The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-01 00:00:00

SINGULAR CHARGE OF FORGERY.

A well-dressed, middle-aged, dissipated-looking
man, named John Bilton, was yesterday brought
before the Lord Mayor, at the Mansion-house, in
custody of Stammers, a detective officer, charged
with felony, under the 21st and 22d Vict., cap. 79,
sec. 3, in having unlawfully forged and altered the
crossing of two cheques for £lOO and £5O , by obli-
tering the crossings and altering the date with in-
tent to defraud.
appeared for the prosecu-
tionn., attended upon behalf of
theM ;r. .
an d Sleigh,
mgr barrister,
Lewis,
u
Mr. Sleigh, in opening the case, said it was one
of a 'very painful character. The prosecutor was a
Solicitor, carrying on business in Fen-court, Fen-
chunh=street, and the priSoner, who was employed
in his office as A clerk, stood in the relation of
brother-in7law to him, and it was needless for him
to state that condiderable confidence was placed in
him. Mr: Sleigi then proceeded to state the facts
of the case, and called. ••
Mr: Fred. It. Thonliariiho said--I am a solicitor,
and carry on business in Fen-court, Fenchurch-
street, under the firm of Robt. Thomas and Son. In
1860 the prisoner assisted me in my office as clerk.
I kept an account at Messrs. Spooner and Atwood's,
bankers. On the 29th of October, 1860, I went
to Brighton. Shortly before I left London I
placed in the hands of a gentleman named
Clements Smith a ;cheque for
£lOO, drawn in his
favour, which I produce. Previously to leaving I
also drew two other cheques for £5O, also in Mr.
Sniith's favour, one of which I now produce. All
three of the cheques were crossed for payment
through a banker. I left the two cheques for £5O
at my private house. I had previously seen the
prisoner, and told him to go to Mr. Cornelius
Smith and receive £lOO which he owed me, and
pay it into the bankers, then to take the two
cheques to Mr. Clements Smith, and take up my
cheque for £lOO, which I lodged with him. On
the same day I received a telegram which induced
me to return to London on the same evening. I
ut
made every inquiry about the defendant, and tried
all I coald to find him, b I have never• seen him
since until last night, when he was taken into cus-
tody. The cheque for £lOO, which I produce, in-
stead of having been destroyed, has been returned
to me through my bankers, as paid. The crossing
has been erased, and the words, " Pay cash, R. T.
and Son," written at the top of it. I believe the
writing to be in the handwriting of the prisoner.
The cheque for £5O, which I produce, has likewise
been returned to me through my bankers, as paid.
The crossing upon this has also been erased, and
the words, " Cash, R. T. and Son," and the date
has also been altered from the sth Nov. to the 25th
Oct. The cheque was post-dated. I believe the
alterations in this cheque to be also in the prisoner's
handwriting.
Mr. Lewis said he should forbear to cross-examine
the witness on this occasion, as there were a great
many facts which must come out in the end, and
he would candidly admit .that he was as yet but
imperfectly instructed in the matter, and he would
therefore prefer, as the ease must be remanded, that
it should be remanded at the commencement than
at the middle. The only thing he would trouble
his lordship about was the question of bail.
Mr. Sleigh said he left that question in bis lord-
ship's hands. He should make no objection, and Mr.
Thomas was quite willing that the defendant should
be admitted to bail.
The Lord Mayor said as Mr. Thomas had no ob-
jection to the prisoner being held to bail he should
accede to the request of Mr. Lewis.
The prisoner was then remanded, being admitted
to bail, himself in £lOO, and two sureties in £5O
each.

OBTAINING OVER £3,000 WORM OF
GOODS UNDER FALSE PRETENCES.

