that he took np a person ab,ont half past seven o'clock qo-tNionday morning, February the 21st—that he (hove thL, wheel horses—that when the gentleman got into tt e cl aise, the waiter asked him if he knew of any newA, to which he replied that " it wee: all over :"—that ''hen the iroiter asked him what he meant by its being all over, he said that Buomiparte was torn in a thousand pieces, and that the Cossacks fought for a share of him—that, at tbc. same time he said this, he was in the chaise—that, he ordered the pest-boys to d r i ve rind that they accordingly did drive very fast for the first three miles, but when thcy came to Bexley Heath he told them they need not drive so tast—that tic said his business was aot so parti cular now, since he though the telegraphs could not work . . t•shilliog replied that he was sure they could not, as he knew all,the telegraphs ;—that the gcntletnan .then looked out orthe chaise-win- dow and said, " Post-boy ! you need not men tion the news as you go aiong.;" to which SIM- ; ng replied, " I shall not, Sir, unless you ttesire ' 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 addi tional circumstances that be came ashore within, two miles of Dover, the Frenchmen being afraid • to come nearer; that he came from the place where he lauded, to the Ship Inn at Dover, and left it at two o'clock in the morning ; —that be had sent the intelligence to the Port Admiral at Deal, in order that the telegraph might be worked, and that he was obliged to do so. The gentleman then said no more to the post-boys till they got to Shooters-Hill, when they dismounted and walked by the side of the horses. He gave them out of the chaise part of a bottle of wine and some bis cuits, and said to Shilling, " Post-boy ! I think I shah take a hackney-coach." Shilling toli him the first hackney-coach stand was at the Brick layers-Arms. He replied, " I shall not get out there, that won't do ;" and asked it there was not a coach-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 men tion 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 coach-door being opened, the Gentleman got into the coach and drove oil', after having given a gold Napolsion to each of the drivers. Shilling asked the waterman where the Gentleman ordered the coachman to drive, and he replied, " to Grosvenor-square." Shilling de scribed the Gentleman as having a large red *nose, large whiskers, face rather blotched, and that when ha spoke his eyes seemed to catch ; he thinks him about the height of Saver, 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 something like silver lace on it. He had also a sword and a small portmane:su, 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. S9O ; that he took up on Monday, Feb. 21, at about forty minutes past eight o'clock in the morning at the Marsh- Gate, a Gentleman who had just alighted from a Dartford chaise and four ; that he was di rected to drive to No. 13, Green -street, Grosve nor-square, where the Gentleman alighted, and knocking at the door, inquired for Colonel or Cap tain [the coachman did not hear thi. :lamed and was told by the servant that he was gone to break fast in Cumberland-street ; that on receiving this reply, the Gentleman asked if he could write a note to him, and on being answered in the aftirmative, he went into the parlour apparently fur that pur pose ;—that he took his portmanteaß, and sword in his h an d_ ~a<i 1.1,1 et...,1..‘r - n 0Q if familiar with the house, that on Crane's asking bin.' 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 shut, he drove away ; -- that he should know the house again to which he drove. 2nd also that he should know the Gentle man again by his speech ;—that he looked like a foreigner, had a cough, and was a red-faced man about the middle ;—that he hail on a brown great-coat with a red coat under it, and a fur cap with gold lace ;—that the servillt, who opened the door was a short man, rather elderly, and dressed in black clothes. Mr. SAYER, the Police-Officer in attendance, stated, that on Saturday, Feb. 26, he went with William Crane, the hackney-coachman, to Green_ street, in order to identify the 'must. When they arrived there, be desired the Coachman to knock at the door, and (under some pretence) to inquire for the Gentleman whom he likid set down there on Monday. He did so, but was answered flora the area, that the Gentleman did not live there, that Mr. Durand did live there, but that be had just left it ;—that the. family now residing them: was Lord Cochrane's, and that they