The Press.
London, England, 1856-03-01 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

and asked. fur money to assist the Tipperary Bank.
Having already advanced large sums to Mr. Sadleir,
Mr. Wilkinson declined to assist him further.
With respfct to being in possession of a forged
deed, Mr. Wilkinson explained that sumo time
previous to Mr. Sadleir's death the firm had ad-
vanced him snob large sums of money that Mr.
Wilkinson asked for security. Mr. Sadleir then
lodged in his hands a deed purporting to be given on
the purchase of an estate in the Encumbered
Estates Court. This deed was not registered, and,
on Saturday, finding from Mr. Sadleir's conversation
that the Tipperary Bank was likely to be in difficul-
ties, Mr. Wilkinson that evening despatched his
partner (Mr. Stevens) to Dublin in order to register
the deed before it could be claimed by the creditors.
This deed proved a ,:omplete forgery. Witness
further stated that, though the deed in question was
a forgery, be doubted much whether Mr. Sadleir had
committed so many as reported or his own letters
seemed to indicate :

Several of Mr. Stelleir's deeds had, from time to time,
passed throu..;lt his hands to persons who had advanced
money upon them ; but he ( witness) had no reason to
believe that any one of those deeds was not genuine. He
did not think there was a single person who had the
deceased's confidence. He was a most reserved man. It
was extremely difficult to cet any information from hint
beyond what he ellose to impart. He believed Mr. Sad-
leir had written the letters which had been produced under
great excitement. He (witness) knew much of his affairs,
and he believed there was much in those letters that wag
not correct.

The coroner said it would be a question for the
jut 7 to consider, whether Mr. Sadleir did really
commit the extensive forgeries and frauds alluded to,
or whether they were mere delusion-. The question
with regard to property was very important; for if
Mr. Sadleir destroyed himself in sound mind, all
his property, his goods and chattels, would be for-
feited to the Crown. Up to the present time he (the
coroner) saw no signs of insanity ; but if it could be
proved that these documents were written under the
delusion that he committed villanies which he never
committed, that would be positive proof that he com-
mitted suicide in an unsound state of mind. It was
due to the deceased, his friends, and to the public at
large that there should be a farther adjournment.
The jury expressed themselves desirous of further
evidence upon this point, and after some discussion
the inquiry was adjourned till the 11th March.
With respect to the opinion of Mr. Wilkinson,
the Times City correspondent writes on Tuesday
evening that there is "no ground " for believing that
Mr. Sadleir laboured under a delusion when imputing
to himself offences of such magnitude, though upon
the point there ma.), be some unnecessary alarm.
Mr. Sadleir was chiefly connected with the Royal
Swedish Railway, the East Kent Railway, and the
London and County Bank. He was also greatly
interested in the Tipperary Joint-stock Bank, and he
likewise acted as receiver, or agent, for some Irish
landownets. Urgent inquiries are consequently
being made as to the special nature of his transac-
tions in relation to each of these bodies. The
writer observes :

As regards the Royal Swedish Railway, of which he was
the chairman, it appears to have been ascertained without
donbt that he has issued an immense amount of the shares
and obligations of the company without authority, although
with genuine siknatures. Whether he has put forth any
which are forgeries seems not yet to have been clearly es-
tablished. The capital of the company is 411 ,0701., in 51.
shares, on which it enjoys a guarantee from the Swedish
Government of four per cent. interest and one per cent.
sinking fund, and the shares are parable to name or to
bearer, at the option of the shareholder. A considerable
number were forfeited fur non-payment of calls, and some
time back, in order to avoid unnecessary sacrifices, the
company obtained power to raise 100,00 on debentures
or obligations. They required the signature of two
directors and the secretary, and Mr. Sadleir, having ode
tained possession of the unissued quantities for the purpose
of completing them with his signature, seems to have got
rid of them in the Stock Exchange, or in any quarter where
he could raise money. The Dentinal amount thus made
away with is reported to range between 21'0 0001. and
300,0001.. although probably the advances he received upon
them were not more than a (earth or a third of that total.
With regard to the East Kent Railway, it is stated that,
with the exception of some arrears of calls. Mr. Sadleir is
not directly indebted to that undertaking. In his capacity
of deputy chairman, however, he induced the board to
deposit '4,0001. of their unemployed capital with the Tippe-
rary Bank on deposit notes. which fell due at the begin-
ning of last week and were dialiononred. hi the case of
the London and County Rank it is affirmed that no loss
whatever has been sustained. Mr. Sadleir was chairman
of that company, but obtained no advances from it except
upon sufficient securities. Many reports having been in
circulation to a contrary effect. it is understood that, in
order to remove all doubt on the subject, the three new
directors, Messrs. Nicol, Houghton, an.l Laming, who were
last week added to the board, have required that the securi-
ties in question should be examined and reported on by
some independent solicitor, assisted by the solicitors of the
hulk, and that a resolution to that effect was passed this
afternoon. The validity of the deeds held by the company
front Mr. Sadleir is stated to have been fully tested by
registration. hi relation to the Tipperary Joint stock
Dank, it appeals that this establishment was promoted by

