The Express.
London, England, 1867-09-03 00:00:00

Elie erairtoo.

TO CORREAPONDENTS.
advertleernenta Intended for " The Express," London Evening
1":4:, must be at the office, 10, Bouveriewtreet, by Two
::k on the day of publication.

11.tYMARK ET.
Tins resume), As yot LIE K IT. Messrs. Howe, enliven-
dale. Rog, rt. Kendal, Clark. Weathtrilq, 4te.. Mesiames
gloat siddons. Burke, Fitzwilliam.ttc.—Tit PARIS AND RACK
APB /A Mr. liuckawne —And PETER SM INK. Lr. Compton.

PAINCICarfa.
Trov Nrrxrao, Poolt PILLIcoDDY. Mews. Dorninkk
Murray& lire.ham : Mks Pally Marshall —And IL K nTKEETS
OF LONDON. Mr. Vining, Messrs. M•Leao, 1). Murray, *c.;
MerelamesSluart, Barnett, and 31arslon.

*WAN ?it A,

Tar. EvEnlina, THE SIAN DIY THE RED MANSInN ; DR,
DAV:4 DY MARIE AN ritINK TE —The Champion
Skaters: Mr. Plumpr,.o Mr. it Nn Coleman anti Mr. brown.—
And THE SEA; OR, THE ocr.AN CUILD.

WON WATZIL AT LONDON BILIDOIL
Tl2ll DAT —...l.rnine. sb. Os Afternoon. 5h 19ft
116.1101a0W—lfornins. Sh. 37s Afternoon, su. 56m.

- - ---
LONDON, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3.

THE 'harping season is marked this year by
unusual recklessness. Whether it be that the
heat of the past month has somewhat relaxed the
inventive energies of our rogues, or the extreme
dulness of the season lulled them into a false secu-
rity, their recent operations have been marked by
a want of the usual secrecy, caution, and fore-
sight. This is seen in the choice no lees than in
the execution of their plans, in the general outline
as well as the special details of their autumn
campaign against the common enemy. In the se'ec-
tion of nefarious expedients they appear to have
specially favoured what may be called the benevo-
kelt dodge. They appear to have reasoned that
if real cluaiy (wveittil a ranitijUilh of sing, Ile'
tended charity would be the best possible cloak
for their sinister designs. But they do not appear
to have sufficiently considered that in following out
simulated schemes of public benevolence, they
courted the widest publicity, and thus ex-
posed themselves to the risk of imme-
diate detection. Thus, only a few days ago
a printed circular, containing the names of distin-
guished members of Parliament, was widely cir-
culated through certain districts of the country,
asking for contributions on behalf of Mrs. GOR-
DON, the widow of the Jamaica martyr ; but this
shallow device met at once with the detection and
exposure it so richly deserved. The recipients
of the circular communicated a'. once with the pub-
lic men whose names it bore, and the whole scheme
was exploded at the outset. More recently s.ill,
the name of the Lord Mayor of LONDON has been
employed to cover a design equally fraudulent,
but more plausible in form as wall as of wider
pretended benevolence. A printed prospectus
had been circulated in reference to " a grand dis-
" tribution of prizes in aid of the destitute poor
"of London—one shilling per share." It staves
that after all expenses have been deducted, the
balance will be remitted to the Loan MAYOR for
distribution. The recipients of the circular are
urged to interest themselves in the disposal of the
tickets, on the express ground that the object
in view is truly a charitable and urgent one.
How widely the circulars have been dis-
tributed is not at present known ; but
from tho fact that one of the detected
tickets had the number 8,552, the distribu-
tion would seem to have been tolerably extensive.
The fraud, apart from the almost certain chances
of early discovery, was in itself well fitted to suc-
ceed. But, as the event showed, it was promptly
exposed in the most natural manner. A clergy-
man in the country, who had received the pro-
spectus, accompanied by a book of tickets, wrote
to the LORD MAYOR to ask if the scheme was
really under his sanction as represented, adding,
that in that event, the object being a charitable
one, he would do his utmost to dispose of the
tickets. Inquiries were at once instituted, and
the managing committee, treasurer, secretary, and
bankers whose names appeared in the prospectus,
resolved themselves into two men, said to be
brothers, occupying a back room on the third
floor of the house in the City from which it was
addressed. Fortunately, little mi.-hief appears
to have been done, as from its very nature the
scheme broko down at the outset. The place
selected was, in these cases, the weak point in tie
sharpers' programme. But if hypocrisy is the
homage which vice pays to virtue, schemes of
simulated beneficence such as these are the
homage which knavery pays to our national im-
pulses of charity and benevolence.

But the most surprising and gigantic 'harping
enterprise of the season is the attempted for-
gery on the Union Bank of Scotland, brought
out fully at the Mansion-house on Friaay last.
In this case the operations, extending over a
period of nearly two months, were of the
moat minute and business-like kind. Yet, sin-
gularly enough, they are characterised through-
out by the want of due vigilance and caution
which marks the two public frauds we have re-
ferred to. In the middle of June last a young
man of respectable appearance, with plenty of
money, chiefly Australian sovereigns, about him,

loose
named

wing
•

that
-ye

called on a die•ainker named RICHARD SMITH,
living in the neighbourhood of the City-
road. Ho was accompanied by a loose
character, of questionable antecedents, named
ZELLMAN, whom SMITH had known a little, five or
six years before, "by meeting him at places of
" amusement." ZELLMAN introduced the respect-
.
. .
able young man to SMITH as Mr. Davin
JACKSON, a friend of his, who wanted some
1 business done. JACKSON proceeded to business by
asking SMITH if he could engrave a plate. SMITH
cautiously replied that it would depend on the
purpose for which the plate was to be used.
t il JACKSON at once produced a five pound note of
the Union Bank of Scotland, which SMITH, having
examined, handed back, saying "it would be a
" very serious business." To this JACKSON
V answered there was no risk, as only four men
were engaged in the affair—himself, ZELLMAN,
1 1 SMITH, and " a banker from Australia"; and that
if SMITH would engrave the plate he should have
201. at once, and 3001. when it was finished.
SMITH, the die-sinker, acquiesced in the proposal,
but immediately after the interview put himself in
communication with the police, and during the
subsequent six weeks all the proceedings con-
nected with the engraving of the plate, the pur-
chase of special paper and presses, and the on-
.
•
.. _ ....-- --....
-.—