The Express.
London, England, 1861-06-13 00:00:00

EXTENSIVE FORGERIES BY AN INSURANCE

AGENT.

(Prom the Manchester Examiner of this day.)
This morning, a case of a most extraordinary
description will be investigated before the magistrates at
the City Police-court, and no doubt it will excite as much
surprise as sorrow amongst the public when they learn that
a gentleman of hitherto supposed unblemished character,
Mr. Edward Williamson, the agent for the /Royal Exchange
Fire and Life Insurance Office, will be charged with
having committed a series of forgeries to a large amount.
From what we have been able to glean from
various sources, it appears that Mr. Williamson will be
charged with having obtained money from the principal
office in London by representing, through forged docu-
ments, that losses had been caused by fire on the premises of
persons insured in the office, when in point of fact no such
fires had taken place. He will also be charged with
having increased the amount of tend Me claims made
timrers who have incurred loans by fire, and he will be
with forging signatures endorsed on bills which he
hadresen ordered to draw, to pay some of the fictitious
claims which he had made. We believe that we shall be
found pretty correct in stating that the amount which
the Royal Exchange-office has been defrauded out of
by this system will be very large—in fact, that within the
lad four months fictitious claim+ have been toads and paid
by the office to the extent of near 3,0001. How long
this system of fraud has been carried on of course we
sre unable at present to say ; but we know that it was
discovered by the merest accident. A few days ago a
gentleman from Manchester whilst in London called at the
Royal Exchange-office to ask the directors to appoint a
friend of his a second agent for Manchester, alleging that
all the other offices had two agents, whilst the Royal
Exchange had only one in Manchester. The manager
or one of the directors replied that they &Mg
do no such thing, seeing that with one agency Ares so
frequently occurred in that city. At the same time he
pointed to two claims then lying before him from Mr. Wit.
liarnson for something like 7001., in corroboration of what he
bad stated. The gentleman expressed his astonishment at
what had been stated, looked at the claims, and de-
dared from his own knowledge that those fires bad
never taken place. The manager was equally taken
aback, and could not believe his ears, inasmuch
as he had unbounded confidence in the integrity of
Mr. Williamson, whose father had been the agent in
Manchester for 45 years. The son, Edward Williamson,
was partner with his father for some years before his
decease, and we believe the agency has been in the hands
of the father and son for the last 60 years. In consequence
of what transpired in the interview we have alluded to, one
of the directors of the Royal Exchange-office, and the
solicitor to the company, came to Manchester on Tuesday to
investigate the matter, and In the course of a short time they
obtained such information as to satisfy them that the Aate-
meat made to them in London was but too true. Yesterday, a
warrant was applied for andgpranted for Mr. Williamson's ap-
prebendal on the charge of fcegery. The warrant, we believe,
was placed in the hands of Superintendent Ma bury and ln-
spector Buckley for execution, and yesterday they proceeded
to Greenfield House, Bowdon, where Mr. Williamson resides,
to apprehend him. At first they did not find him at home,
but at 5 o'clock, on returning, they found him in. The
officers showed him the warrant, sad told him the charge
upon which he wee to be arrested, to which he replied
that he was very sorry that it was so ; that he had hem
a great fool, and it served him right ; but that he had pro-
perty that would five times cover the amount he was
charged with bavingdishonestly obtained. Mr. Williamson
was then taken into custody, and brought in a cab to the
detective office, Manchester. Besides bein the owner of
considerable property at Bowdon, Mr. Wi hat a
shooting seat near Stafford, where Mn. Williamson and his
family are at present staying. Owingto this fact the family
were spared the pain of seeing Mr. Williamson appre-
hended., and there can be no doubt but that the affliction
which has overtaken them will awaken that sympathy on
their behalf which is but a poor consolation in such emote-
stances as those is which they are placed.

SUSPICIOUS Di•TH OP • YOUNO WOMAN.—An
investigation took place before Mr. G. S. Brent, deputy
steroner for West Middlesex, at the Dudley Arms, last
evening, into the circumstances attandieg the disoovery
of the body of an unknown female in that part of the
Beimis Canal known as the Grand Junction, near No.
16 Wharf, Paddington, whose death occurred under pare-
fully saspicioua circumstances. Police-oonstnule D
deposed to having been called to the wharf while
no duty in Sussex-gardens on Monday ; he there
took &arge of the deceased, who had been taken
out of the water by two bargemen, and conveyed
the body to the Paddington deed-house. He weld
immediately for Dr. Beale, the police divisional surgeon.
There appeared to be a heavy braise over the bead and face.
She was respectably and cleanly dressed, and bad on a P."'
of new boots. Nothing whatever besides her clothes was
found upon her person, and the pockets of her dress were
turned inside out. Dr. J. Samuel Beale said—l was called
to see the body on Monday morning. She appeared to be
• respectable young female, who got her living by Weer.
respectably attired, and about twenty-four yearn of see.
The body was muds decomposed, and bad evidently
been in the water from seven to nine diva. It is el
opinion that the alleged braise. about the head are nothing
more than the appearance caused by decomposition
but on • poet morrow examination of the body I found a
very large bruise on the upper part of the thigh, awl other
marks of violence on that portion of the body. He then
entered into an elaborate description of shacking riders*
which bad been committed on the deceased, which clearly
demonstrated that the hapless female had been violated, and
afterwards died from the effects of drowning. The deputy
coroner thought, under the panful and very suspicious ca.
maritime., of the case, an adjournment was necessarT. Ind
the publicity which would doubtless be given to this at pre.
sent mysterious occurrence, through the medium of the
press, might possibly attract sudicieut attention to throw
little more light upon it. The jury acquiesced. The inquiry
was accordingly adjourned. Lp to last night the body bad
not been idsuidied.