203

Mr. Sadleir in 1838, its head office being at Clonmel, with
eight branches in the district. Although it paid dividends
at the rate of six per cent. it seems to have made no return
of the number of its partners, the amount of its shares,
or its paid•up capital, and, with the exception of one or
two families, the share/ udders are said to be persons of
limited means. The families in question are alleged to be
fully able to meet the claims that will fall upon them, but
it is probable that the ruin or distress which will neverthe-
less be inflicted in this quarter was among the chief causes
of the pain and selfrepruach described in Mr. Sadleir's
letters. The most serious features of frand remain still to
be adverted to—namely, those committed by means of his
opportunities as agent for the landed estates of noblemen
and others, and also by direct fo►genes of titledeeds. The
trust property made away with is supposed to be extremely
large, and many deplorable circumstances are likely to
arise in this part of the history, the full scope of which
will probably never cows before the public. At present
many of the sufferer* are themselves ignorant of the
position in which they stand, and most likely several
months must elapse before all the actual facts can be un-
ravelled. As respects the forgeries of titledeeds from the
Encumbered Estaites Court, it is satisfactory to be able to
state that only two cases have thus far been discovered,
although very general inquiries have been made by some
leading solicitors in Dublin. In one of these, so far from
the forgery having been perfectly executed, the attempt is
described to have been such as could not for a moment
deceive the eye of any Irish solicitor conversant with the
practice of the court, since it was deficient in no less thin
four requisites, one of them being a certificate of the Com-
missioners for psyment of the purchase money. The
other case was a conveyance of part of thy Portarlington
estate, which was probably in be.ter form. Beyond these
cases, it is questioned whether any will be found. Many
of the deeds assigned by Mr. Sadleir passed through the
hands of Messrs. Hallowes and Hamilton, of Dublin, and
the London clients of these gentlemen have to-day been
informed that iu none of these instances does any irregu-
larity exist.

THE CASE or CORLEY V. CAMPBELL, tried at the
Prerogative Court on Saturday last, presents some
remarkable features. The question was the validity
of an alleged marriage between Mrs. Campbell, late
of 24, Cumberland-street, and Mr. Corley, barrister,
of Verulem-buildings, Gray's-inn. The suit has
been pending before the Court nearly five years, and
presents the following facts :—Mrs. Campbell died
at Brighton on the 11th of January, 1851, aged
eighty-one, leaving personal property valued at, about
7,0001., and also a life interest of 12,5001., Three- and-
a-Qearter per Cent. Annuities. The latter sum was
bequeathed at her decease to her issue absolutely,
subject, however. to a life interest in the dividends
in favour of any husband she might leave her sur-
viving. Her husband, Major Campbell, died in
1849, leaving by her an only son. On the death of
Mrs Campbell no will was found, and her son, as a
matter of comse, assumed that he succeeded to the
property of his mother, and to that bequeathed to
him by the will of his grandfather ; when Mr. Corley
came forward, and stated that be had been married
to her in June, 1850, at the Register-office of mar-
riages in the district of St. Marylebone. Down to
the time of her death the deceased acknowledged
and was known by no other name than Mrs. Camp-
bell. In that name she continued to sign cheques,
and in every respect to transact business as &femme
sole. She gave no intimation of her marriage to her
son or her servants, or any of her numerous ac-
quaintances. Mr. Corley became acquainted with
her in Paris in 1845, renewed the acquaintance,
which had been dropped, in 1847, and from that
time down to her death continued to visit her as a
friend. Though the deceased continued to reside
with her three servants in Cumberiane-street from
the period of the alleged marriage until the 6th of
August, when she proceeded with her servants for
the autumn to Brighton, yet Mr. Corley never slept
at her house in town, and only for two or three
nights together at Brighton, and then on a different
floor from the deceased's. To the period of her
death he continued to occupy chambers in Gray's-
inn as a single man, and to be received as such at
the deceased's house and elsewhere. On behalf of
Mr. Corley it appeared that he was married to Mrs.
Campbell in the presence of two witnesses selected
by himself, and that the marriage was kept secret
for fear of the son's anger. The signature in the
registrar's book was sworn to, and though ber age,
her residerce, and her father's name were falsely
entered, the marriage thereby was not invalidated.
Di. Jenner and Dr. Phillimcre appeared in support
of the grant ; Dr. Twiss and Dr. Spinks were heard
in opposition. The Court, after a careful review of
the evidence, pronounced for the marriage, and de-
creed administration to Mr. Corley, as the husband
of the deceased, while it condemned Mr. Campbell in
the sum of 1501. nontine expewarunt.
THE CONVICT CORRIGAN was reprieved at a late
hour on Saturday last. The prisoner nearly fainted
away on being informed of the fact. He bad taken
a last leave of all bis friends. The erection of the
gallows, and all the external preliminaries for nen-
lion, were nearly finished before the reprieve arrived..
Vast crowds of people were collected in the *sigh-
bourbood all Sunday ; but Moods), brought Vielk
disappointinest