came in only on Friday last. Sayer asked the Coachman if he bad any recollection of the servant, he replied, that it was not the same footman who opened the door here on Monday when the gentleman alighted. At a subsequent examination, Mr. Sayer stated, that be bid obtained intormation• in the neigh bourhood, 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.nbtain the' most correct information upon this subject, stated, at another examination, 04 he had aseet tallied that Lord Cochrane came into the house, ,No, 13, Green-street, on Thursday, Feb. 17, but that it is uncertain whether Mr. Durand slept there that night or not ; be likewise stated, that he bad ascertained that Lord Cochrane, his brother, and three or four more men,. live in the house ; that the man-servant had been turned off and an-. .other hired ;—that the servant wle) let in the pre .tended Du Bourgh is sent into the country ; that the maid-servant is not allowed to be seen or spoken to ; that the 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 (Chairman of the Committee) stated, that he bad been -to Messrs. Bond and Co. bankers, and bad ascertained, that the four one pound Bank notes which the pretended Du Bourg!) is said to have paid away to the landlord of the Ship-Inn, Dover, together with another one pound 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 one-pound notes after that ti»te on" Saturday, they said they could not without a great deal of trouble, but that if. Mr. Lawrence would mention the name of any person, they would turn to their account, and endeavour to ascertain the fact. reuuested them to see if any cheque of Mr. Fearn's was paid on that day, -xholly.or in part, in one-pound notes ; but it did not appe..r that any of his aeques were paid in that way. One of his clerks, however, stated that ahout three or four o'clock on that day, Mr. Thinuat Christmas, a clerk to Mr. Fuaro, requested to have fifty one-pound notes in exchange for four ten-pound notes and two five pound notes, M'llich were accordingly given to Mr. TnomAs CHRIETMAS stated, that he was a clerk to Mi. Fear:), but could not recollect having exchanged the notes in qnestion ; he, however, said, that he would not take his oath he did not. After inuch hesitation and apparent unwillingness, he at length acknowledged that he had exchanged the four ten-pound and two five-hounds notes for Mr. Butt, to whom he delivered. the fifty one pound notes. Mr. GLoven from the Bank of England, inves tigator of Bank notes, stated, that the four ten.- pound Bank notes which had been delivered by Mr. Butt to Thomas Christmas, in order to get exchanged, were paid on February 16, by Messrs. Bond and Co. in part of the value of a draft for, seventy-five pounds, drawn by Mr. learn, and payable to Mr. Butt.: • Mr. Joseph FCaril, a Stockbroker, stated, that he knew . Lord Cochrane, the Honourable A. Cochrane Johnstone, and Mr. R. G. Butt ;—that lie had been iu die, habit of transacting business for each of them in the pubic! Funds ;—that Coil the morning on the 21st of February, he sold for various persons Consols and (Thulium to a very large amount, in the whole about 928,000/. Of this sum there were sold fbr onoiton. consoli. Lord Cochrane - - 139,0001. N one. Hon. A. C. Johnstone 120,0001. 100,000/. Mr. Butt - - - I;; 1..000 ;68,0001., most of which had been purcha :od ia the course of the week preceding ;—that r Butt often acts for Lord Cochrane, in his instructions to buy and sell Stock, and that such bargins are -always ac knowledged as correct by Loud Cochrane;—that Lord Cochrane, Mr.' Cot:1)1111e 'Johnstone, and :Nil. Butt, were with him by ten o'clock on the morning of the 21st of February ; . *--that Mr. Cochrane Johnstone took an ()nice for him in Shot ter's-Court, (next door to the Stock-Ex change) Without his knowledge, and that be en tered it ou the morning oF the 2lst of February ; —that although he sold :t 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 53,0991. ;—that Lord Cochrane bought 20,000/. of the Omnioni above-mentioned, on Saturday Feb. 19, and Mr. Cochrane John stone bought 60,000!. of it on Friday, Feb. 15 ; that he thinks Mr. Cochrane Johnstone and Mr. Butt acted in concert on Monday, Feb. 21, :_l• though at other tittles they have occasionally -.et ed different ways in the purchase and sale of Sto;A; that the whole of the Wove business was done fer the next settling day, , , ant. not for money. Mr. HICHENS, a Stock-broker, wa sent for; but it being understood he ‘vris confined to his bed with a severe fit ot - illness, Air. Wakeueld (one of the Sub-Committee) waited upon him, and learn ed from hint, that although he had known Alr. Cochrane Johnstone for sonic ye:trs, yet he had not done any business fur him in the Pubic Pond:: before the present year,—that about the sth of Feb. he began to make sonic purchases in (Minium, which had increased to such an extent, that on the I 4th of Feb. it ituionnted to 565,0001.