The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-27 00:00:00

The Charge of Swindling by a Pretended

Heiress.

Yesterday the young woman giving the name of Mary
ilorsfall, and representing herself as the niece of Mr Hors •
fall. M.P., was brought up on remand at the Greenwich
Police-court, before Mr Maude, charged with fraud and
robbery.
The court was most densely crowded during the hearing
of the case, but although represented by a solicitor on the
first examination, there was no legal adviser in attendance
on prisoner's behalf yesterday. Mr T. Wavell, with Mr R. F.
Dempster, attended to watch the case on behalf of the Uni-
versal Mercantile Association for the protection of traders
from fraud ; and Messrs, Dod and Longstaffe, solicitors to
the London Association for the Protection of Trade, were
also present.
The prisoner, on being placed in the dock, was accommo-
dated with a seat, and remained with her faco covered and
sobbing during the examination, and appeared to be very
reluctant that anyone should see her when she was re-
quested by the magistrate to stand up and show herself for
the purpose of identification.
Mr Alfred Randall, jeweller, of London-street, Green-
wich, said—About three or four days before the 27th of
August the prisoner came to my shop with Miss Harvey,
who is a customer, to have her initials engraved on a silver
spoon and two forks. On the 27th of August the prisoner
came alone and ordered a gold watch, value £l5. I was not
then at home, but my wife saw her. The watch was not
delivered to the prisoner, and when I came home I went to
Miss Harvey's to ascertain if I should be justified in allow-
ing the prisoner to have it. I saw Miss Harvey, who took
me into the library, and the result being satisfactory, I sent
the watch, On the following day the prisoner came to my
shop and chose a gold guard, value £6, and said if I would
send a bill for the two—meaning the watch and gold chain—

she would send me a cheque for the amount on the morrow.

I let her have the guard, and in a week afterwards, as I did
not receive the cheque, I sent a note for it, About half an
hour afterwards the prisoner called with Miss Harvey's
housekeeper, who said in prisoner's hearing that they deeply
regretted Miss Horsfall was placed in the position she was,
but as her solicitor was out of town she could not obtain a
remittance to pay me yet awhile. On the 17th September
the prisoner came to my shop again, alone, and selected a
watch and chain, and in consequence of what she then told
me I sent the articles to Miss Harvey's, with a note not
directed, with instructions to my apprentice, who took the
things, to wait for an answer, as the prisoner had told me
Miss Harvey had given her permission to have the same
placed to her account.
By Mr Maude—lf the prisoner had asked for the second
watch and chain to be credited to her in her own name, I
should not have done so, because I thought it was all wrong,
as she had not paid me for the gold watch and chain as she
had promised. The reason I toek the precaution of sending
the second watch and guard with a note to Miss Harvey was
that it would bring to her knowledge that the articles were
obtained in her name.

Mrs Louisa Randall, wife of last witness, confirmed her
husband's evidence, and added that on the prisoner calling
and choosing the first guard she also selected a ring, which
was sent to her.

Mrs Harriet Blanchard said—My husband is a linendraper
carrying on business in Church-street, Greenwich. In the
month of September last the prisoner purchased a silk dress
at the shop, for which she paid, and which she is now wear-
ing. On Sept. 15 the prisoner again called and selected a
silk dress, to be sent to Miss Harvey, for that lady's inspec-
tion, and afterwards came again and said Miss Harvey had
authorised her to order 32 yards of black silk, at 4s 3d pc:
yard,:as she required it for some of her pupils. Tho silk
was obtained from a house in the City, and sent to Miss
Harvey's on the following day. On the 2tth Sept. the
prisoner again came to the shop, and said—" You showed
mo a small silk check dress the other day I wish to see, as I
and Miss Harvey have agreed to let one of the young lady
pupils have it, as she has been disappointed in not receiving
a dress from the country." I showed her the check silk
dress new produced, and she agreed to purchase it. I
wished to send the dress to Miss Harvey's, butthe prisoner
said she would take it herself, and did so, as the young lady
wished to leave by the 11 o'clock train. The remnants of
silk produced are part of the 32 yards ordered by prisoner
for and sent to Miss Harvey's.

Wm. Herring, ehoprnan to Mr Lawley, pawnbroker, said
—I know the prisoner perfectly well as a customer, and
have had repeated transactions with her. On Sept. 19 the
prisoner brought a remnant of black silk, which she pledged
for 30s, in the name of Ann Walker. On 24th Sept. she
also pledged another remnant of silk and a lace fall. The
dress piece she represented as belonging to her sister. On
this latter day she also pledged a Lair bracelet IN ith dia•
mond.

