The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-19 00:00:00

MANSION HOUSE.

Robert Ferdinand Pries was brought before Sip
Robert Walter Carden for further examination upon the
charge of having uttered certain forgeries to an immense
amount. Mr. Ballantine, instructed by Messrs. Crowder
and Maynard, and Messrs. Vansandon and Co., appeared
for the prosecution ; Mr. Wontner for the defence. The
justice room was, long before the time appointed for the
examination, crowded with mercantile men, all of whom
appeared to be deeply interested in the proceedings.
Mr. Ballantine said—Upon the last occasioa there was
formal difficulty with reference to proving a letter which I
thought rather important, although probably no great
amount of importance attaches to it. That letter, from the
notions we have given, we shall now be in a condition to
put in. I propose so to complete the case, and its ism% via
be the forgery of an accountable receipt fur goods which I
i apprehend it sln point of law. I shall prove through Mr.
Freshfield, who is solicitor to Messrs. Coleman and &chi•
terfoht, and who is attending in consequence of their
names being mixed up in the matter, that they have
unfortunately through these transactions been obliged
to stop payment. Mr. Freshfield will also produce
forged documents of the same character to the amouet
I believe of 50,0001. In almost every instance I shall show
these documents to be forgeries, and that moneys have been
obtained upon them to this enormous amount. I intend
also to present a case against the prisoner of what I believe
will turn out to be forged bills of lading, and the transac-
tions there are of a character that involve some doubt as to
whether the offence is a forgery, or whether it would ouly
amount to a charge of obtaining money by false pretence,.
In cases where shippers have entire confidence in their con-
signees two bills of lading are occasionally sent over, and
although :they are never intended to be parted with the
practice enables a fraudulent person, after having disposed
of the one representing the entire cargo, to dispose of the
other also. I am afraid it will turn out that Mr. Pries,
being aware of this fact, has either forged bills of
lading, or, having parted with one bill of lading
to • consignee, has taken and parted with, to
others not conversant with these matters, a second
bill of !idiot representing the same cargo. It Is almost
fearful to co emplate the amount of fraud committed by
these and the other means to which I have called your
attention. While one cannot help admiring the faith and
the credit which exists in the City of London, one ma
only regret that we should find a person holding such a
high position as the prisoner, who bas cast so great a slur
upon the credit and respectability which attaches to the
merchants of this great metropolis.
Mr. Freshfield—l appear on behalf of Messrs. Coleman
and Stohlterfoht. These proceedings have been taken on
the part of Messrs. Montsaux and Co., whn very promptly
caused this gentleman to be apprehended. Messrs. Colman
and Stohlterfoht have, in consequence of the very large
frauds and forgeries committed upon them, been com-
pelled to suspend their payments, and therefore they have
not taken the prominent part in these proceedings which
they otherwise would have done, but they owe it to their
character and to the commercial world, to appear and give
every assistance to the prosecution. I produce seven
accountable receipts purporting to be signed by Messrs.
Brown and Young, and to embrace quantities amounting to
28,000 quarters of wheat, upon which Messrs. Coleman and
Stohlterfoht have advanced 0,0001. in cash, and are under
acceptances for 41,0001. more, making together 50,0001.
These sums are independent of the accountable receipts
which have been referred to by the learned counsel which
were given up by Messrs. Coleman and Stahlterfoht, in
consequence of other arrangements between them and Mr.
Pries. We are attending as a duty that we owe to the mer-
cantile interests of the City of London and the country at
large to state these facts, and to afford every possible assist-
ance in furthering the ends of justice.
The Chief Clerk (Mr. Goodman) then read the deposi-
tions which were taken upon the former occasion.
Mr. Ballantine said he proposed to finish the first case by
proving the service of two documents.
Joseph Haggett, the officer, said—Since the last exami-
nation I have served two notices, copies of which I produce,
one upon the prisoner, and the other upon Matilda, his wife.
(The notices demanding the production of a letter which
the prisoner had addressed to his wife, and which will be
found to be referred to below, were then read.)
Mr. William Frederick Ingalow examined—At the last
examination I stated that I saw a letter produced by the
lady whom I suppose to be the prisoner's wife.
Mr. Ballantine— Will you Mate the contents of that
letter ? _

Mr.Wontaer—l object to this course. The evidence shows
that the letter is not in the possession of the prisoner. The
rule of law is, that when a prisoner has notice to produce
that which is in his possession, and he does not produce it,
that then secondary evidence may be given; but I know
of no case which goes so far as to say that a document seen
in the possession of the wife which is not produced in pur-
-1 swum* of a notice served upon the prisoner, or his wife,
has ever been receivable in the shape of secondary evi-
dence, . .

Sir R. W. Carden—l think, as the document has been
proved to be in the handwriting of tho husband, and as I
do not like to throw any impedimenta in the way of a full,
fair, and Impartial investigation of it case that comes
before me, I ought not to allow any little legal quibble to
prevent the facts from being brought to light, and therefore
if there are difficulties with respect to the production cache
letter, I should certainly hear the secondary evidence which
is tendered, and leave it to the judges hereafter to decide
upon its admissibility. The present is merely a preliminary
investigation, and it is my duty to receive the evidence
which the learned counsel for the prosecution proposes to
adduce. . _

