The Express.
London, England, 1865-09-05 00:00:00

THE ALLSGED RA UDS ON THE BIRMINGHAM
BANHING COMPANY.

The prisoners Benda/net Taylor and Beery Kelly,
the fanner &eerier as a borupper soaker, 67 Osethme.
seer, Birmingham, sad the letter as • builder at 18,
Groyerrer, Oundes.town whose charged with harm,
by mesas of forged reepteaces, defrauder the Birmingham
Banking Company of Birmingham of larp sums of money,
amorreg to about 2,0001., were yesterday brought up
before the Lord Mayor at the Mario. Hems to oedema •
final transination upset that rus.
Mr. Lewis, lan., appeared to promoter ; and Mr. M. Wil-
liams, garnered by
_Yr. Proudloot, was counsel for the
Taylor; Kelly had no preformed assistance ;
Lrr."11.7 IL Loader, of the Nether' Tr& Protection
011ioe, 07, Newsaleetrest, who was interested in the
ore, was present to watch on behalf of that smaceistioa.
Yesterday Me. Lewis adduced evidence to show the con.
=ay Wares the parties. Two of the witnesses proved
the proem took allow in their horse, Is the names
el Satchel and Poster and Alfred Davies sad Oa, and it
appeared that soon of the bills gives by Tayior to the
mingham Basking Company hors accoptanese la these two
amass.
Mr. Smith, 33, Aldennenbary, eugerer sad printer, rid
in Georg last two perms took as oak* as his third
floor at • rental of 235. a mouth. They ramined until
Jur. They paid him not up to March, aged called them-
selves Barbel, Foster. and On. That name was put on the
doorpost. He never saw say besieges, but they our very
ohne for their letter, whkk was the principal part of their
busier& The atone was en the door et the ti
um he was
speaking. lie dld not movie' the prisoners at the bar as
other ofthose persona
Mary Bogen said she nodded at 2, Menehesterhadings,
and was a widow. In September, 1884, pence named
Davies took one of her officio cm the third &or at a rental
of 141. a-year and 51. for oleasiog. Thename of Alfred
Davie was painted oa the board, suns name was
on the door of the oar. He left before June last He
paid the &et quarto's rent partly in mosey sad portly is
soap. He called himself an agent fee hay goods. He bad
weer paid her aaythieg more. She gave him soros is
March to leave ia June. A great miry puler used to
call at the office, rearm* to tie briar.
Edrio Champion, of No. 2, Paserea-ler, who bad been
examined before, and who thus said the person named
Bower took se °aloe at hie house, was yesterday ear,
and mid at the time BINII/10f took that rase Kelly was with
him. Browse never matured after he took the se.
Charles Burg* who was sloe ermined on the last oar
roe, said be kiss a pence named Farnham.
Mr. Montague Williams wanted to know what Farnham
bed to do with it.
Mr. Lewis said he wished to show that Frahm, who had
been twice ornated, wee the person who hod takes the
adios is the same of Brewer, and accepted bills in that
Witmer said be bad sees Farnham frequently in the
compsay of she premiers. The two bells rented in the
news of W. F. Brewer he behevedorers is the handwriting
of Farram. The body of one of the bills was in the har-
mers( of Taylor. He remembered Mr. Kelly, and Nichols
hie brother, spoke to him about a party rated Brewer
having tree an aloe, he believed in Prewar& He
did oot kaow Brewer then. That was in the presser of
Kelly, sad Mr. Nichol irked bim to say that Barr was •
most respeceable sal good young man. and quite eget-
worthy. Both the priaren told bun Brewer had given a
reference to their firm, B. Nichol sad 00. They told him
be was a respectable man in their employ at another ahoy
in Deanehert. He believed the ref moos was given, bet
not by him. He bad since herd that Brewer was Farnham.
George William Werra said be was a traveller in the
boot aced shoe Dinh He knew Kelly. He was
=peed about the 23rd December last by Kelly
to enrage a shop for him is the boot sad
shoe briars is Camden-town. For the Ant two
moot& sad s half he was with him there wee no asme
put up. It had been occupied by • potato edam" and
"potato salesmen " was left over the shop until about a
week before witness left, when the ounce of Rues
end Co. was put up. Before that letters arrived Mirror
to Ross sod Co., and tree letters were given to Mr. Kelly
or his wile. He aerie saw any Mr. Ross. Mr. Kelly car-
ried on badness there.
Cron-examined by Mr. Williams—The wgegemest with
Kelly lasted until the latter and of Mere& Hs had never
seen Taylor until he saw him is custody.
F. G. Cope, of Lady Wood-grove, Lady Wood-lane, Bir-
measlier, said on the 26th of 7uae, 1865, be was out of a
@Relation. end saw an advertise/wet is the Biemenqhme
Daily Pool for • traveller or agent, and communicated
with the Arm whose earns umpired in the paper, and in
omesquence of the answer be went to 36 sad 37. Lang-
Doerr Chambers, Feeseiturcharreet. The as
painted up
was F. Reeves and Co. He saw the primer Kelly there,
who introduced himself as Reeves, sad saw • tall man who
was milled the English clerk, who was introduced as Mr.
Hamilton. (Witness described the man he her as
Hamilton.)
Mr. Lewis—Me name as Farnham and Brewer.
Wirer continued—Kelly engaged him as traveller to
parehre for the firm hardware and other goods in the
vicinity of Birmingham. Wirer had • tarp oorectioa,
and told him so. lie asked Kelly for referrer and he re-
ferred him to Benjamin Taylor and Co., of Orrearreet,
with whom he said he bad had very extensive dealing*.
