Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-11-18 00:00:00

THE CAREER OF ON ADVENTURER.

At the Insolvent Debtors' Court, on Monday, before
Mr. Commissioner Phillips, the case of Woolf Levy, alias
Montefiore, was brought forward. The insolvent, who
figured at the Mansion-house on several occasions when
charged with alleged forgeries on the Cape of Good Hope
Bank, when he passed as "Montefiore,' appeared from
the Queen's Prison, on his application to be discharged
under the act. Mr. Dowse, with whom was Mr. Macrae,
appeared to oppose for Messrs. Wilson and Ritchie, mer-
chants at Colombo. also for Mr. Benson, tobacconist, of
Oxfurd-street, and for the Cap 3of Good Hope Bank. Mr
Sargeod supported the application for discharge. The
schedule filed by the insolvent showed that he had
been known as " Montefiore," " Langfeldt," and " Lyon."
He had resided, although only 30 years of age, in many
parts of the world. He owed £6 206 4s. 2d., and had
£156 owing to him. He had twenty-six creditors, and
seven debtors. The insolvency was attributed to the bill
of exchange held by Messrs. Wilson and Ritchie having
been dishonoured, and the proceelings taken against him
at the Cape of Good Hope. He alleged that he had sus-
tained a loss on the bill of 4'2 600. The career of the
insolvent, as disclosed by his own examination, presented
some remereable features. He said his real name
was " Woolf Levy," which he had from his birth,
in 1827, until ha parted with it in 1853, in which year
he left England. His present debts commenced from
February, 1854. He was born and educated in the coun-
try. In 1816 he first left England, and remained in
Australia two years, where he was in business in his own
name of Woolf Levy. He was at Sydney, and went to
Calcutta with about thirty horses as a speculation. He
left Calcutta at the end of 1849, and was there as Woolf
Levy. He then came to England, which he reached in
1850, and after a sojourn of four months, he went to the
United States of America. He went to New York, whore
he resided a few months, and travelled through the
entire Union. He had a partner. They dealt in various
things which they' bought at New York, and sold in
the western parts. They dealt in " Yankee curiosities "
which included " wooden nutmegs." The partnership
lasted a couple of years. He had stayed at Saint Louis.
At that time, which was in 1853, he turned his attention
to railways. He ha 1 some money which he had gained by
speculation to about £l.OOO. He then used the name of
" M.ontefio e," which was suggested to him by a gentle-
man of the same name, as he intended to go to California.
He went to California as Montefiore," and speculated in
mining shares. He went to Panama. where ho thought of
forming a company, but did not. Whilst there he con-
tracted a debt with Messrs. Cova, which now appeared in
the schedule. He went from hat place to San Francisco
where he stayed some months, speculating in land and
mining shares. He drew a bill on Sir Moses Montefiore for
the accommodation of a person named Baphael. He left
San Francisco in July or August, 1854, when he went to
Manilla, on his way to Calcutta, having made about £3,290
from speculation, which money he had in a draft at San
Francisco; Mr. Commissioner Phillips referred to the
balance-sheet to show the style in which the insolvent had
been living. He had been to all parts of the world, and in
two years the travelling expenses were alone £1,600. Mr.
Sargeod was not surprised, remembering what had been
said of travelline in California. The ins Ivent went on to
say he had £2 700 which he turned into a draft for
£2,600, which he obtained of a banker named King, which
draft purported to be drawn by Burgoyne & Co., on B wring
Brothers, of London. From Manilla he went to Hong Kmg
in the name of Montefiore, where he contracted a debt to
pay his expenses at Manilla, which were large. He
afterwards went to Ceylon, staying at Point de Galls,
Colombo. The steamer broke down. He had some jewels
at the time. He came to England at the commencement of
1855, with £7OO or £BOO, having had about £2,00) at
Colombo. Before he reached England he went to Egypt
and Italy, and also to Cairo and Alexandria. He was at
Florence with about £1,200, and whilst there made the

acquaintance of a Mr Brown, who wanted him to have
£l,OOO of him, and after being pressed ha took £5OO. (A
laugh) The money was spent in travelling about. Wnen
ho came to England in 1855, he went to Newcastle, to look
after a vessel, and there he assumed the name of Langf.ll,,
which was the name of an hotel acquaintance, and he
adopted it because he did not want to be arrested. He
went to Bristol and bought a schooner, named Treasurer,
for .600, which he had repaired, and the parties held the
same. He obtained another vessel, the Chesterfield, of
Mr. Hewitt, which he sold. He was at Bristol about
three months, and contracted some debts. He then
came to London, and -put up at the Clarendon Hotel,
in Bond-street, He had a carriage and pair of horses,
with a " tiger." H had obtained cigars of Mr. Benson,
tobacconist, of Oxford-street, to £52, and stationery from
Mr. Rruleiques, of Piccylilly, to £35, for which he now