—that of this suns 200.0001. was sold on Feb. the IGtn, and 115,0001. on Feb. the Fith,—that the remaining sum of 250,0001. was sold on the morning of Feb. the 21st ;---drat out of this stun of 250,00u1 it %rip stated by Mr. Cochrane Johnstone, that- 50,0001. was for a friend of his, and he consented to be a guaran-tee for any loss NVllHltnight accrue ;- -that be does not know Lord Cochrane or Mr. Bott. , Mr. SNALLSONE, n Stock-broker, stated that he . had bought (a few days prior to February the 21st) 40,0001. Omnium for. Air. Cochrane .lohnstoue and 40,0001. Oninium for Mr. Butt ;—that both these were sold in the morning of Feb. the 21st ; —that the bargains were made for the next Set tling-day, and not for money. Mr. J. M. RICHARDSON (a Bookseller, but oc casionally acting as a Stoek-broker),. stated, that on the afternoon of Saturday, Fel). the 19th, Mr. Kitt applied to him to buy 150,0001. ()minim for the next stttling-day;—that he had once purchas ed 20,0001."Omnium for him, and gained iths per Cent, on the 'transaction ; but that be deciined entering on so large n speculation as the one now p'roprised ; that, however, he did purchase 30,0001. Omnium for 'him as he requested ; and that he sold it on the morning of February the 21st. [From these statements it appears, that oar the afternoon of Saturday, Feb. the 19th, the three parties almre-mentiuned may be considered as having purchased tor the next settling-days tlw following sums, viz.— Onminm• consols. Lnrd Cochrane, . . X 139,00 - None. }lon. A. C. Johnstone, 410,000 £lOO,OOO Mr. Butt, . . . . 224,000 168,000 Total, &773,000 £68,000 whole of which was sold on the morning of Monday, Feb. the 21st.] F. BALoarY stated, that he is a post-boy at the Rose Inn, Dartford ; that on Monday, February the 21st, he took up Mr. 11. Sandont and two other persons at Dartford, in a post-chaise and four; that he was ordered to drive over London Bridge, through the • City, and over Blackfriars Bridge, down the New Cut, towards the Marsh ,Gate ; that the inew-had cocked hats :i'ith a white rockade in each 5 ' that the horses were decorated With laurel ; that they came. from Dartford to London in about an hour and a half ; that they all three got out about two hundred yards from the Marsh Ga:e. '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 tile 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 bad a rinindish face; that he thinks he should know one of diem again, but , •t a sabsepint examination, Mr. i'earn . ix.pressed some doubt UDC is not certain of knowing the other. S"'' ll, gave the post-boys twelve shillings each, hat 41 '"' not settle, for the chaise ; that he had seen dent since. Mr. \VoLFE stated, that on the evening, 0 ‘„„ 2I st of February he was at the Carolina house, where he saw Saudom, said tiO r t , had received an order to bring the two pers o ' ls l ,, town with him ; that Sandom slimed bin' r t i .. order, which was written in French ; man present copied it. Mr. P. FoxALL, master of the Rose - Inn, ford, wrote to the Sub-Committee, enclosing ' ; , c Sandom's order for the chaise, and at the 6 f ic d time mentioning that Sandoin had not yet to pay for it. - . Mr. VINN stated, that' on Tuesday, Feh rti ;:, l '.‘ the 15th, he met by appointment at the Coffee...house, a person named Alexander whom he had formerly known that Mr. g' l r ' 4,t o ‘ proposed to him plan similar in every resPt c )‹ that which was adopted on the following I\ l°l '`,; , i by the pretended Du Bourgh ; that if he t{n personate the Messenger, he would Lava all expencea paid, and would be hanclsoloclY warded for his trouble. , Mr. intwe.' l ", considering it to be a dishonourable transactioll: declined having any thing to do with it, 0' 1 1; 11. 