The Sun.
London, England, 1830-04-13 00:00:00

IMPUDENT IMPOSTOR.

A fellow bearing the exterior of a gentleman, of
a serious cast, though not a little danckiced, has been
imposing on the natives of Gosport, for the last two
months, and has contracted debts with many of the
tradesmen. He has assumed the character of a
clergyman, and has twice officiated and preached
sermons in Gosport Chapel (those, by the way,
were extracted from Romaine's works). This public
exhibition of himself is the more extraordinary, as it
turns out that five years ago he was an assistant to
Mr. Coles, a linen-draper, opposite the Parade, in
this town, and was therefore likely to be well known.
He was introduced to the incumbent of Gosport
Chapel by the Rev. W. Carus, M.A. of Trinity
College, Cambridge (on whom he had also imposed),
a gentleman well known as an advocate for the con-
version of the Jews ; he professed himself as re-
cently ordained, and about to proceed as a mis-
sionary to Africa; he associated with the Rev. W.
S. Dusautoy, of Portsea, the Rev. Sir Henry
Thompson, of Bembridge, and with several others
of the first respectability ; he assisted to administer
the sacrament, and perform other offices of the
church, and acquitted himself so as to gain the ad-
miration of many persons. He gave his name as
the Rev. Bouverie Wright, stated himself to be the
nephew of Lady Bouverie, and appeared well ac-
quainted with the names and persons of numerous
clergymen, as well as of the nobility, and has an ex-
cellent local knowledge of the United Kingdom.
He has been admitted to the domestic circles
of the cl!rgymen of this town. It now ap-
pears he is a notoriously bad character, and has
been five years " on the town," carrying on the
practice of swindling. He was apprehended on
Saturday last, but was released on his own recog-
nizance; fresh proofs being, however, adduced
against him, he was lodged in Gosport Bridewell
on Sunday last, on a charge of fraudulently obtain-
ing money, and had a hearing this day, at the Town-
hull, before D. Quarrier and W. Grant, Esqrs.,
Captain Purvis, Captain Leeke, and several other
Magistrates. The prisoner's name is Richard Wim-
pole alias Wimpole Williams alias Richard Wim-
pery alias the Rev. Baldwin de Bouverie Wright
alias Richard Harmitage. The Court was crowded
to excess. The following evidence was adduced:—
George Stebbing, mathematical instrument-maker,
Portsmouth, stated that the prisoner had obtained
various stuns of money from him tinder a pretence
that it was for the benefit of Mrs. Stent, wife of
Mr. Stent, master in the navy, at present in Haslar
Hospital, in a very infirm and paralytic state, arid
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ted,tli!antgtt°lllle'
prisoner had obtained 4/. from him for the above
Mrs. Stent, which had never been paid her, and
produced a letter from a Mrs. Powell residing near
London, from whom the prisoner had likewise ob-
tained 101., and who in her letter described the pri-
soner as an arrant impostor. The prisoner had also
obtained 31. from the brother of Mr. Stent, which
was to be applied to the benefit of his family, but

which he had converted to his own purposes.—
Abraham (a keeper at Haslar,who was ont to.bring
down.lllr. Stent) met the prisoner at Mr. Stent's.
honse;'and esme down with him and Mrs. Stent
to -Por!smolith ; that he was in that state he
could not re,!eltect what had passed ; at the time
he left- London he had 3/. with him, but which
was missing when he arrived at Portsmouth; had
been drunk before, but never felt such peculiar effects
as on that journey. Sampson Marshall, Lieutenant
of Haslar Hospital, made a general statement.
Abraham the keeper appeared not drunk, but stupe-
fied. The prisoner wished to be introduced to the
clergyman at Haslar. Two confessions of the pri-
soner were read by the Court, but of such an op-
posite description as to be totally unworthy of cre-
dit. The Rev. R. Bingham, jun. and the Rev. R.
Bingham, sen. severally explained the manner in
which he was introduced to them by the Rev. W.
Carus, of Cambridge : he was met at the table of
the Rev. W. S. Dusautoy, of Portsea, by the Rev.
R. Bingham, jun.; preached two sermons at Gos-
port Church, which were excellent, since proved
to be verbatim from Romaine's. In the examina-
tion, it was proved, that while he lived with Mr.
Cole, he obtained a gold eye-glass from one jew-
eller, contracted a debt with another, and at that
time he also incurred a debt with a tailor. Several
other persons were called on in the course of the
examination, all tending to prove the prisoner an
impostor. He appeared attired in his usual man-
ner, and with spectacles, but was very unceremoni-
ously desired by the Court to remove them. Dur-
ing the first part of the examination he appeared to
shed a few tears, but with that exception his demea-
nour was that of indifference. He is remanded for
further examination on Saturday next.—llanrpshire
Telegraph.