owed. He admitted that the coat of arms on the paper and
envelopes produced had been performed by that creditor.
and no little amusement was affor.led by dr. Commissioner
Phillips trying to decipher the motto and the crest, which
latter consisted of two lions and a horse. The
motto was " Auro est non omnes," which the learned
Commissioner said, meant " Every one is not in cash,"
an observation which caused a peal of laughter. He went
to Edinburgh, and afterwards sailed to the Cape of Good
Hope. The bank there had cashed his cheques to £798.
They had him in custody from October. 1855, to October,
1856, when he was discharged by the advice of the
Attorney-General, and he came to England, where he
arrived in January. 1857, and had since then been in prison.
A point arose as to the authority of Messrs. Wilson and
Ritchie to oppose, but it was established, and in the
course of the case there was a discussion as to the banks
opposing, but the opposition went on. Mr. Beason, to-
bacconist, of Oxford-street, described the manner in which
the insolvent got into his debt. lie appeared in equipage
like a prince, and threw down a 45 note, and could not
wait for the change. He afterwards gave crders to the
amount of £52. for which he now owes. Mr. Dowse
asked for an adjournment to communicate with Colombo.
The petition was filed in May. and the schedule in Oct ,
so that there had not been sufficient fime. Mr. Conetnie-
siouer Pnillips held that the parties knew he went to
prison in January, and might have communicated
with Colombo. Mr. Dowse objected that there was no
evidence as to £650 of jewels and precious stones in the
possession of Mr. Devtoreux, of Cowes. The insolvent wag
questioned oa the subject. He said he pee uo that pro-
perty for Isis creditors. Mr. Commissioner Pnillips said
the same evidence as in an ordinary case must ba given.
Mr. Sargood alleged that the insolvent had not a shillieig,
and could not bring Mr. Devereux from the country.
Mr. Dowse objected to the balance sheet. Mr. Commis-
sioner Phillips said they certainly did contain extraordinary
items. Ho said the insolvent had been a long time in
prison. The case, after some farther discussion, ended
by being adjourned to Saturday, the opposing parties pro- I
mising to procure the attendance of Mr. Devereux.

Exclus:rely for CLOTHING BOYS from Six to Twenty Years
LEWIS & COIIPANY. ttanelagn-sutly

The total number of failures officially reported since the
let (1 August is about 9;0 in New York alone. It is
estimated that the total lishi;ities of these suspensions will
a'uoant to full 90,000,000 dots, It will be seen by this
that there is plenty of food for a general bankrupt la:v.
During the whole of the revulsion ia 1837,the number of
failures reported in this city was about 500 ; but the
returns under the bankrupt 1 tr 7 iu 1841, showed that 5,000
took the benefit of that A.en snoring liabilities amounting
to about the sum of 50,000,000 dole.
ROBBERY AND ATTEMPTED MURDER ON WRSTMINSIE7t-
BBIDOR. —On Sunday morning no little sensation was
created in the neighhourhoi i of Lambeth and Westminster
in consequence of a repot that a foreign gentleman had
been waylaid on Westminster-bridge, twice stabbed in
the lower part of his s'ornach, and afterwards robbed of
between £lB and £l9, and that he was lying is the West-
minster Thspital without hopes of recove-v. Upon the
reporter making inuiries, it was ascertained that between
the hours of fear and five o'clock in the morning,
P.diee-sergeant Budd, of the L division, while on duty in
the Belvidere-ro td, Lambeth, noticed a Frenchman
staggering along the road with his hands pressed upon his
stomach, and apparently in the act of falling. The officer.
thinking that he was inebriated, ran to his assistance, when
the man pointed to his stomach, and the sergeant saw that
his clothes were punctured in two places, and that blood
was cipion3l3, flawing from each hole. lie at once took the
w( ulded man to a sargeoa's, and afterwards to the Wes -
us nser Hosaital, whets it was found that he hid two stabs
over half an inch in depth cn the lower part of his
stnna-]ch. and upon ingairiea being made as to how they
were inflicted he sta Cl shit as h 3 was passing along
Trafalgar-square he was accosted by a man to whom he
paid no attention, but that the same persirn conieued to
folow him until ha got to the foot of the bridg', when the
fellow gave him two violeet blows on the stomach which
to k hes brealth away, and then robbed him of between £lB
and £l9. At first he was not aware that he had been
stabbed, but noon walking away felt exhausted, arid titers
noticed the blood flowing from the punctured wer;sl4s.
Everythinghas been don for the man, and the hemorrhage
has been stopped by the medical officers of the hospital,
and there seems tvery chance of his recovery. Mr.
Superintendent Walker and Sergeant Saunders of the
detective force have been actively engaged in inquiring
into the c -s•, and from the fact of a knife being found in
the man's pocket, the point fitting the hales in the dress,
and Isis prevaricating is his statements as to the manner
in which he Was stabbed, these officers are of opinion that
ha stabbed himself with the knife found in hi. 3 possession.

At LEWIS & COMPANY'S, kanelagli•street.
BOYS are CLOTHED from the Ages Of Biz .to Twenty Years.