The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-07-31 00:00:00

THE ROBBERY AT WHITCHURCHe

EXTRAORDINARY STORY.

Dr. Vivian, of New York, having several aliases,
said to be known to the police as "Jim Barnett," who
was arrested by Detective Whitcroft at Aston, Bir-
mingham, under sensational circumstances, on Thurs-
day last, was brought up in custody at Whitchurch,
Salop, on Saturday, charged with stealing during the
night of May 28 about £7 and twenty old Roman
coins, belonging to Charles Henry Prowse, traveller
for a firm at Leicester. Mr. Prowse was staying at
the Victoria Hotel, and the money and coins wore
stolen from his bed-room whilst he wis.6 asleep. The
prisoner slept in an adjoining room, and decamped
early the next morning. Evelina, the wife of John
Wright, landlord of the Victoria Hotel, said she recol-
lected perfectly well the accused, whom she took to
be a travelling jeweller, being at the hotel, and
examining some old coins which were being shown by
Mr. Prowse. She had no doubt as to his identity,
having particularly noticed him. Other witnesses
identified him, one saying that if the prisoner's life de-
peoded on what he said he should swear he was the
man. Another proved that Vivian, with whom he
had several drinks, asked him where the principal
hotel was, and also where the cattle dealms stayed at.
After other evidence had been given, the defendant
was remanded in custody until Friday. Mr. James
Etches, who appeared for the defence, said his client
was prepared with substantial bail, mentioning,
amongst others, the Rev. Mr. Ives, vicar of St. James's,
Edgbaston, Captain Gordon, of the Langham Hotel,
London, and Mr. Lawrence, a guest there, and Mr.
Taylor, Monument House, Edgbaston. Superintendent
Edwards strongly opposed bail, saying he should
prove that -Vivian was a notorious convict, and was
wanted in Manchester, Liverpool, Shrewsbury, and
many other places. Bail was refused. The prisoner,
on whom was found a large quantity of money and
jewellery, was allowed .E 5 for the purposes of his de-
fence.