Kelly said Taylor and Co. were in the hadiantbber trade.
Witness' insertions were to purchase goods to the amount
of 1501., ebb:hire to he a preliminary trasseetioa. Witness
west to Birmingham and oommered with an order for 2001.
worth of iron bedsteads. He communicated with Mr.
Beeves es to what he bad done. He, however, had
errs suspicion, and stopped the order fur the bed-
steads before it was executed. He called at Mr.
Taylor's premises. Kelly said that Taylor was the
oily Werra he could give in Birmingham, but
that Mr. Taylor would give him others. Wiese be called
at Taylor's warehouse, he was told that he was in Loadoo.
On the 12th July witness received a letter, signed W.
Hamilton, and dated from Langbournehambere, 12th
July. The letter was Dot seat hen by poet, but gives him
in London by Hamilton himself. He had two other letters
from Hamilton; or bore his elevator, the other did not.
They were on paper beaded " F. Reeves."
Cross-examined—He had not seen Mr. Taylor before ; he
knew the firm in Birmingham, and knew he employed a
great number of workmen.
Edward W. I'. Taunton said he carried on the basher
of sierra-plater in Birmingham. He received en order,
which he produced, dated 30th June, '65, purportieg to be
from Frederick Reeves end Co., for eleetro-platod goods, to
the amount of 701. to 801. (se entry of the order was in the
letter book found at the cake.)
Witness auctioned—Upon the ceder there was the same
of B. Taylor, Conclenotret, as a reform Wirer wrote
to Mr. Taylor, his clerk having called but could sot see
Dim. Hs did not receive en answer to that letter, end be
sent an invoice to Ranee and Co., offering to deliver the
goods throngh his agents for cash. The cash did Dot arrive
end he beard no more about it.
Thomas Smith said he carried ea business in Worcester,
in partnership with Mr. M-Nortoo, as carriage and harness
maker. On the 22nd June he received a letter, signed
"Frederick Reeves." The letter was dated from Dan-
boro-chambers. and stated that • freed had spokes
highly to the writer of Mr. Smith's carriers,
and said he was in want of a mail phaeton,
or dog-cart, sad asked for the prime. He mot him
a book oonteinior a list, sod afterwards forayed another
letter from Mr. Reeves, stating that be bad seen Mr. Smith's
dogcart at the Crystal Palace, and asked him to forward
him • similar or with • set of silver-plated hareem suit-
able for it, if his terms (four months' bill) suited. The letter
mentioned Mr. B. Taylor, of Birmingham, and Mr. G.
Winkwortb, of Northampton, as referrals. Upon that be
wrote to Mr. Taylor. He did cot writ*, however, for two
or three days, having in the meanwhile made inquire' as to
the references. He did cot receive any answer from Tay-
lor. H. did not, however, seed the cart and set of hover
He was I. London, and took the trouble to call several
times to MO what Reeves and Co. were, but could never
find any one there.
Frederick Hughes said be was in the employment of his
father, who carried on barrio at Kiddermiester as a carpet
manufacturer. Oa the 29th June he received a letter
wiped "F. R. Reeves," asking them to allow their agent
to give them a call, as they were in want of some goods to
ship to Canada. The letter was dated from Daemon-
chsrobesa. Witness called at Longhorn-chambers sad
raw Kelly, who acted as principal. He showed him some
samples, sod Kelly showed them to some or who was is
the office, and apparently ceosulMd with kine. Witness
called again, and took an order for 601. or 704
He told Kelly that before sending the goods he must have&
reference, and he ere him B. Taylor, of Camden-street,
Birmingham. He wrote to Mr. Taylor, asking as to the
respectability of Reeves and Co.. bus refereed no answer.
The witness Bargees was again recalled, and said the
letter alluded to by the wither Cops, rimed Hamilton,
was in Fershare's writing. (Witness deecribed Farnham's
appearres, and it aorropoodad with the description given
by Mr. Cops.)
Witness continued, sad said the letters alluded to by the
witnesses Taunton and Smith, signed Reaves sad Co., were
ia Fanshun's handwriting.
Mr. Lewis produced a letter aopy.book which was found
in the office at ',reborn-chamber, which he said was the
only book kept at the offloasod contained 'athlete but orders
and referrer This book oontsioed the froindles of the
letters which had been produced, and the witness Burgess
said, as far as he could see, the letters wire all in the hand-
writing
of Farnbsm.
Sergeant Webb was them repelled, sad he proved having
found the letter book at the Aloe of Beeves sad Co. in
langbourse chambers. He also said be found some other
hors, cresting of ledgers, a oesh-book, Be.. all of which
were blank. Hs also found a " Directory" and several
rusty directories. Sergeant Webb also said that
while in was searching for the primers be sew Parham,
whom be knew, go backwards and forwards to Eteeves's
ogee, sad bad seen him go to the bore of Kelly. He
found at the office • quantity of circular beading. with
" F.lteeves sad Co., Leagboarneltushors," sad he farad on
Taylor the letters written by two of the witnesses, Grit
for references for Reeves end Co. He fogad several otbet
letters asking for references for the same firm, sad aloe
erteral rear= of a company, for the parolee of purchas-
ing B. Taylor's Durres, at Birmiegbant. (The aircrew
was alladr to on the first examination.)
Mr. Lewis rid that was all the orders he wished to
adduce ; bat the prisoners were fat-molly remelted • week
for the purpose of completieg the &vertices, who they
will be committed for trial.
The Ler Mayas refused bail