The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-04-10 00:00:00

THE CAREER OF A CLERK.

Benjamin Higgs,late of Tide End House,T•ddington,
absconded on the sth of March, from the employment of
the Great Central Gas t lompany, in London. in whose
service he had been for several years. His salary at the
time of his disappearance was under £4OO per annum.
His establishment at Tedilington. however, was of
almost princely character. Mr. Higgs' habits were
luxurious and extravagant in the extreme. The house,
which contained about Si) rooms, was fitted and fur-
nished in the most sumptuous style. A large pleasure-
ground ran down to the river Thames, where he had
built a massive river wall. He had also a large kitchen
garden and a model farm. He was building extensive ,
stabling, fitted with all modern appliances, kept two
pairs of carriages, nine horses, and several ponies, and ,
his family carria, e and brougham were the most sub-
stantial and elegant in the neighbourhood. The do-
mestic arrangements were in keeping with the general
character of the establishment. There were eight
female servants, five gardeners, one groom, acoachnian,
and under coachman, the household t xpenses requiring
not less than £2,000 a year.
'The furniture of his house, which was sold on Mon-
day and Tuesday in last week, was of remarkable style
and quality, as may be judged from the fact that a
pianoforte sold for 155 guineas (which originally cost
300 guineas), but this was regarded as the greatest
bargain of the sale. Mr. Higgs's personal tastes and
habits were not lees extravagant, his gold watch and
diamond rings were the envy of the connoiseurs. He
was musical, too, and his weekly mudcsl parties were
graced by the presence of our most celebrated artistes, 1
who were sumptuously entertained and sent to London
by special train. Mr. Higgs's benevolent instincts
were as large as his expenditure was liberal, not to say
extravagant. On three occasions he gave concerts at
the Clarence Hotel, Teddington ; the most celebrated
professional singers were engaged, the programme.
were marvels of artistic beauty, the expenses were laid
by Mr. Higgs, and the entire proceeds were devoted to
the building of new schools.
On one occasion an insolvent received a check for
£lBO, with which he effected a composition with his
creditors. On another occasion an unfortunate man,
who was seriously injured by an explosion of the
kitchen boiler while at his house, was established in
business with £3OO. The free Church of En.;land at
Teddiagton, which, however, Mr. Higgs never at-
tended, received a new organ at a cost of £3OO, mid
the same congregation, now meeting in an iron church,
recently rejoiced in the promise of 1;2,000 towards a
new and more substantial structure, which promise,
however, "like the baseless fabric of a vision," has
vanished with Mr. Higgs. On the morning of his
" departure " there were eighty men employed upon a
new mansion which was in course of erection upon

—..„ ....
land he wan to have purchased at a cost of £OOO per
acre; the purchase, however, was never completed,
although the buildings were in progress. The mansion
was estimated to cost £50,000. The contract for the
brick and stonework WM £12,500, and the contractors'
sheds and out-buildings actually erected upon the ground
cost £5OO. The freeholder was informed on the Tues-
day before Mr. Higgs' departure that there would be
some difficulty and delay in the purchase and comple-
tion of the freehold in consequence of Higgs' wife's
trustees having failed to meet their engagements. It
should be observed that he accounted to his wife and
friends for this extraordinary expenditure by saying
that he had received a legacy of £50,000 from a relative.
The immediate cause of his sudden departure—the
mysterious advertisement—the still more mysterious
paragraphs in the evening papers, and the long delay
in publishing the facts have yet to be explained to the
public, and especially to the shareholders of the de-
frauded company. It is certain that for several days
before leaving
i he was making preparations for his de-
parture. It s said that on Friday afternoon, the sth
of March, he entered the Waterloo train 1114 usual, but,
. . . .

instead- of at Twickenham, proceeded to
Reading, thence to Liverpool, and that night went on
board a steamer for America.
There is one side to this extraordinary story which is
indescribably painful. Mr. Higgs has left behind him
a wife and eight children (probably by this time nine)
who until now- were ignorant of the source whence all
the comforts and luxuries of their home were derived.
and therefore innoceutof all participation in the fraud,
and, we are sorry to add, are rendered absolutely desti-
tute and dependent upon others.
It is said that the party who first discovered the
robbery was the Inspector of the Board of Trade.
While he was examining the books of the company he
noticed that there was a deficiency, and he asked Mr.
Higgs to explain. Shortly after that gentleman was
found to be missing. The exact amount of money
. . . . .

stolen is not known, but it is stated to be nearer
£so,ooo than £5O 000. The shares of the company have
fallen from £l4 108. to £l2.

A correspondent gives the following further particu-
lars of Mr. Higgs and his family :

In addition to the large sums of money fraudulently ob-
tained by him from the Great central Gas Consumers' Com-
pany's funds, it is known that he had at times been very suc-
cessful in bona fide speculations, by which he had honestly
cleared many thousands of pounds. In one instance, I sin
informed, ten thousand was the net profit. And such was his
readiness to oblige those who then reckmed themselves his
friends, that during the monetary panic of 1566 he averted
ruin from more than one person of position in the
City. Yet no Intense was the insanity of his vanity,
that all he acquired, honestly or dishonestly, including
a legacy of small amount bequeathed to his wife, was
scattered broadcast, in an endeavour to realise something
that could only be paralleled in the pages of Doman We.
His extravagance in all thinoncnn scarcely he c, on I
by numerous acts of charity, no string a feeling Int., been ex-
cited in his favour amongst the poorer classes of Teddington
and the neighbourhood, that at the note of his furniture at
the Clarence Hotel last week I heard remarks made, that,
were a thousand pounds reward uttered for his apprehension,
not a poor family in Teddington would betray him, that his
flight or dn appearance was premeditated for some time is In-
correct, us is the statement that he went via Reading to
Liverpool ; for so sudden was his departure, that Mrs.
Higgs was loft entirely without resources, and was
compelled to dispose of all her personal aaluables and
other thugs to defray the wages of servants, dm,
and she is left almost entirely destitute. It may be
hoped, for the sake of an innocent wife and 1-er children,
and tor the credit of our common nature, that those who
have not hesitated to receive aid and benefits in abundance
from Mr. Higgs Izreat yet foolish criminal, and heartless
husband though he be), will assist the deceived and nigh
heartbroken mother in her endeavours and determination
to rear an orphaned family in honesty and truth. It has
been generally reported that the execution put in Tide End
House, and the entire sale of furniture. library, she , was at
I the instance of the Great Central Gas Consumers Company.
Such is not the caae. A guarantee society had given a bond
I pr 4250 I am informed; sane years ago, on behalf of Mr.
Higgs. Fr that amount property realising thousands of
pounds has been sold. I am told the Gas Company benefit
only to the extent of their bond, and Mrs Higgs receives
nothing, for she freely gave up all, under the impression that
the proceeds would be devoted towards recouping the com-
pany. Who holds the remainder?