Under the beading of "Miss Wilkes's Story," the
Birmingham Daily Mail publishes the following: "It
may readily be imagined that the revelations of the
last few days have caused the greatest consternation
in the house of Miss Wilkes, aunt of the young lady
whom 'Vivian' married on the 13th inst. Miss Wilkes,
the tenant of the house, her sister, brother, and niece
have lived in Aston for upwards of 20 years, and are
throughout the manor known as a highly respectable
family. They are greatly grieved at the circumstances
which have brought them thus prominently before the
public, and speak sorrowfully of the way in which it
has all happened. When the representatives of the
Mail called this (Saturday) morning at the house he
was told everything that it was necessary for the public
to know relative to the connection of the family with
Dr. Vivian.' 'Vivian,'as before reported, on becoming
acquainted with Miss Wilkes, the niece, described him-
self as a medical man who was on a pleasure tour,
his family residence being in San Francisco, while he
also possessed extensive estates in Canada, and was
worth quite half a million of money. His assertion
of wealth was backed up by the most liberal display
of cash, jewels, and clothes. He was at that time
putting up at the Queen's Hotel, where he lived in
the best of style, and it was his custom never to walk
when he could ride. Cabs, carriages, phaetons were
all in turn used by this medical Crcesus. It was his
custom when he was admitted to the Wilkes's house
as the future husband of the niece to drive down to
the house in a stylish Stanhope phaeton drawn by a
spanking mare. In this vehicle Miss Wilkes, who is
a skilful driver, used again and again to drive about
town with him. Up to the very day of the marriage,
as she remarked to our representative, there was not
the slightest circumstance to cast suspicion on his
bona-fides. He in no way avoided publicity,
but, on the contrary, seemed happy in driving
his promised bride about Birmingham and the
district, and they were frequently to be seen
in the centre of the town doing the purchasing
entailed on the preparation of an elaborate
bridal trousseau and outfitting, or driving for plea-
sure, and they often made excursions all round the
district. This openness, this ostentation and display,
Miss Wilkes thinks, might have attracted the atteu-
tion of the police. Since the marriage, however,
several circumstances have happened which at the
time caused the young bride great uneasiness, and
which, viewed in the light of the latest revelations,
appear highly suspicious. On the afternoon after the
marriage ceremony (Tuesday week) the newly-married
pair went to London, and put up at the Langham
Hotel. Here Vivian's ' conduct become strangely
at variance with what he had previously displayed.
He had up to that time been the most devoted of
lovers, and could hardly let his sweetheart out of his
sight, but at the Langham Hotel he suddenly deve-
loped a custom of going off by himself and leaving
his wife alone. This made her most miserable, and
her agitation was increased when on the Thursday be
left her alone in the hotel and went off to Liverpool.
He stayed two days at Liverpool, and on the Satur-
day came back to Aston and went to the house in
Albert-road. His young wife had considered it
prudent, when she found herself alone in the hotel,
to place herself in the care of the proprietor, and by
his advice she returned to Aston, where she of course
met 'Vivian' on the Saturday. He appears to have
exercised a peculiar power over her, which might be
described as one of awe, and owing to this she did not
dare to question him very closely as to his reasons for
going to Liverpool, and the inquiry she made was-met
with a most frivolous excuse. It had been at first
arranged they should stay at the Langham Hotel till
last Wednesday, when they were to sail in the Assyrian
Monarch from Gravesend for America; but at the
meeting on the Saturday in Albert-road, ' Vivian '
announced that he had changed his mind, and that he
would take a boils& in Liverpool, and furnish it, his
intention being that they should stay there till next
spring, when they would go to America. His bride
pointed out that their tickets were taken out for the
Assyrian Monarch, and that they would forfeit these
tickets if they did not go. This, however, troubled
him but little, and on Monday in accordance with his
newly announced intention he went off again to Liver-
pool. He left the house while his wife was absent on
an errand, and took with him more than half her
belongings in the shape of clothes, jewellery, Scc.; and
also the greater part of his own property. When she
learnt this on returning home she was very much put
about, and determined to go to London to see about
the passage money on the Assyrian Monarch, taking a
lady friend with her. It was on the following day
that the first tidings of suspicion reached Albert-road
in the shape of a detective, who wished to know all
about' Vivian.' 'Vivian' ' joined his bride the same day
at the Langham Hotel, where she had put up. When
he made his appearance she was anxious about the ex-
pensive way in which they were living at the hotel,
and he pooh-poohed the mention of it, telling her she
need not bother about money. At the same time,
however, remarked the wife to our representative,
her friends had to pay for every yard of her outfit,
and they had since to find .£36 odd for the second
hotel bill. On Wednesday she and her friend went
down to Gravesend and boarded the Assyrian Monarch,
with the view, if possible, of recovering some of the
passage money. They all retired on Wednesday night
in quietude, but in the early hours of Thursday
morning the uncle, in consequence of the persistency
of the police inquiries and the charges that had been
made against Vivian,' appeared at the ',Lang-
ham Hotel. He told ''Vivian' frankly what had
caused him to come, and was told not to vex himself
about it, that it was all a mistake, and he (' Vivian ')
was ready to go back to Aston to meet the charge.
Accordingly the party returned to Aston, arriving at
the house early in the afternoon. On entering the
house 'Vivian' was taken aside by his young wife
and asked pointedly if there was any truth in the
charge that a photograph that closely resembled him
was produced by the police, and was said to be taken
just before he was liberated from Chatham. '
continued, however, to deny the identity and the
charges, and then said he would go to the lock-up
immediately he had dined. In accordance with this
he left the house to go to the lock-up, and had only
been gone a few minutes when Detective Whitcroft
made his appearance and inquired for him.
Singular to say, the Wilkeses found it
necessary to describe ' minutely to
the detective, his appearance being so very,
different from the photo which they possessed. Whit-
vroft, as ?Anted yesterday, succeeded in apprehending
'Vivian,' who was to all appearances not going
towards the lock-up, but towards Aston Railway
Station. One of the most mysteriors phases of the
case is the large amount of money which 'Vivian'
seemed possessed of. On Wednesday, while at the
Langham Hotel, his wife saw him with a roll of
bank notes to the amount of £2OOO, which he said he
had drawn from the bank, and when they left on
their honeymoon he took a cash-box, which was well
filled with notes and gold. The police theory that the
Manchester robbery accounts for this money is not
sufficient. It may have supplied some part of it, but
only a part. Apart from the Manchester affair there
is no known source from which "Vivian' got this
money, and till this is cleared up the case will con-
tinue to be mysterious.

"Yesterday a message came from the Aston lock-up
to Albert-road asking Miss Wilkes to go and see
'Vivian.' She felt unable, however, to do so, and
her aunt accordingly went to the station and had an
interview with 'Vivian.' He maintained in the most
emphatic manner his innocence, and gave her aunt a
bag, in which there was a sum of money, which ho said
was for ' Emmie,' and further, that there was a large
sum of money at Liverpool which would be placed
at her disposal. It is needless to add that the
Wilkeses have no intention of making use of this
money.