—Mr. ingalow (again examined)—l have a recollection of
the letter alluded to as that which I saw in the hands of
Mrs. Pries, the prisoner's wife. I took down, as near as I
could recollect, in the afternoon of the same day, a note of
the contents, in order to be able to refresh my memory. I
do not pledge myself to the exact words. The letter began
My dearest, dearest Matilda,—When you have got over
the first shock you will be better without me. Teach little
—not to hate his wretched father," or " the memory of
his wretched father." Afterwards was this sentence
Oh, God ! by what change of circumstances have I been
led to act (or do) as I have done !" or words to that effect.
Afterwards came the words—" I am an impostor, a swill-
dler, and a forger." The last sentence I remember in the
letter is—" I dull take the Quickest means of putting en
end to my existence.—Tour R. F. Pains."
Mr. Thos. Young, lighterman, waterman, and granary
keeper, said—l am in partnership with John Dadin
Brown, of Bermondsey wall. I have no transac-
tions directly with the prisoner. Supposing that
goods ars consigned to us they are removed by
a delivery order from the person landing them. They
would be given in the names of the parties who housed
them with us. If a change of property took plass as to con-
signed goods, it would be usual for the persons receiving
the order to present it to us, and if we are satisfied with its
authenticity, the rods could be transferred to their names,
if they requested at, and such persons would be enabled to
obtain documents to that effect ; and we should hold our-
selves responsible to the parties to show the transfer wts
given or the documents referred. I look at the documents
produced in the court, beginning, "By order of R. F.
Pries, we have this da transferred into the name of
Messrs. Coleman and Stoblterfoht," and ending with the
signature, " Brown and Young." That signature is not in
the handwriting of my partner or myself ; neither has it
been written by our authority. We never authorise any
ono to write our names.

Six It. W. Carden—Do you require the bill of lading of
the party who applies for the goods ?
The Witness—The goods are generally landed to us by
the merchant or factor. We seldom have bills of lading
unless the goods go into our hands direct.
Sir R. W. Carden—Then it is not necessary to produce
the bill of lading for the purpose of giving up the geode?
The Witness—No; when we have the goods they are in
the warehouse.
Mr. Ballantine—lt is the person interested in the pro.
party who receives the bill of lading ?
The Whams—Yes.
Mr. Ballantine—Yon, as warehouseman, merely sot
under the person who disembarks the goods ?
The Witnese—We take the factor's or the merchant's
order. _ _ _ _ _ .

Sir R. W. Carden—l believe the dock companies do not
allow any transfer of goods without the production of the
bill of lading ?
The Witness—l am not aware what the rule of the dock
companies is.
Mr. Herman Christian Turck examined—l am a mer-
chant, and em partner in the firm of Coleman, Stohltarfoht,
and Co. William Robert Barclay is another partner. I
have had very large transactions with the prisoner. The
two document' before me were in my possession up to the
31st December last ; having received one on the 23rd Oa •
tober, and the other on the Bth November preceding. They
then had the names " Brown and Young " to them ; bat
what is now written across them was not there at that
time. I returned them to the prisoner on the Mat December.
At the time I received them, I advanced large sums of
money upon them. I cannot specifically mention how
much, as the amount went into the 'general account; they
were securities for large sums of money. I delivered them
up to the prisoner on his promise to repay us the advance
we had made upon tkem, at the rate of about 30s. a quar-
ter. He stated to me, at the time of obtaining them, that
his object was to obtain an advance front other parties. I
produce seven other documents which were deposited with
me by the prisoner. The amount of money advanced upon
these seven and the other two would be security for 61,4351.,
in cash and acceptances.
Cross examined by Mr. Wontner—l have not made any
advances to the prisoner since the 31st December, since
which date he has paid me 20,0001., 10,0001. of which he
returned on the following day, the lst instant. After de-
ducting the 20,0001., there is still a balance due to us of
81,000 i.
Mr. Brown further examined—The writing on the seven
documents is neither my writing nor that of my partner,
and it does not in the slightest manner resemble it. The
prisoner had no authority from us to use our signature.
Mr. Ballantine said he bad now closed his case with re-
gard to the accountable receipts, and should ask for a
remand for a week, lest he might have omitted anything
material. He would now proceed with another case:
Mr. Ignac Sholoff examined-1 am a foreign banker,
carrying on business in partnership with Proepilregon-
teaux, at No. 17, Gracechureh-street. I know the prisoner
well. I produce seven bills of lading that I received from
him on the days on which they are dated, and I have parted
with two of them. Upon the nine I advanced him 0,0001.
I should not have advanced any money upon these hills of
lading if 1 had known that other bills of lading applying to
the same cargo had been parted with elsewhere.
Sir R. W. Carden—How many bills of lading are gene-
rally sent with goods?

The Witness—Sometimes three, sometimes four. One
the captain signs and keeps, the shipper receives one that
op.! by the
i captain, one goes to Um emisignee endorsed,
opal it)* fourth, if there s • duplicate, is not endorsed.
It,, it. W. Carden—l understood, from what you state,
am any one party who chooses to tun rogue could make
los of say sae of those four bills of lading.
The itaus—He must (Urge lin endorsement.
so it W. Carden—Hills of lading do not run like bills
o,,sch‘mte, first, second, and third; they are all similar
Occusents.
The Witness—They are. Without the shipper's endorse•
mint no one es° receive the property. In the regular
woe, of buinsess there would be but one bill of lading
with the shipper's endorsement.
Mr. Itallantine—Now, sir, I have laid before you the
or substantially the whole, of one ease, and I have
WI begat you the circumstances of another that will either
souse the shape of a legal fraud or forgery. Upon the
lost occasion I shall no doubt be enabled to complete that
aw. when I shall I ask fur a committal.
The Flamer was then remanded for a week.