The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-19 00:00:00

ALLEGED FORGERY AND CONSPIRACY

TO DEFRAUD.

Ferdinand Arthur Newman alias Niemaun, a re-
spectable looking, middle-aged bald-headed man, of
sallow complexion, and wearing Dnndreary
whiskers, described as a merchant, of 48, Coleshill-
street, Pimlico, was placed at the bar of Guildhall,
yesterday, before Alderman Besley, charged with
the following alleged conspiracy to defraud, and
with feloniously uttering a forged bill of exchange
for £l2O.
Mr. Beard conducted the defence.

Mr. Albert Turnet;ior, the prosecution, said he

appeared on behalf of Mr. Walion, a manufacturer,
of Bradford, in Yorkshire, who had had very large
transactions with the prisoner and a person of the
name of Richard Pearson, not yet in custody,
amounting in the whole to £1,329. The transac-
tions commenced in June last, and extended up to
the latter part of August, during which period the
only cash his unfortunate client had received from
them was an amount of £250. He then detailed

the case as it afterwards appeared in evidence.
Jeremiah Walton said—l am a manufacturer,
carrying on business at Bradford, in Yorkshire.
Between the 3d of June last and the 29th of the fol-
lowing August I sold goods to Richard Pearson, of
Noble-street, to the amount of £1,329 17s. Bd., and
I have received from him £252105. on account of
those sales. The terms were for cash at a month or
five weeks. About the middle of July I found that
. .

Pearson was not a position to make good his
promised payments. At that time his account
showed a balance due to me of upwards of £4OO,
and it was then he introduced Newman to me.

We met at the Bowling Green Hotel, at Brad
ford, and Pearson represented Newman to me
as a gentleman of great means. He had pre-
viously told me that Newman owed him £5OO, and
asked Newman if that was not the fact. Newman
replied that it was, and added that he would let
him have it in a week or two. -Newman then told
me that he was a shipper, and had a very large
quantity of money coming from abroad, and that I
need not be afraid of trusting Pearson then, as he
(Newman) would see me all right. In consequence
of those representations I let Pearson have other
goods to the value of £9OO. Newman came twice
with Pearson to my place to sort the goods out.
Mr. Martin (chief clerk)—When was that ?
Witness—That was after the conversation I have
repeated took place. When I found a difficulty in
getting cash Newman told Pearson to draw me out
a cheque for £lOO.
Mr. Martin—About what time was that?
Witness—About the latter end of August or the
early' part of September. I pressed them for money
and got the cheque which Pearson drew out and
dated forward a week. I paid the cheque away, bat
I know it was presented and dishonoured. It was
drawn on a London bank. I think the London and
Westminster Bank.
Mr. Beard objected to any evidence in reference
to the cheque without its being produced.
Witness—The cheque is destroyed. I destroyed
it in the prisoner's presence after I got the bills of
exchange from Pearson while at Leeds.
Mr. Martin—Was this bill for £l2O among
those bills ?
Witness—Yes, sir.
Mr. Martin—Had the prisoner anything to do
with giving you the bills ?
Witness—No, sir; but I had an interview with
the prisoner and Pearson about three weeks ago, in
reference to these bills. I first saw Pearson and a
person of the name of Murgatroyd, and as soon
as I went into the hotel where I met them I began
about wanting money. Newman was at Bradford
at the time, but I did not see him just then. I spoke
to Pearson about the bill of exchange, and called
his attention to the three which did not bear
Newman's endorsement. He said they ought all to
have been endorsed by Ne wman, as he had them from
him, and that be was down yonder in the town and
would sign them. He also said they were at Brad-
ford on that occasion for the purpose of getting some
bills discounted to the amount of £625. I after-
wards on the same day had an interview with Pear-
son and Newman at the Junction Hotel, at Brad-
ford. I put the three bills on the table, and told
Newman that Pearson had said he got the bills of
him, and he had a right to endorse them. Pearson
then made a remark to the same effect, but Newman
did not reply to either of us. I left the bills on the
table, and after a lapse of 40 minutes I went out for
pen and ink, and when I came back I heard Pear-
son and Newman talking together. Pearson said
"It is your duty to sign them, I got them of you,"
and Newman replied that he believed I was con-
cerned in preventing him getting some other bills
discounted, and he would not therefore endorse the
three bills in question. I have not seen Newman
since, until he was taken into custody. Whenever
Pearson spoke of Newman, which he frequently did,
he represented him as a man of great wealth.
Cross-examined—l have only known Pearson
about 12 months. The first transaction I had with
him was on the 3d of June, and I had only seen him
once before in Bradford.
Mr. Auguste Lorck said—l am a foreign agent,
carrying on business at 2, Dunster-court, Mincing-
lane. I know nothing of the bill produced for £l2O
drawn in my name, and accepted by Richard Pear-
son. The signature is not in my handwriting,
neither has it been written by my authority. It is
not even like my writing. Ido not know either the
prisoner or Pearson. There is no person of my
name at the address on the bill but myself.
John Anthony Johnson said—l am a woollen
agent. I was engaged by the prisoner on the 7th
of August last to buy goods for him in Pearson's
name. lie gave me £5 to pay my expenses down
to Leeds and Bradford.
Mr. Alderman Besley—Did you succeed in buying
any goods in Pearson's name ?
Witness—Yes, sir, and so did Pearson, for he was
with me at the time.
Did you buy any large quantity ? Yes, sir, to the
amount of about £l,OOO or £1,500.
.Did you pay for any of them ?—No, sir.
Do you mean to say that you went down and
bought goods amounting to £l,OOO or £1,500 with-
out paying any money for them, and without any
introduction?—Yes, sir, because I have been well
known in the market for many years. Newman told
me he wanted 10,000 blankets for Garibaldi's army,
and that was the reason I was sent down to buy
goods.
--t-tbiouletfstommye
mlaosnteempy. Ilhoyave
dispute
l
ersb ne
n in
trouble before. I was charged
ac-
countCr°3 ax am
to an order without authority. It writing a name
was not a charge
of forgery. The grand jury threw out the bill of
indictment, and I was acquitted.
Charles Murgatroyd
Bradford. I know t' said—l am an agent, at
otreet, I 4180 Richard Pearson, of 6, Noble-
,.
OW the prisoner at the bar. The