The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-04-25 00:00:00

On Saturday last, Mr. Bingham, the sitting magistrate
at the Marlborough police-court, was occupied a consider-
able time in investigating a case, showieg a successful
and continuous series of forgeries ever brought forward
even in a Wit's-court. John Ingram Owen, George Smith
Owen, and E I ward Owen, brothers, were charged with
numerous forgeries. From the evidence in possession of
the police it appeared that Edward Clark Owen, about
two or three years ago, lived as clerk with Mr. Jeakes,
stove manufacturer, Museum-street; John Ingram Owen
was a clerk in the custom-house, but dismissed for miscon-
duct; and George Smith Owen, brought up in the drug
trade, had a kind of office, 12, Tower-street, as agent for
wholesale druggists. Some years ago, the father of the
prisoners was in extensive business at Shrewsbury as
a woollen draper, but be failed, and the creditors were
only paid a dividend. It was on this bankruptcy
that the superstructure of forgery was afterwards
raised. The first case of forgery traced to the prisoners
was on Messrs. Coutts and Co., fcr 4'600 by the prisoner
Edward, who through his sister became acquainted
with the handwriting of a lady who kept cash at Coutts.
This took place about eighteen or twenty months ago.
The .e6OO put the brothers into funds, and enabled them
to carry out a more extensive plan of operations. Oue of
the prisoners gave Mit that he had just returned with a
large fortune from Australia. he had cards printed, giving
his address at Peel River, Australia, and he announced
that he had returned to England for the sole purpose of
paying all his father's creditors in full. With cheques
prepared beforehand, one or the other of the brothers
waited on the creditors in succession, and by a plausible
story succeeded in disarming suspicion, and inducing
the creditors to take the cheques, which were always
for a larger amount than the debt, and to give their
own cheques for the balance. In most instances these
good cheques were made the foundation for larger
forgeries, and in this way considerable sums
of money were obtained from bankers. Information of
these repeated forgeries was forwarded to Scotland-yard,
and several experienced detectives, amongst whom were
Police-Sergeants Smith and Williamson, were specially
retained by Messrs. Mullen and Co., on behalf of the
bankers. For the last year, at least, these two officers
have been vigilantly on the watch for the offenders,
sometimes on the trail of one, sometimes on the trail of
another, but repeatedly baffled by the adroitness of the
delinquents. The difficulty of taking the brothers arose
from the circumstance of their being mixed up with no
other parties ; they worked together, and they shared
the plunder together; sometimes one took the name of
the other, and, in addition to changing names, they also
varied their appearance, one day appearing as foreigners,
with long black hair, beard, and moustache, another as
bald-headed, whiskerless, middle-aged persons. The detec-
tives, however, got upon the track. It appeared that Mr.
Rutter, umbrella maker, Cheapside, was one of the
father's creditors. He received a visit a' few days ago
from one of the brothers, who stated that he came to pay
his father's debts, producing at the same time a cheque
for .el 5, and receiving the balance in a cheque of £7 les.
As he was about to leave the shop he turned round to Mr.
Rutter, and said coolly, You cannot but acknowledge
that my father has behaved like a gentleman to you."
Mr. Rutter assented. " Well, then," said the Austra-
lian capitalist, " I think, as the weather appears
squally you might as well make me a present of an urn-
brella.',. " Choose one,'' said Mr. Rutter. A guinea
nifsbrella was selected, and both parties took leave,
mutually pleased with their morning's work. Mr. Rutter
immediately published the affair to his friends as a fine
trait in human nature—filial piety engaged in re-establish-
ing a parent's credit and character; but his views on the
subject sustained a disagreeable revulsion by the return
of the forged cheque and a communication from the
police, which opened his eyes to the fact that he had lost
71 lOs anti a guinea umbrella. On Friday last detective
Smith and Williamson, accompanied by Mr. Rutter, fol-
lowed one of the brothers into Clerkenweli, and saw him
enter a public house close to St. John's-gate. A second
brother soon afterwards made his appearance, and went
into the same public house. Detective Smith followed, and
to his great gratification found all three brothers in the
room. Edward was with his back to the fire, enjoying
himself ; Ingram was reading the paper ; and George was
drinking ale. Detective Smith walked up to the fireplace,
and touching the occupant, said, " Ha, Edward, how do
you do ?" The brother thus addressed, who had made
himself look as like a foreigner as possible, replied in some
kind of gibberish. " Come, drop that now," said Smith,
" I belong to the detectives. I want you and your two
brothers here for forgery, and here is Mr. Rutter who
knows something about that umbrella you have got in
your hand." The three brothers blustered very much at
first, but the detectives, Smith and Williamson, would
not be put off, ,and calling a cab, they succeeded in
placing all three in it after an abortive attempt on
the part of Ingram to escape. The three brothers 1
were lodged in the station-house. The amounts known to
have been obtained by the prisoners are : by forgeries on
Coutts, 4600; on Mr. Jeakes. £5lO ; Mr. Douglas, £ll3 ;
London and 'Westminster, £2OO ; Mr. Hall, .e 200; Messrs.
Berries,' £llB ; Xessrs. Prescot, £l5O ; Taunton Bank,
X 200; Salisbury Bank. £100,; Poole Bank, 47218 ; besides
smaller amounts, the'number of which are very consider-
able. To prove the dexterity and hairbreadth escapes
of the prisoners, it wiil only be necessary to state that
a hot 'pursuit was set on foot by a victim, who recog-
nised one of the brothers in Tottenhatn-court-road. The
mob chased a man with long black hair, beard and mous-
taches, wearing a brown wide-awake, into the Feathers
public-house, which has an entrance back and front.
They suddenly missed him, and while debating the
matter, a tall, bald-headed, whiskerless person, passed
through their midst. This was the very person they
were in pursuit of, as was discovered a moment or twe
afterwards by finding wig, whiskers, moustaches, and
wide-awake, under one of the seats in the public-house.
The prisoners were remanded for further examination.

