The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-08-07 00:00:00

THE ASTON ROMANCE,

At Whitchurch, on Friday, before the full bench of
magistrates, the man whom the police say is James
Barnett, a returned convict, but who styles himself
Dr. Vivian, from New York, was brought up in custody
on remand, charged with stealing from the Victoria
Hotel, Whitchurch, during the night of the 28th
of May, £6 in money, one washleather purse, and 20
old Roman coins, valued at more than £5, the property
of Charles Henry Prowse, commercial traveller. The
court was crowded, hundreds being unable to obta:n.
admission. Many persons came considerable distances
in hope of hearing the case and of seesng the notori-
ous doctor, but the majority were disappotted,
the doctor arrived at Whitchurch from Shrews-
bury by the 8.27 train the previous night.
He was well dressed, wearing diamond and
other rings, tall silk hat and Inverness cape, and
carried an umbrella and Gladstone bag. On stepping
on to the platform he observed to the officer to whom
he was handcuffed that he was sorry he had not got
his slippers, also remarking that there had been a
fine shower. The crowd increased as he walked to
the police-station, but quickly dispersed.
When the case was called on the prisoner was
asked if he was represented by a solicitor, and he re-
plied that Mr. Etches, his solicitor on Saturday last,
was unable to appear, and so he would like to have
a remand for a week, when he should be prepared
with a solicitor, Mr. Williams, of Shrewsbury. Super-
intendent Edwards said this would be exceedingly
inconvenient as he had a witness from London, two
from Birmingham, and others from elsewhere.
The magistrate's clerk said there was no guarantee
that Mr. Williams would appear, and he had heard
nothing from him.
Prisoner; He was very busy yesterday, and may
have forgotten to write; but never mind, let the case
proceed.
John Roberts, labourer, said while standing in
High-street on May 28, at 7 p.m., the prisoner came
up with his hands behind him, and asked where the
Victoria Hotel was, and he pointed it out. Prisoner
asked what sort of place it was, and he replied that
it was a nice place inside. Prisoner then left and
went up High-street. When he got opposite the
Victoria Hotel he stopped, looked inside, and then
went as far as the church. Hereturned in a few minutes
and asked him whether any of the horse-dealers
stopped at the Black Bear Inn, and witness replied that
he did not know; then, he asked where they did stay
at, and he replied that they generally stopped at the
Old Eagles. After asking whether there were any
other hotels in the town, he asked him to have a glass
of ale, and they went to the White Bear Inn. After
being there a few minutes he fetched a sheet of brown
paper from a stationer, and, after they had had
another glass each, prisoner walked up the street and
they went into the Victoria Hotel. Before leaving
prisoner asked him to be opposite the hotel at 9.30
next morning, and said he would give him a good job,
but when he went there he saw nothing of the
prisoner. He would swear the prisoner was the man
whom he saw and spoke to on this night. He bad
not the slightest doubt in the matter.
Evelina Wright, wife of the landlord of the Vic-
toria Hotel, said the prisoner came to the hotel at
9.30 on the night of May 28. He had a glass of ale
and went out. On his return he was engaged reading
a newspaper. He remained at the hotel during the
night and went away next morning without paying
his hotel bill. She saw him examine a number of
coins belonging to Mr. Prowse. He examined them
minutely. -Mr. Prowse asked if they were valuable,
and he said they were worth from £3OO to
£4OO. Mr. Prowse said he should like to have
the opinion of some one who knew more about them
than himself, and prisoner said he knew a gentle-
man, a very intimate friend, who would give anything
for those coins. Mr. Prows° asked for his address,
the prisoner wrote it. After some further considera-
tion Mr. P rowse asked, "Who am I to say sent me
to Mr. Thorneycroft,” and the prisoner replied, "Mr.
George Percy, London and North-Western director.
The minute you introduce my name he will know me.
lam one of his greatest friends." On the following
evening witness examined the prisoner's bedroom,
and found that it had not been used. Twice during
the night she heard some one walking aboutthe house,
and she informed her husband, who went down-stairs.
She paid particular attention to the prisoner, whom
she took to be a traveller, and had not the slightest
'doubt as to his identity.
John Wright, proprietor of the hotel, said Mr.
Prowse occupied the next room to the prisoner, and
he showed him to his room. He locked all the doors
all right, and on the following morning found that
the kitchen door was open, and the prisoner's hoots
were gone.
, Miss Powell, barmaid, deposed to having seen the
prisoner in the bar on this night, and was positive he
was the man. She saw him examining Mr. Provrse's
coins, and she noticed that one was a small one.
Samuel Hancock, the boots, said when be took the
prisoner's boots off, the prisoner said he did not wish
to be called until nine o'clock, as he had had a heavy
day's work. On going to clean the boats next morn-
ing at 6.30 he found the kitchen door open and pri-
soner's boots gone. He had a good opportunity of
seeing the prisoner on the night in question, and was
sure he was the man.