Mr J. Phillips, pawnbroker, Blackheath-hill, produced a
remnant of silk pawned by the prisoner, and which was
identified as having been obtained from Mr Blanchard's.
Miss Mary Leith_llarvey said—l keep a ladies' boarding-
school at Ashburnham house, the Grove, Blackheath. In
tho first or second week in August the prisoner was brought
to my house by persons giving the names of Mr and Mrs
Wilkins, who said they had made a mistake in bringing her
there for another Miss II awry, who formerly kept a school
in the neighbourhood. I had had no previous acquaintance
them, but frem their appearance and manners I had
no reason to doubt of their being persons of respectable r 0 •
sitioa in society. Mrs Wilkins appeared to bo a lady in
manners and speech, and they wished, and the prisoner too,
that no time should be lost in the latter being received
into ray establishment. On the following day the prisoner
came with a letter, written by Mrs Wilkins, and dated
from 25 iA, Oxford-street, London. I hays nut that letter
now here, but it was written in a ladylike manner, and by a
person of education. The prisoner then entered the estub •
lishment, but her want of education was such that I was
ashamed to allow her to remain with my other pupils, and
she became a parlour boarder. I remember going with the
prisoner, as stated, to Mr Itandall's shop to have her ini-
tials engraved on two forks and a spoon. Some few days
afterwards Mr Randall called upon me in reference to a gold
watch, and I told him I believed all was correct, the prisoner
having previously told me she had a cheque for £lO in her
pocket, in addition to which I understood she was a young
lady of property. The prisoner tuld me her own watch was
at Whistler's, in the Strand, being repaired. I know nothng,
of any property subsequently obtained by the prisoner from
Mr Randall and Mr Blanchard, and certainly never autho-
rised her to obtain anything in my name. Being a parlour
boarder, she had facilities for going out which no pupil
would be allowed to have. I had no authority from the
prisoner's friends to pay for anything she purchased, as I
understood she was of age. She had told me she possessed
£I0t) a year, and expected £BOO. If the goods named were
sent to my;house they must have been intercepted by some
one, and according to the dates thb articles were obtained
the prisoner had the opportunity of intercepting them, as
she was staying in the dining-room.
Mr Carttar, solicitor, ::aid he was instructed by Mr 'Wil-
kins to offer an explanation as to the way in whieo he and
Mrs Wilkins had been induced to accompany the prisoner
to Miss Harvey's.
Mr Maude said that at present Mr Wilkins could have no
locus stand in that court, but perhaps it would be well that
some such explanation should be given.

Mr Carttar said the name of Mr and Mrs Wilkins had
appeared in the public papers, and upon seeing which Mr
Wilkins had written to the several editors, who he (Mr
Carttar) thought, under the circumstances, had very pro-
perly declined to publish the letters so sent, but leaving Mr
Wilkins to come to that court and to give any explanation
thatimight be asked from him upon oath, Mr Wilkins was
a most respectable tradesman carrying on business at 254 A,
Oxford•street, and he had to complain of being a victim of
the prisoner, she having, by false representation, obtained
from him an agreement to let her a house for 12 months,
and which he had upon lease from the Marquis of West-
minster.

Mr Maude said it would not, perhaps, be necessary for
Mr Wilkins to explain particularly in what manner he had
been imposed upon by the prisoner, but Mr Carttar could,
if he chose, put any question to Miss Harvey with a viow
to establishing his (Mr Wilkins's) respectability.
Miss Harvey, in answer to Mr Carttar, said she had since
made inquiries, and believed Mr and Mrs Wilkins to be
respectable people, and that they acted bona fide, but had
been equally deceived as herself by the prisoner.
[The mistake in supposing that no persons of such name
were to be found at the address given arose from there being
three similar numbers in tho same street, and at only one of
which inquiry was made.]
Examination continued—The prisoner had represented
herself as niece to Mr liorefall, M.P., and Colonel Horsfall.
On the 24th September, there being a week's vacation at
Michaelmas, I accompanied the prisoner to Bath, where
she said her uncle, Colonel Horsfall, was staying. We stayed
at a private hotel that evening, and the Sunday and Mon-
day following. While at some of my own friends with the
prisoner, my brother brought me down several tradesmen's
bills for goods obtained by the prisoner, including the silk
and dresses and the second watch and guard. I asked her
respecting these things and she denied having had the silk
and dresses, and also denied that she had obtained the watch
and guard in my name. My brother al, o told mo some
jewellery had been missed from my house, and I left Bath
and returned home, leaving the prisoner, who promised to
return to Blackheath at the end of the week, at Bath.

Mr C. W. Barber, grocer, of Greenwich, said—Ou the
IGth September the prisoner came and ordered a dozen of
wine, half sherry and half port,to bo sent to Miss nerve:rm.
The wino was sent, with an invoice, and the next day Iho
prison° again called, said the wino was very much approved
if, and ordered some grapes and biscuits which she took with
her. On the 21st September she called and ordered five
dozen of jam, to be sent to Miss Harvey's, for Miss Hors-
fall. Tbeso goods were sent, but I have since had the
greater part returned to me.
Three tradesmen at Blackheath her© stepped forward.
From one the prisoner had obtained a riding habit, pledged
at Bath; from a second she had been measured for and
obtained a riding hat, and with the third she had incurred a
rather heavy debt for horse hiring, and had instructed him
to select and purchase a horse for her.

Miss CarolinoOtley, housekeeper at Miss Harvey's, said—
On Saturday, the 24th September, after Miss Harvey had
left with the prisoner for Bath, I missed two diamond brace-
lets, a Maltese gold chain, and a half-hoop gold ring from a
casket in the room in which the prisoner slept. I knew the