A fashionably-dressed man, who gave the name
of Carl Frederick Trongatt Maximilian Reuter, aged
41, but who is better known as Carl Reuter, resid-
ing at 164, Richmond-terrace, Queen's road, Dalston,
who described himself as a merchant and a native
of Saxony, Germany, was charged beforo Mr
D'Ey ncourt, at the Clerken well Police-court, yester-
day, with obtaining by means of false and fraudu-
lent representations 41 gold chains, 19 brooches, 15
bracelets, and other articles of the value of £2OO,
with intent to cheat and defraud Mr. Wm. Storrar,
wholesale gold chain manufacturer, 98, Goswell-
road, Clerken well.
The police who have charge of the case state that
on the next occasion charges of obtaining goods to
the extent of between £3,000 or £4,000 would be
brought against the prisoner.
A gentleman from the office of Stubbs' Trade Pro-
tection Society attended to watch the case. Mr.

Beard was for the prosecution.
Mr. Storrar said the prisoner went to him about
two years since, and represented himself as a com•
mercial traveller for a house in Birmingham, and
also for some manufacturing and wholesale houses
at Hamburg. He said he had been recommended
to him as a good gold chainmaker, and requested to
look at some of his (the prosecutor's) work. He
was shown some of the work, and he said that
would do very well, and proceeded to make a selec-
tion of goods to the extent of about £57, and said he
would pay for them in 14 days or less.
Mr. D'Eyncourt—How is it that you have not
taken proceedings against the prisoner before this P
Witness—The prisoner has been out of the way
—in fact he has been abroad.
Mr. D'Eyncourt—Did you let the prisoner have
the goods without making any inquiries about him ?
Witness—No; I spoke to Mr. Oliver about him,
and he said he thought the prisoner was all right.
Mr. D'Eyncourt—And upon that representation
you let the prisoner have the goods ?
Witness—Partly. Before he paid me for the
first lot of goods, he said his employers were so
satisfied with the goods and the workmanship that
he was to select some more. He showed me bills
for goods he had purchased to the extent of several
hundreds of pounds, and which purported to be
paid, He then selected goods to the value of about
£240. He next came on a Saturday night, late,
and had some goods on approval, and, Nv hen asked
to come the next day, he mid he could not, but if
the articles were not approved of he should return
them on the Monday. He said he was a traveller
for Mr. Wallis, of Birmingham, a person with whom
I was well acquainted. I have since ascertained
that the Thole of the prisoner's story was false.
The prisoner, although he was to have paid for the
goods in 14 days, did not come near me after he
I obtained the last lot of goods, but absconded.
Mr. D'Eyncourt—Ars there other charges against
the prisoner of a similar description ?
Police-sergant Evans, 22 G, answered in the affir-
mative, and asked for a remand, stating that the
prisoner had defrauded the watch and chain manu-
facturers of Clerkenwell of over £2,000.
Mr. Robert Oliver, diamond setter and mounter,
5, Wilmington-street, Clerkenwell, said the pri-
soner had obtained goods from him to the amount
of over £lOO under false pretences. He (witness)
had before been defrauded to a large extent by a
foreigner, and the prisoner first introduced himself
to him (Mr. Oliver) under the pretence that he was
a traveller, and could get him his goods back.
After that he did some business with him and paid
him, and then defrauded him of the above amount
of property. Ile did not send the prisoner to Mr.
Storrar with his card. The prisoner saw one lying
on the workbench, took it up, and went with it
himself. When Mr. Storrar came for the reference,
he did not see him (Mr. Oliver), but his wife, or he
should have put him on his guard.
Police-sergeant Evans, 22 G, said, in company
43 N, he went to the
No of apprehending
n gaining admission.
hpwirimitsho,napenordl,ischeha-
osaeu rgs ger ee afaont
for the
difficulty
rypi,
The prisoner made his escape from the house and
was not captured until after a smart chase over
several walls. When he was told the charge, he
said he hoped they would not lock him up, as he
International
£4OO, a t
the
rate E x hoi
had no less than four situations at the forthcoming
) and he would give them
week. He searched the
the prisoner, and found on him between 60 and 70
duplicates relating to gold watches and chains, as
well as deposit notes for three months for the same
description of articles.
The prisoner said he had really sent the goods
abroad, so that there could be no fraudulent repre-
sentations.
Mr. Storrar said the foreign firm that the prig,-
fbixti4on per