The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-10-10 00:00:00

PRETENDED WILL FRAUDS.

At the Mansion Home, Mr. F. C. Judford, otherwise
Herr von Howard, 46 yews of age, an American who was
apprehended at Hamburg under the Extradition Treaty
between England and Germany, wall win brought before
Alderman 9lr Robert Carden charged, on remand, with
unlawfully obtaining £350 from Mr. John Harvey, a
merchant In the CiV, under false pretence that by a will
of Mr. itichard llarvey, of Greenway, Devon which
wee being concealed and was likely to be destroyed by
Interested parties, he was entitled to • bequest of .C 40.000
personalty besides real property of conmderable value.
Another complainant wu Captain Charles Henry Williams.
R.N. of Fitton House, Barnstaple. who formerly repre-
sented that borough in the House of Commons. The
in that cam was almost identical—namely that he
Mere: left • large legacy in money and a devise of con-
siderable landed crawly under the last and really
genuine will of Mr. Richard Harvey. • Devonshire
millionaire, that the will had been surreptitiously ob-
tained sad was being withheld,but that it would be given
up on payment of • certain per oentage on the net amount
of moperty actually realised. —Mr. Mead, barrister, on the
pert of the Treasary, again conducted the case for the
prosecution; and the prisoner was defended by Mr. Pratt.
solicitor, of the Arm of Buchanan and Pratt—Much
correspondence, in which the prisoner had taken part was
put in evidence on the part of the prosecution, tending
more or less to implicate the prisoner in the matters laid
to his charge. A document was also produced in
Übe prisoner's handwriting in which he appeared to
have kept a regular alphabetical list of his
dealings in reference to wills. Among his papers was
found a list of the names of ladies, with the dates of their
deaths and the fortunes they had left by wills and
codicils, also a list of generals and naval officers and the
fortunes which they had bequeathed; the list of generals
and naval (lacers referred to being considerable In point
of numbers. That was exclusive of ladies, whose names
um • rule he had written in Greek characters, lie had
written letters to • lady of the name of " Katie." one of
which enclosed • CS note. There was also an entry of
letters which had been returned to him—five in number.
In the same book were the names of several gentlemen
with addresses In England, and the name of an Engliah
hotel-keeper underneath.—Henry Francis Beasell, •
warder from Newitate, where the prisoner had tom con-
fined since the tad of September, produced • letter he had
received from the prisoner to he posted. This was not
rend, It having only been produced with the object of
identifying the prisoner's hand writinL —Mr. James Kemp
produced the will of Mr. Richard Harvey to show that
neither in it nor in the codicil attached did it contain any
devise or bequest to Captain Williamm—Mr. Hervey pro-
duced a letter from the prisoner written on July 10, 1878,
and denjina in effect that he ever wrote the letters in
question sdareseed to him (Mr. Hervey), and never knew
what they contained. —Mr. Matthew Wyatt Gunning,
been the War Office Financial Department, deposed that
ifs 1866 or 1866 be know the grimacer as • temporary clerk
oagor him, and going _ by Um name of Talbot Bouverie
etee.eiend Wilmot. The prisoner met with as accident
in 18Mit. the result of which was that be lost his tongue.
Witness was at thU El Dial maims In February or March,
144, when the prisoner was convicted of obtaining
money by Lase prutteme fnou Lord Wharucliffe and
others, and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment
At this stage in the hes:in.; Alderman Sir Robert Carden
runianded the prisoner for a week.