'Baron Manteuffel, ,the Prussian Plenipotentary, re-
ceived 'in Paris a deputation of the London Peace
Society.
• REPRlEVE.—Thersentenee of death passed the late
Devon and Suffolk assizes upon Mary We ks and Emma
Mussett, both of whom were convicted of murdering their
children, has been commuted to transportation for life.
THE. EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.—A statue in white marble,
rather larger than life, of the Empress Josephine, has just
been placed in the nave of the Palace of InchiStry in the
Champs Elysers. It is intended for a monument which is
to be erected at Martinique.
STAIJDIGL, THE VOCALIST.—The Journal tie Frankfort
says that Staudigl, the celebrated boss singer, has gdne out
of his mind. His intellect had been failing for a long time,
and be has lately been removed to a lunatic assylum. The
same journal says that Madame Heinefetter (who sing in
the German operas with Staudigl in London), has died in a
state of insanity, brought -on by the loss of her fortune.
RAILWAY BILLS 'BEFORE PARLlAMENT.—Metropolitan
Railway—The directors of this company in the financial
declaration to Parliam-nt, state that they propose to defray
the expense of the works under their bill now before the
house this session out-of the £1,300,000, which they are
authorised to raise by their act of 1854; and that, after
deducting the funds required to meet the cost of works
under that act, there will remain unexpended and applicable
to their new undertaking a total of £383,000. Wycombe
Railway—The return to Parliament by this company as to
the way in which it is proposed to find funds for the con-
struction of the new branch Railway to Marlow, sets forth
that they have a surplus capital of £33,000 in hand, applic-
able to the proposed new branch; the cost of constructing it
being estimated by Mr. Brunel, the company'a engineer, at
.£25,000. Epsom and Leatherhead Railway—The certified
cost of this line, including the purchase of property and
contingencies, is £30,000.

A CONsctEirrtous DESERTER.---At the Justice of Peace
Court,-on Friday, in presence of George Thompson, Esq.,
a young man of respectable appearance, named John
Weir; accompanied by a private soldier, stepped forward
at the conclusion of the court business, and made the
following statement :—" In August, 1852. I enlisted in the
33rd Regiment of foot, at that time lying in Glasgow. A.
month after, I deserted. 'A short time after my desertion
I got employment, and, not being discovered, I was
allowed to work unmolested. Thrifty
,habits and perse-
verance have enabled me to save from my Small weekly
earnings the sum of twenty pounds—the amount neces-
sary for my discharge. So soon as I obtained this sum I
could not rest until I had given myself up to the military
authorities. Accordingly I marched into the barracks
yesterday, and surrendered to the soldier 'who now
accompanies me." • The usual oath having been adminis-
tered, he'deponed to being a deserter, and the necessary
warrant'was 'made: out. He was committed to prison,
where he will require toile till the decision of the.Secre-
tazy at. War has 'been received. In all' probability this
young titan's desertion saved his life. for it will be recol-.
lected that the 33rd regiment was fearfully cut up in the.
Critnea;h—Glargichit Daily Mail. . .

THE BERKBH-IRE JACIE SII;PPARD.—The capture of the
convict Thomas HirOtis, who escaped from Portsmouth in
a suit of clothes he had manufactured out of his rough
sheets, has been effected under circumstances of great
interest. On the night of;his escape from Portsmouth he
committed a burglary in that neighbourhood, carrying
off eatables and 6/ in money. He took the rail to Oxtrord-
'shire, and on Sunday last he rummaged the workshops of
two carpenters, at Great Barford, and stole a saw ; with
that be cut out the window frame, secured with iron bars,
*of Mr. Woolgrove, a grocer, and carried off clothes and
money. His next exploit was on the stable of his old
friend, Mr. Timms, of Little Barford, but failing 'in his
search, he broke open Mr. Austen's, where he found a
horse, halter, and sack, with which he, rode away to
Rathby, where he turned the horse adrift. The'
a r local
police traced him to Wellesbourne, and the services
of
. the Warwickshire police were enlisted, but without
eing
suc-
cess. On Monday night a number of peoplewertehe keeping
were
astonished " Saint Monday " at the New Inn, Hatton,
whenl ass in the astonished at the breaking of some pane
win-
dow of the room by a man's leg. 1 sfg
hastenede outside, and
gave chase to the offender, but he was too swift for them ;
and it appears that Hirer) had nsacked the bedroom,
and in descending outside the window his foot had struck
against the glass. About
a quarter of a mile, from the
New Inn, he, the same night, committed a burglary at
policet,suipect ing Where he regaled himself. heartily.
The
Mr. Sinififq, a farmnet,
he. woold,,take rest after such -a
repast,
-
raised the " hue and cry,.
.and several impromptu
detectives were got together, and commenced a vigorous
search, which resulted in the surprising. Hiron, about two
o'clock on Tuesday, in a barn, in the Old Park, Warwick.
He gave " leg bail," and outstripped his pursuers ; but a
horse bAng procured he was, after a chase of three miles,
run down,-and secured, and consigned to Warwi'.k lock-
up. ' Nearly all the stolen property was found upon him,
and he declares that no prison can hold him, glorying in
his many attempts to escape from them hitherto.