9t 1 since been eery active i n endeavouriag j ie out Mlltae, but hith e rto with ou t anve tf ec t'• is considered as a man in distecssed stances, as intentionally secretin g hi m self the public. O e Mr. lioLLowaY, having requested to atten- A i r , CoMmittee, stated, that although he knew Sandom and Mr. M`Rae, v.et he was totally ono vitiuted with the plot which was carried ',"„iy etfeet on February the '2 Ist ; that he certno did sell some Stock on that day, but wi t , a t much as he local been in the habit of dui* other times, when a rise in the public funds t° place. Mr. R. SA ND OM having requested to attend t . Committee, stated that he resided at Northfieco: that about an hour before day-light on the 01 ° I iv ing of February the 21st, two nten, tiresstd foreigners, and pretending ,to have conic lec ell ,o • from the coast of France, land e d near from a six -od red galley, and having called delivev A to him a note, purporting- t o have b l e e written by a person of the name of rartr i lE: whom lie had formerly known at Dover, ecqu c oo , ing hint to take these two persons to L 013 ' 1 60 0 who had great public news to communicate to verninent, but not to suffer them to be at u Lt t ise expellee that he accordingly did order .a c"; i gt from .Dartford,and they proceeded (in the noi ll , b ef already described) to Marsh Gate, where * g er alighted ; that th e y t h en went tp Bridge and took a boat to Whitehall, and o 0 the tering one of the passages of that building D A two amen took leave of him, by saying they b 0 no bather o:casion for his services ; not seen or heard of them since ; that he d iet however, seen Partridge, and finds that the ° id, sent to him was a forge: v. Mr. Sandom S ts te e; that he had no ac , otint the Li'tc h O lthe that he disclaimed all kn0w1e..;,.!, - e of ohe 1• 7 ,0 parti..s. in the plot., and said that i . tir -1 11 0* Tiered the rep,rt (which was circulate d ) to bees true. LORD COCHRANE. HIS LOTIDSHIFS DECLARATION. tO Havin obtained leave of absence to come Al bs Town in' consequence of scandalous parag r "', in thepl:blic papers ; and in consequence of h ' T ile ing learnt that hand-bills had been affixed ill t e a streets, in which, I h a v e s i nce seen , it is assert-, that a person came to my house at No. 13, Gl ee : stteet, on the 21st day of February, in open d j ili s : and in the dress in which h e h a d c ommitt eu st , fraud, I red it due to myself to make the foll ° o ing Deposition, that the niblic may knoll j ia truth relative to the only person seen by 10 Military Uniform at my house on that day. 13, Green-street, March 11, 1314. COClntAr;9'.. No. 7 3, Green-street, Groweitor-square,Marchl" " I, Sir 1110 MAS COCHRANE, commonlY ° t he Lord COCITRANE, having been appointed..bt t ice Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to a c service (at the. request, I believe, of Sir ALEY' P ' - 0 1 DER CocnaANE) when I had no ,expectati° being called on, T obtained leave of absenc e h i 4 -settle my private a ff a i rs prev i ous to qu i tt ing t c i, country, and chiefly with a v i ew to l o d ge a sP e • tv fication to a patent re lati ve to a di scover y W I creasing the intensity of light. pf " That in pursuance of my daily practic e superintending wo r k th at was executing for ": 4 ; and knowing th a t m y unc l e , M r . Cockle' Jon NSTONF., went to the city every morning ais c a coach, I do swe a r, on th e morn i ng o f the of February, whi c h d a y w as i m p resse d 00 mind by circumstances which afterwards oc cl ia red, .1 breakfasted with him at his :residenc e z z , Cumherfnd-street, about half-past 8 o'c l lia and I was put down by I , ita (and Mr. BuTl' 10- the coact , ), on Snow-hill, about 10 o'clock• " That I had been about three quarters , hour at Mr.l(iNg's Manufactory, at ;Co. 1, C °c i ) t, ' land, when I reeeived a few lines on a sm3 ll t o. of paper, requestin g t a e to come imMediate l i co my house ; the name affixed, from being writ e r . close to -the bottom, I cou ld not rea d : s,eod rant told ' me it was froth a n arm y o ffi cer, 1 ". 0 . , concluding that he m i g ht b c an officer from Sin. and that some accident had b e f a ll en to my u r . 4 . ther, I hastened back, and I found Capt. 1 501 ,,,',y GER, who in gr:at see m i ng uneasiness ill. de apologies for the freedom he had used, which 1 : 00 . • thing hot the distress e d st a t e o f his nay! 0651 0 front diflizulties could have i n d uce d hi m to (10 4 . his prospects, lie said, had fail e d, an d bin 11 hope hatlyanished of obtaining an appoiou tl- 6 1 in America. He was unpleasantly circumsta nc o d on account of at stun which he could not pgY' 4 f • o r if he could; that others would fall upon biri l full 8,0001. He tad no hope of benefiting creditors in his. present. situation, or of assis t ), - c himself. That if I would take him With 1 0 ;', 1 , e would inmiediately go on board a n d exerj= g ..,c et. t..