The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-04-14 00:00:00

SW ANAGE.

TS, SWIFDLIS AMSTED AT SWAILOL On WildlSt4
&ay, at the Central Criminal Court, before the Common
Serimint, Chisels' Wicks, a middle-aged man, of gentle-
manly appearance, was brought up for judgment. The
primmer had pleaded guilty to ten indictments which
charged him with forgery and uttering forged orders.
Mr. Sleigh (with whom was Mr. Poland) sold: Tbe pri-
mes/ was • man of education. He was the son of an
arebitect, who had set him up in bunnies ' • but he
abandoned it, and took to that which could not be
characterised by any other terms than a *lever system of
obtaining money from beakers by false pretences. The
prisoner had defrauded bankers in various part, of the
kingdom, bet the banks to which he (the learned
mussel) particularly referred were the National Bank,
the London and County Bank, and the National
Provincial Bank. It was the habit of the prisoner to
soil upon bankers, and my that he had been introduced
by Mr. So-and So, naming one of the director, ; that be
had an account at his booker's in the country, but that
he was going to have a residence in tows, and that he
proposed to open an Emmet with the beak, to which
he had been introdamd. Upon that he would band
them • cheque for kl,OOO, and receive a cheque-book.
He generally complaised that the cheque-book was too
small for his large business. He would thee pat his ,
hand in hi. pocket, and say, "Oh, by the way, I haves
cheque paid me by one of my tenants. Will you he
goa enough to send it to the oounter, end get it cubed?'
It seemed that the courtesy of the London beakers was
very great —(a laugh)—for in most instances they were
kind enough to accommodate hint. He moat say that
It showed not only great courtesy but great credulity;
for, as he said, in most instance, they cashed the
&Nam. The prisoner bad • penalise fancy for
.C 56 Ss, The next day it wee found that
the cheques were forgeries However. souse banker.
were suMoiently sharp not to be taken in. The
prisoner had been in the habit of keeping • diary,. in
tr.drwrh..asice hehaimhad.throwd.hulhthyeeehanylredbeireeti partimtyo. yrsls irwyehisof
stbdtizvanthtohnaust
In 1853 he visited thirteen beaks, from which he
obtained £l,OOO. In the mouth of October, 1867. be
got no Ism than COOO from font banks ; and it assmad
that is the four years be had got es much as
£1,832 3s. 54. The way ia which he was detected was
this: He and the women with whom he heed were at
Seepage, bet, as he failed to pay for some goods he
ordered, there was • threat that proceedings would be
taken &plait him for obtaining goods under false
pretences. He then suddenly disappeared. One of the
county constabulary took upon himself to stop them on
the highway, and, as he was not satisfied with their
Namara, he took them into oastody. He did not kis°. on
what charge the dew had wrested them, and probably
the °Hoer did not know himself —(a laugh). However,
he was told that it wee between one and two o'clock in
the morning. It arm a wise diesretion ; for it resulted
In inquiries being made, aid the present prommution
instituted.—Mr. F. H. Lewis Welly addressed the
Court on behalf of the rimier. Re thought, if the
ease had come before • jury, that they would have
reeommeoded him to mercy, on the ground Ze
walla: temptations whit& hid been thrown In the
tri7s way by the beakers. He had tiro brothete
,"T'h• Marsh. —Ms Comm itarjeant maid it was
quite idle to say anything tithe prisoner. besews be
woe a man of education, and tally coidipolood the
position In which be WM plead. The maims* of the
ftlt was lbeA he be bs. in peril serielnie lee Anna
yeses.