The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-02-14 00:00:00

ALLEGED CLERICAL IMPOSTORS.

At the Marylebone Police-court on Friday, Waite_
James Britain, alias the Rev. T. Simmond, of St.
Mary's-terrace, Paddington, was brought up on re-
mand charged with attempting to obtain, by means
of false pretences, half-s,-crown from the Rev. Francis
Hy. Deane, of 1, St. Mary's-square, with intent to
defra.tel. The evidence was that about the middle of
January the prisoner, w7ro represented that he was
a clergyman, and had jut come from Sydney, New
South Wales, where he ha d been acting as assistant-
chaplain in her Majesty's prison, called upon the
prosecutor at the vestry of St. Barnabas' Chexch,
Marylebone, and offered to assist in the London Mis-
sion work in the parish. In consequence of the
prisoner's representations le was introduced to a
lodging by Mr. Deane, and as Britain had no luggage
with him the landlady expressed some anxiety about
him. Mr. Deane then asked the prisoner for some
references, when he said his tither was librarian at
Radley College, near Oxford, a statement which was
afterwards found to be untrue. He also produced a
letter purporting to come from Mr. Gough, the porter
at King's College, saying that he knew him as a
student at the college, which letter Mr. Gough
averred was a forgery. On the z mama Mr. York,
solicitor, appeared for the prisoner, who was further
charged with obtaining ..E3 worth of religicus tracts,
by false pretences, with intent to defraud the Society
for Promoting Christian Knowledge. Alfred C.
Evans, a clerk, in the employ of the society, said the
prisoner called at the office. Northumberland-avenue,
on the 23rd ult., and represented himself as the Rev.
T. Simmond, and that he was about to sail for New
South Wales, where he was to engage in missien
work in the Grafton and Amirclale diocese. He
was in want, he said, of a quantity of
tracts, and asked the society to make him
a grant of .E 3 worth. He was supplied with a
form of application, and as it was not possible to get
the signature of the bishop of the diocese to the
document he went to the Rev. Mr. Prescot, of St.
Michael's, Paddington, and under the belief that the
prisoner was the Rev. T. Simmond, that gentleman
signed the form, and the tracts were sent to the
prisoner's address.—A third charge was preferred
against the prisoner for stealing a silk embroidered
scarf, value 305., the property of the Rev. James
Hutchins, the vicar of St. Barnabas. The Rev. W.
Deane, curate, said the scarf was usually kept in the
vestry, and soon after the prisoner had left on the
lst. ult. it was missed. When in custody Detective-
sergeant Saramars, D division, found a pawn ticket on
the prisoner, and on inquiry being made it was found
that Britain had pawned the scarf for Is. at the shop
of Mr. Rowley, in Camden Town, on Jan. 27. Mr.
Cooke committed the prisoner for trial.
At Wolverhampton, on Friday, the alleged clerical
impostor styling himself the Rev. George Robert Lee
(28), alias R. G. Lea, alias Lee, alias Leigh Elliott,
who has been twice remanded, was again placed in the
dock to answer the charge of obtaining food and
lodgings at Hamer's Temperance Hotel, in the town,
by misrepresentation and fraud. The proprietress of
the hotel stated that the prisoner came there on Jan.
7, and remained till the 17th, when he went away
without paying his bill. He was in clerical attire,
and told her he was a clergyman of the Established
Church, that he had come to reside in the town, and
was about to open a mission branch of the Re-
formed Church of England. He further said
he was the nephew of an Independent minister
at Manchester named Lee, with whom she was
acquainted. It was on the strength of these repre-
sentations that she allowed him to remain, although
he brought no luggage and hal only_one collar, which
the girl washed several times. He was, however,
very devout in his conversation, and on one occasion
said, "I have been wrestling in prayer for the con-
version of a friend of mine, a curate in the town,
and I trust he will return to good ways." He also
gave witness his experience among the Kaffirs as a
missionary, and also said he was going to establish a
coffee tavern in Wolverhampton for the poor people,
and took her husband to see some furniture he said
he had bought for his mission church. Witnesses
were called to show that the prisoner's statements as
to having a ministerial charge in Wolverhampton
were untrue, and he was committed for trial at the
sessions.