Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-11-17 00:00:00

A MOST EXTRAORDINARY CASE.

At the Birkenhead Police-court yesterday, William
Jackson Wright, a person of very respectable appearance,
was brought up on a charge of embezzling moneys of his
employer, Mr. Thomas Purton Chassereau, an Oporto
merchant, residing at No. 13, Finsbury-place South, City,
London. The prisoner was apprehended yesterday
morning by Inspector Thompson, at the Monk's Ferry
Hotel, in Birkenhead, where he was staying. Mr. Chas-
sereau having received information of his being there, and
who had come down from London the previous night for
the purpose of giving him into custody. Mr. Chassereau
stated that the prisoner had been his coafilential managing
clerk at Oporto for nearly 20 years, and that he had the
most implicit confideace in him until a few days back,
when he received a letter bearing the Oporto post mark,
to the following effect, a copy of which letter was found on
the prisoner when apprehended :—" My dear sir, as I find
that it is impessible for me to present accounts as they
ought to be; I have resolved upon taking upon myself all
the blame by absenting myself from Oporto, and
going to another part of the globe where I hope to
be more fortunat,, and I hope that the lessen
that I have received may serve me through lice.
Rest assured that in whatever amount I may
be thine' wanting, I have not taken it with me, or spent it
on myself, or others, neither have I squandered one-tenth
part of it. I cannot account how it should be so, bat as
you say the Oeorto firm is owing you upwards of £14,000
I have taken fright, and only hope that when the accounts
are regularly made up I may not find there is some mistake,
and have to repent having taken the step I have. I have
left in Oporto a statement of everything which will be in
any way serviceable in making up accounts, also the bills
in existence, which will be delivered directly any body
arrives at Oporto to take charge, which ought to be
forthwith, as I wrote you per Rattler. I should certainty
like the books to be made up, that I may know for certainty
at some future period the exact amount of the deficit, as you
may rest assured that as I have it I will send to you. It
is no use now making remarks, as it will not mend
matters. Send out somebody or go yourself
forthwith. I have communicated what I write
to my brother William, and should you be able to
reabilitate yourself, and wish for my services I
will return and serve you under any inspection you like,
but I will not again take charge of any estibliehment
unless a for different one from that I have hitherto had
charge of. I sincerely hope that, although I shall be in a
far distant clime, that I may hear that both you and yonr
family are doing well. I pray to God that such may be
the case, and you may not have cause to curse the day you
took me into your employment, as I do the day I "landed
in Oporto.—Your obedt. servant,—W. J. Wilmer."
Upon the receipt of the foregoing, he (Mr. Chassereau)
immediate'? caused the following advertisement to be
inserted in the London Times, and Hue and Cry of the
11th instant—" One hundred pounds reward. Absconded
on the 29th ultimo, charged with embezzling £15,000,
received cn account of his master, Thomas Purton Chasse-
real', merchant, No. 13, Finsbury Place South, City, Wm.
Jackson Wright, 36 years of age, 5 feet 7 inches high,
has light brown hair and whiskers, the latter meeting under
the chin, rather stout, rather round-shouldered, and stoops
when walking; dressed in a b-own cloth jacket, of foreign
make, and brown wide awake hat. He speaks several
languages, and is very gentlemanly in his appearance and
manners. He is supposed to be staying at some Itotel, an 3
that he will endeavour to go abroad. He arrived at
S.suthampton on the 3rd instant, from Oporto, Portugal,
and is likely to be now at some ssaport town. Information
to be given at the Moor-lane PoLce-station, City, London.
B reef, November 9." But it was not until Seturd ty
evening last that he received any tidings of the pri-
soner's whereabouts, when he received a telegraphic
messege,which indeced him to come to Birkenhead. and
having found the prisoner staying at the Menks Ferry
Hotel, he gave bin charge He had, however, since
had an interview with the prisoner, and, from what had
transpired, he did not wish to press the charge. He lead
sent some one to Oporto, and although the prisoner had
between £6O and £7O on him, he did not wish it to be
taken from him. He believed the prisoner had told him
the whole truth. The worthy magistrate, Mr. Bryans,
then said there was an end of the case, and the prisoner
must be discharged. A passport, which was also found
upon the prisoner, for Rio Janeiro, was given up to bins,
with the money, and ha shortly after left the Bride well.