Cross-examined, witness said he noticed a mark on
his face and would swear to him out of a thousand.

William Wright, son of - the landlord, said he saw
the prisoner on the top landing at a quarter to six on
the morning of May 29, and about ten minutes past
six he saw him at the door of the passage leading
into the yard. Prisoner spoke to his brother and him-
self, and said they were up rather early. Witness saw
him unlock the door. _

Mary Jane Upton, wife of William Upton, brass
founder, Park-road, Birmingham, said the prisoner,
who gave the name of Dr. Vivian, came to lodge with
her on the 19th of June and remained until the 6th of
July. On Whit Sunday the prisoner showed her a
quantity of old coins and asked her what she thought
of them. She asked what they were, and he said they
were old Roman coins She noticed that one of them
was a very small one, not larger than a small pea; and
the prisoner said the small one was worth a lot of
money, and that all of thorn were worth £lOO. The
coins had very peculiar heads on them. She asked how
he came by them, and he exclaimed, "I was engineer-
ing in Australia, and they were dug up; that
accounts for their roughness." She noticed figures on
the small coin. On the Sunday following she asked
him what he had done with the coins, as she wanted
to see them again, and he answered that he had been
robbed of them, and also of his pocket-book and stick.
She then asked if he had any idea who had got them,
and he said he had an idea and that very likely they
would hear more about them. She said, "Why do
you not go to the police about them ?" and he said he
would. She asked him several times while he was at
her house if he had found the coins, and he said he
had not seen the parties. On the Monday following
Whit Monday he told her he had been to Manchester
the whole of Whitsun week and had won £2OO horse
racing.
Mr. Prowse, traveller, Park-villas, Murdoch-road,
Handeasprth, stated that he was not at the hotel on
the night in question, and showed a number of coins
to various gentlemen that were in the bar. The pri-
soner, who was present, examined them minutely,
and said if they were his he would not part with
them for £2OO. During a conversation the prisoner
said he knew a gentleman who would buy them—Mr.
Thomas Thorneycroft Tetten-hall, Wolverhampton,
and would give him a good price for them. Witness
asked whose name he should mention, and the pri-
soner replied, "George Percy, director of the London
and North-Western Railway." Witness asked where
he should write to, and he said, "Crewe, as I am
well-known there." He asked him to write down the
name and address of Mr. Thorneycroft, and when
he did so he could not read it, and witness wrote it
underneath himself. (The paper with the prisoner's
writing was produced by Sergeant Griffiths.) When
the prisoner gave him back the coins he found that
there was one short, and after some hesitation on the
part of the prisoner he said, "Oh, here it is." He
put the bag and packet of coins in his left-hand
pocket. There were in 41 22 coins, two being no.
larger than a small pea. One was thick and heavy,
Like an old halfpenny, and they were all discoloured
with age. The prisoner also examined a ring belong-
ing to witness, and also one belonging to Mr. Wright,
and put them on his finger. When he retired to
rest he hung his trousers on the post at the foot of
the bed. He did not discover his loss until 11 o'olock
next morning when he called for his bill. There was
between £7 and .E 7 10s. in his bag.
The prisoner, who cross-examined Mr. Prowse at
some length, said he could get a barrowful of the coins
in London for a penny each, in fact they could not be
got rid of.
Detective Whitcroft deposed that seeing the pri-
soner in the Sycamore-road, Aston, on July 22, when
he addressed him as Mr. Barnett he turned round and
said, "Yes." When he told the prisoner he had been
inquiring about his having committed a robbery at
an hotel at Whitchurch, he said that he had made a
mistake, that his name was not Barnett, 'but Dr.
Vivian. The prisoner also said he had heard some-
thing of this and was coming to the police-station to
inquire about it; and witness reminded him that he
was going the wrong way, to which he made no
reply. On charging him with stealing Roman coins
and money he said it was a mistake, and that he had
never been to Whitchurch in his life. On searching
him at the lock-up, he found on him £2 13s. Bd., one
£lO and one £5 note, a valuable gold watch and
ehain, diamond rings, pin, and other jewellery.
Sergeant Griffiths, in the course of his evidence,
said the prisoner had admitted to him that he had
been at Whitchurch, and said Mrs. Wright was no
lady, although he had heard she had knocked a good
deal about the Continent; he denied having taken the
-oney or the coins.

money
The Prisoner: What I said was that if I was there
I was not the person who took the money or the
coins.
Superintendent Edwards supplemented the evidence
given at his first examination by stating that at the
police-station on the morning when the prisoner was
stripped for the purpose of washing himself he found
the letter "D" on his left side. There was also
several scars and marks on other parts of his body
which exactly corresponded with the description
which accompanied a photograph ot Sent.
from Scotland-yari, and which wasiaktu-at ghathom
Dockyard in May. The name of the prison& as sup-
plied from Scotland-yard was James &ohms, that
being one of the aliases by which the prisoner was
known. The prisoner's sister, Mrs. Law, bad.an in-
terview with the urisoner in his urbane& and she