The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-10-09 00:00:00

CHARGE OF FORGERY.

Saturday, a
' had

At the Mansion-house, in London, last - _
well-dreßsed young man of 23, a foreigner, who tie
given the name Albert Buehler, and who had refused
his address, was charged with forging and utter-
ing a bill of exchange for £1,057 odd, with intent to
defraud Messrs. Worms, bankers and money dealers,
in Austin Friars, London.
Mr. Mullein, solicitor to the Bankers' Protection Associa-
tion, attended to prefer the charge, and the case, from the
attendant circumstances, excited much interest, especially
an incident cowiected with the prisoner's arrest, showing he
had taken precautions either to destroy himself or some one
else, it possible, in the event of apprehension.
The prisoner is said to have been a clerk in a bank at
Pesth, and, being a good linguist, was chiefly empllfell there
its translating letters and documents. On the :hid of Septem-
ber he absconded, having previously torged two bills of ex-
change, one for i 1,867 15s. 6.1. on Messrs. Worms, and the
other for 100,000 f. on Messrs. Rothschild, the former id
whi,h he discounted at the establishment of Mr. Blount, a
banker in Paris, and afterwards came to London. Oil his
disappearance from lt“th the chief of the police there and
the secretary of the hank in which the prisoner had been
emplmed went in pursuit of him. The matter was at the
Mille time placed in the hands of two if the nn.st experienced
of the London detective police. Sergeants Webb and Ravioli,
and they took the necessary steps to arrest the fugitive, if
possible. From inquiries they made it was f ound that he
had changed at the Continental B .uk, in Lombard-street,
forty .seven 100 f. notes, and one for 500 f., for which he asked
to have notes in exchange. With that view they gave
him a check upon their bankers, and he went there and ob-
. tabled in exchange two £5OO notes, two for £2O each, and
' eight for £.1.00 each. One of the £5OO notes was afterwards
' traced to the Metropolitan Bank in Cornhill, where it had
; been taken across the counter is the ordinary way of bust-

The prisoner appears afterwards to have gone to an eminent
firm of stockbrokers in London and consulted them as to Ms
investing, through them, a sum of nearly £3,000 in it at
India Stock. Being a stranger to them they demurred at
first, and he afterwards took a letter of introduction to them
IMP pOrtillg to come from a gentleman in Bristol, awl they
then partly consented to enter into the transaction, but it
does not appear to have been perfected. Ile had previously
produced the sum of nearly £3,000 In notes to carry it
into effect, and as a proof of his good faith iiffered to deposit
it with them ; but they declined to act until they knew some-
thing shout him.
On Friday last the prisoner was stopped in Comhill by
D.,tective-sergeant Ilayilon, who told hint he was a police I
nfficer and had received certain instructions which rendered
It necessary that he should accompany him to the police-
station. The prisoner asked the reason why. The reply was
that it would be stated at the station. At that moment the
prisoner rapidly put his right hand into a pocket of his
trousers, upon which the officer, suspecting his object, seized
his arm as he drew from the pocket a revolver, of which he
immediately diusrmed him, and which on being afterwards
examined was found to he loaded with powder and hall in
five chambers ilaydon called to his assistance Detective-
sergeant Fennell, and conducted the prisoner to the Row'
lone POliee-Stati"ll, where he was formally charged, in the
presence of Mr. Minims, the solicitor to the proseeution,
with forging the bill of exchange on Messrs. Worms for
£1,057 odd. Ile had previously refused to give his name,
awl on Mr. Mullene saying " Alfred Buehler," he replied .
"Yea," meaning that that was his name. When the charge
w is read over to him he saul, "That gentleman," meabing
Sir Muhients. " seems to know all about it" Ile was after-
wards searched, and a number of bank-notes' and papers
found upon him.
In a conversation he Lad atterlfhis arrest- with sergeant
Webb, who had interrogated him as to where he had been
staying in London, he replied at the Portland Hotel. Port-
land road, in the IMMO of Corday. Ile said he was retry for
what he had done, and hoped he would not be severely
punished, inasmuch as all the money hail been recovered on
the two forged bills for 100,000 f. and £1,857. lie added that
he was struck with the acme of doing wrong at the moment
he diil it, and that Providence hail ordained that he should
he taken. Ile also Baid that if he hail got out the pistol he
had in his pocket when arrested he would have blown his
brains out.
Evidence was given that Messrs Worms are the London
agents of the Hungarian Credit Batik, at Pesth who are
accustomed to draw bills on them ; that on the oth of Sep-
tember, the hill for £1,857 Ili 6d., which was drawn on the
Hungarian Credit Batik, and payable to the order of Mr.
Wolff, was presented to Messrs. Worms, through the Loll4lon
Joint Stmik Bank, accepted, and was paid two days after-
wards. These circumstances having been partly proved in
evidence, Mr. Mullins read a letter in German, addressed by
• the prisoner on the 26th of September to his uncle. enclosing
2,4.00 f., and desiring hint to hand 1,500 f to his mother, aitil to
keep the remaining 5001. fir an account he owed him. En-
closed in that was a letter to the prisoner's mother, in which

he sail;—
All has probably been cleared up, and therefore I need
not give you any further information. I have employed such
measures of precaution that there exists no possibility of
ray pursuers finding me out
Us excused himself for not giving his address, anti said he
had not let her (his mother) nor any human soul suspect his
purpose, desiring to spare her pain, and knowing that she
Isn't already suffered much sorrow on his account. Ile added
—and that was part of the letter the prisoner himself
desired bi have read—
•"rhe petty tyranny of that intolerable parratuto has em-
bittered my very soul ; I wished to escspe, and at the same
time to provide myself; so far I have succeeded."
Mr. Mullens asked to have the prisoner remanded
with the view to the completion of the deli. Isitions, and
the priamer was remanded until Monday, the 11th Met.