Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-09-14 00:00:00

DETECTION OF A SWINDLER,

At the Bradford Borough Court, on Monday, a man,
who gave the name of Wm. Henry Douglas, who is
about middle size, respectably dressed, with a brown
moustache, hazel eyes, ginger whiskers, and brown hair,
was charged with having committed several impostures
in this country and in Ireland, and particularly at the
barracks, Bradford, last week. On Tuesday, the pri-
soner had gone to the barracks, and represented himself
to be William Henry Douglas, quarter-master of the
60th Rifles, on furlough ; and, as is customary, he was
taken in by the mess caterer, Sergeant Berry, and lived
at mess till Thursday, and drank at the canteen. On
Wednesday, however, he was introduced by Berry to
Mr. Ambrose Scully„ ironmonger, Westgate. He after-
wards returned to Mr. Scully alone, borrowed from
him first 55., and then a half-sovereign, on pretence of
-having, in compliance with a command which he had
then got from Liverpool, to return to his regiment, and
was short of eash. When in the barracks, he was re-
cognised by Sergeant Thorpe as having in Carlow, in
November, 1855, when he gave his name as Henry P.
Hollings, swindled him of two half-crowns, and 3s. 2d.,
besides his support in the barracks, then representing
himself as a non-commissioned officer in the Royal Mid-
dlesex Militia. Quarter-Master Sergeant Sullivan also
saw him in the barracks here, and remembered his
having calling at the barracks at Naas, representing
himself as Quarter-Master Henry P. Walsh, short
of money, and of the South Gloucestershire Militia.
Ile got ss. from Sullivan to take him to Dublin. He
has been heard of in various other places thus living upon
his wits. A paragraph which appeared in some of the
local newspapers concerning him, on Saturday, aroused
the suspicion of Barrack Sergeant Wellington Barton, of
Leeds, who appeared in the court, and identified him as
the man who obtained a sovereign from him at the Leeds
Barracks, on Tuesday. He then gave the name of Henry W.
Douglas; said he had been to Huntley, in Scotland, to see
an old aunt, and from whom he had high expectations;
and that, moreover, Lord Melville had promised to obtain
him a barrack sergeantcy, but unfortunately he had lost his
carpet-bag and contexts coming from Scotland, and
could not, for want of money, get to Liverpool, where
he was employed in the paymaster's-office, and kept a
small shop. He also said he knew, and actually named,
several of Barton's friends now in Corfu, and altogether
told so plausible a tale, that Barton lent him a sove-
reign. The prisoner was evidently acquainted with
courts of justice, and cross-examined the witnesses with
the utmost self-possession. The bench resolved not to
adjudicate upon the case, but to send the prisoner to
Leeds, where others may identify him. From letters
found upon him, it is certain that he has long been
carrying on his swindling practices.

INTERNAL FORTIFICATIONS OF FRANCE.—The Post's
Paris correspondent says :--" Fortification of different
French towns is the order of the day. Lille and Bourges
are under the hands of the engineer, and Valenciennes
BOOR also will be. Indications of a more warlike spirit
are afloat."
THE HIGHLAND MOORS AND FORESTS.—From the
moors reports are but meagre, all parties being satisfied
after the first flush of the season to shoot no more than
requisite for friends and supplies for the table. Now
that the stags' heads have thrown off the velvet cover-
ing, deer-stalking has become the favourite sport ; and
as the herds separate into groups, the fattest stags and
largest antlers are more easily singled out A corres-
pondent informs us that a wounded stag was seen lately
in a spot at the head of Strathconnon. The animal
had been shot by some sportsman in one of his hind
legs. A shepherd's wife, while in a field lifting potatoes,
seeing the stag, went in pursuit of him, and, with the
aid of a collie dog, succeeded in securing the prize.—
_Tuve/nem Courier.