The Express.
London, England, 1852-06-05 00:00:00

EXTENSIVE BILL FORGERIEI
AND CONFESSION.

SHEFFIELD, FloftXX.
The police authorities of this town have in me-
lody ea accomplished and hitherto highly successful bill
foripe sad swindler, who was captured on Wednesday, and
has dam made • confession of no fewer than seven eaten-
tiv=riet. HI name is Ernest Orapel, and it has been
that he is an extensive manufacturer of mate
penis Mares at Birmingham. His arrest was brought '
about la the following manner :—On Wednesday afternoon 1
he went to the warehouse of Messrs. Thomas Ellin and
Co., en fassflieldmioor, and stated that he wanted to par- '
chase same expensive table cutlery. He stated in cattier- 1
satin that the goods were intended for the Bishop of I
Oseabarit, and that he was purchasing for Meters. '
1. C. Flack awl Co., of that place. He .elected goods
to the anima of 751. 10a., lea an allowance of n
r assliaat. kr Ithasidf, and got the invoice made out to I
P. Me then presented in payment a draft for
IT7L ah Si. as Kenn. Smith, Payne, and Smith, of Lon-
dialed
Kw It 11162, and purporting to be drawn by
said Liverpool Bank at Stafford. He de-
balance in gold, refusing a letter of credit on
in a plea that he was going . immediately to
,seem This circumstance excited suspicion. Mr. 0.
Dena. (of the firm of Messrs. Ellin and Co.) said he would
snit the draft to the bank to be cashed. He indorsed it
assimlingly, and the stranger countersigned it .. A. W.
fthasat." The hugensuat was presented immediately
aftstwards to the cashier at the Sheffield 'Banking Core-
pow, with a request that he would pass it to Messrs. El-
lis." credit and give the bearer 1001. in cash. The
ambler did not like the appearance of the draft,
so he referred to Mr. Wild, the sub-manager,
and it was submitted to Mr. .1. H. Barber,
the manager. They all agreed that it had a suspicious
appearance, and so thought Messrs. Parkin and Bacon,
engravers, to whom Mr. Barber submitted it for scrutiay.
The manager thereupon procured the aid of two police
odious, who went forthwith to Messrs. Ellin's establish-
ment, where the payer was waiting, and bad some conver-
sation with him, which ultimately induced him to give the
individual into custody. Tho bank manager next pro-
ceeded to the establishment of Messrs. Josh. Rodgers and
Sons, upon whom he knew a forged draft had been
lut autumn. Mr. Robert Newbold, a partner Leimtd
firm, after hearing from Mr. Barber what had transpired,
accompanied him to the police office, and recognised
the man in custody as the very person who in September
last paid him a forged banker's draft for 1981. Ils. 2d.,
in payment for 801. 18s. 9d. worth of cutlery, giving
as a reference Messrs. Zwelchenhart and Co., merchants,
Liverpool. The draft, it appears, purported to be drawn
by the Coventry and Warwickshire banking company, In
favour of J. .1. Elder, and by the latter specially endorsed I
to lt. A. Lambert, the name by which the prisoner then
passed. He got the balance in cash, and a few days after-
wards the draft was discovered to be a forgery. So com-
plete was the deception that the discovery was not made till
the instrument reached the banking-house of Messrs. Jones
Loyd, and Co., who found it out because they had not
received any advice of it.
The prisoner, finding himself completely caught, made a
full confession of his guilt, awl avowed his connexion with
fire or aix other forgeries. Ile has since been very com-
municative and has explained with great minuteness the
modals operandi which he bas weed so very successful in
deceiving bath commercial men lind bankers. These re-
velations are likely to prove of great value in the detection
of future forgeries.
The prisoner was brought up before the mayor this day,
on the two charges named above, and lurther accused (on
his own confession) of another fraud of the same nature.
On Saturday let he purchased goods to the amount of 901.,
of Messrs. Bloomer and Co., iron merchants, Weotbromich,
tendering in payment a draft for 1871. 7s. 3d., purporting
to be drawn by the Manchester and Liverpool Bank. the
Wesdromich bank cashed the draft, endorsed by the pri-
soner, "A. W. &most," and he received the change
against the purchase. This forged draft, singularly enough,
passed through three banks, and reached Meats. Smith,
Payne, and Smiths', without having been detected. Some
evidence having been taken, the case was remanded to
Wednesday next.