"Mrs. Law (nee Barnett), sister of Dr. Vivian,
says that she has lost sight of her brother for many
years past, and that he made his appearance at her
house last Easter, when be explained that he had been
abroad and had accumulated considerable wealth.
She denies any knowledge of her brother having been
convicted of felony, and does notthink him capable of
doing anything wrong. He was always, she states, of
a roving disposition, and she never knew where he
was spending his time. In fact, in consequence of his
lengthy absence, his friends suppoced him dead, and
were very much surprised when he turned up at Aston
a few months ago. In reply to a question as to why
her brother adopted the title of Dr.' Mrs. Law states
that he was always a clever man,' and that it was
easy enough to purchase a degree in America. She
acknowledges that the man in custody is her brother,
James Barnett, and asserts that when she last saw
him he appeared to be in well-to-do circumstance:

A Birmingham correspondent adds :—The Aston
and Whitchurch police, assisted by plain clothes
officers from Scotland-yard, who have been in Bir-
mingham to investigate the possible clue to the Lang.
ham Hotel thief given them by the Vivian exposure,
are unceasing in their efforts to establish "Dr.
Vivian's identity with that of the notorious criminal
"Jim "Barnett. They have obtained some fresh and
important evidence in the case, which will be adduced
when the prisoner is again brought up for examina-
tion at Whitchurch on Friday next. It now tran-
spires that "Vivian," if he really be Barnett, as the
police say, is a native of Prince's End, Stafford.
He bore the reputation of being "idle as a boy, and
a rogue as a man." It was there that he first showed
himself after his release recently from penal servi-
tude, when he made his re-appearance. His outfit
did not support the idea of his having plenty of
money, his clothes being old and shabby, almost unto
raggedness, but he told his friends on leaving that he
would return soon a gentleman, with lots of money,
plenty of valuable jewellery, and fine clothes. His
parents, poor old decrepit people, were ignorant of
this visit of their son to Prince's End. Barnett dis-
appeared for several weeks without exciting any
curiosity, but on the 30th of June be fulfilled his
word and returned a fine gentleman. He drove into
Prince's End in a stylish turn out belonging to the
Birmingham Cab Company, and accompanied by a
man whom he called his servant. Election work was
then in full swing, and the conclusion was that the
impressive stranger with his fine clothes, blazing
jewellery, and grand style was some political big-
wig. The horse and trap were put up and orders
were given by the master that the driver should
be entertained with the best the house could
afford. The landlady's curiosity was much excited
by the grand appearance of the "little gentle-
man," and the stories that the driver told in his
absence of the lavish way he threw his money about,
and her curiosity was heightened when Vivian
came back with a neighbour's son, and conducted
himself as "hail tellow well met" towards him and his
body servant. In the kitchen be began to talk to one
of the daughters, and said he knew her father well,
and was very sorry to hear he was dead. Thereupon
she asked bluntly, "And who are you when you
knew my father?" He replied, "I am Dr. Vivian."
He added that he was worth any amount of money,
was a mining engineer and surveyor, and a doctor
and a major in the American army. He had also
made a lot cii! money in India, and to substantiate
that assertion he proceeded to give a few facts con-
cerning that country. On his departure a man named
Bunch, who had been going about the place with
him, was applied to for further information, and he
thereupon stated that the "Dr." was none other
than "Jim Barnett," but he had gone to a registrar,
and, paying £2O, had had his name changed to
Vivian. Bunch further charged the people of the inn
not to give him old name, as he did not like it. All
the "Doctor's" relatives in Prince's End declare that
as far as their knowledge goes, he was an unmarried
man until the 13th of this month, when he married
Miss Wilkes, and during the time Law, " ivian's"
brother-in-law, who was engaged at Aston-park, fre-
quently introduced him as a doctor who had recently
come back from America. Law said that in conse-
quence of the return of his brother-in-law he was pretty
well independent of work. On its being remarked
that Law had never previously mdntioned Vivian's
existence, the former said, "Well, he goes under the
name of Vivian, but his proper name is James
Barnett." During the time he was residing in Aston
Vivian also paid a visit to Manchester, and on his
return showed two handsome diamond rings which
be stated he had purchased from Bishton and
Fletcher, of Birmingham, for £43 16s. In conse-
quence of Vivian's mysterious conduct and his con-
stantly lounging about the hall and park, Mr. A. J.
Rodway, the curator, felt it his duty to instruct the
officials to keep a watch upon the man whenever be
was seen about the place. On one occasion, whilst
talking to one of the keepers at the hall, he pulled
out a roll of bank-notes, and in the course of con-
versation said he was shortly going to America, and
that bievalet was at the time busily engaged at the
Queen's Hotel packing up his baggage prior to
.his
departure. He also stated, in reply to an inquiry,
that he was related to Messrs. Vivian, a large firm of
Birmingham manufacturers. The elaborate fraud
alleged by the police is becoming more apparent
every day, and nobody believes in" Vivian's" identity
with Jem Barnett more implicitly than his unfortu-
nate bride, who has expressed her irrevocable deter-
mination to wash her bands of him for all time.