The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-27 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF SWINDLING.

Samuel Fletcher, alias Hilliard, described as of
No. 15, Spencer-street, St. George-in-the-East, aged
40, was brought before Mr. Selfe, at the Thames
Police-court, on Saturday, charged with swindling
various persons of their money and promissory notes.
Mr. J. B. Fenton, of the firm of Fenton and Son,
solicitors, Basinghall-street, said he appeared for
Mr. George Bray, innkeeper, of No. 7, Walker-
street, Hull, whose attention was drawn to a spe-
cious advertisement in the Hull News, a few weeks
since, to the following effect :
. _

"Money to lend, on liberal terms, to suit all classes, by
a capitalist, in sums from £5 to £5,000, on the personal
security of the borrower, repayable by instalments or other-
wise. "Igo law expenses, and advances immediately made.
No expensive or extravag •nt costs. A moderate rate of in-
terest only charged. Forms and prospectuses sent by return
of post on addressing Mr. S. Fletcher, No. 10, Tarling-
street, London, E. Enclose four postage stamps. N.B.—
Cash by way of mortgage to any amount at low interest."
Mr. Fenton proceeded—His client, Mr. Bray,
being in want of a loan, answered the advertise-
ment, and asked for a loan of£so, and enclosed four
postage stamps. In reply to the application Mr.
Bray received the following letters.
Mr. Selfe—And the £5O ?

Mr: Fenton—No, Sir, he has never received a
farthing, but he has parted with his own money,
and so have many others.
Mr. Selfe—The. Yorkshireman has been taken in.
Mr. Fenton—Yes, Sir. The solicitor then read
the letters as follows :
(Private.)

" 10, Tarling-street, London, E., 20th Dec., 1861.
"My dear Sir,—ln reference to your application that
you have made to me for an advance of £5O for twelve
months, I have much pleasure in acquainting you that from
the highly satisfactory reply I have received from your re-
ference, Thomas Sugden, timber-merchant, together with
private information obtained, I am prepared to immediately
make you the above advance, and therefore herewith beg to
hand you promissory note, value £5O, for your acceptance.
On your signing it, and returning it to me, at the same
time enclosing the interest, say, with value of stamp, £3
Os. 6d., which is payable in advance, my established rule
of granting accommodation, all loans being paid over to the
borrower without any deduction for legal or official charges,
as your matter shall have at once by best attention, and
the cash £5O, immediately forwarded to you by banker's
draft or bank notes. To enable me to make my final ar-
rangements for the year, it is necessary I hear from you, if
possible, by return of post, books closing on the 21st inst.
for annual audit ; therefore if you require the advance
granted to you immediately, it is important no delay takes
place, otherwise the matter will have to stand over for the
new year. Waiting your reply, with enclosure necessary
for the completion of your business in the interim,—Believe
me, my dear sir, yours faithfully,
" SAMUEL FLETCHER,
" P.S. You can remit the £3 Os. 6d. by post-office order,
payable at the General Office, London."
Addressed—" Mr. George Bray, Innkeeper, 7, Walker-
street, Hull."
" 10, Tarling-street, London, E., Dec. 14, 1861.
"Dear Sir,—I am in due receipt of yours, enclosing
form of proposal for an advanc,e of £5O, and 2s. 6d. inves-
tigation charges, such for that amount is ss. You must
therefore remit 2s. 64. more, and also state plainly how
long you require the £59 for, and also how you propose to
repay the same (if for six or twelve months), or longer.
Waiting your immediate reply,—Believe me, dear sir,
yours truly, " Pro S. FLETCHER, H. H,"
(Private.)
" 10, Tar ling-street, London, E.
"My dear Sir,—l am in due receipt of yours. enclosing
P. N., &c., &c., and in reply I beg to acquaint you every
attention shall be paid to your business in due course.—
Believe me, my dear sir, yours truly,

"SAMUEL FLETCHER."

Addressed "Mr. George Bray."
(Private.)

" 10, Tatfing-street, London, E.
" Dear Sir,—Mr. Fletcher is at present in Ireland con-
nected with a very heavy law suit, which has occasioned
the delay. I am expecting his daily return, when your
little matter will be immediately concluded.—Believe me,
dear sir, yours truly,
" Pro SAMUEL FLETCHER, 11. H."
(Private )
" 10, Tarling-street, London, E.
" My dear am in due receipt of yours, and beg to
acquaint you Mr. Fletcher will either return to London this
evening or early to-morrow (Tuesday), waen he will imme-
diately arrange your business to your mutual satisfaction.
—Believe me, my dear sir, yours truly,
Pro S. FLETCHER, H. H."

Mr. Fenton read other correspondence to show
that, besides fees and postage stamps, Mr. Bray
parted with £3 Os. 6d. to Samuel Fletcher and Hil-
liard, or whatever their real names were, but he
never received the £5O loan. The house in Tarting-
street, which was found with great difficulty, was a
small one let at £lB per annum, not likely to be the
abode ofa capitalist, or one who intended to advance
" cash by way of mortgage." The prisoner and
his sister rented one room in it for a short time at
a rent of 2s. per week; and, after remaining there
a short time, and cheating a great many persons,
suddenly left, and went to 15, Spencer-street, in
the same locality, but Hillier or Hilliard, or some
other of the gang with which he was connected,
called daily for the letters left at 10, Tarling-street.
Witnesses were called in verification of the above
statement, and it was also stated that while the pri-
soner was living in Tarling-street he received a
great many letters containing Post-office orders,
and always called himself Samuel Fletcher.
Inspector Allison, of the K division, said the gang
endeavoured to fleece an Oxtord tradesman, who re-
quired a loan. Previous to parting with his money
the tradesman consulted him (Mr. Allison), and he
saved the Oxford tradesman from being duped of
£3 ss. and his promissory note for £s ).
Mr. Bray said he parted with his money on the
representation that the " capitalist" in Tarling-
street would lend him £5O.
Mr. Selfe—And you are a Yorkshireman ! As
long as the world lasts, there will be dupes to be
cheated by cunning men.
Mr. Fenton—My client knows nothing whatever
of London. The appearance of the place in Spencer-

street is that of the most abject poverty. The pri-
soner is a man of straw—a pauper.
Other dupes baying given evidence against the
prisoner, he was remanded by Mr. Selfe for a week.

POLICE INTBLLIfiENCE.—Tan. 25.

_~~_-.

MARYLEBONE.—EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE
OF BIGAMY AGAINST THE ALLEGED SIR WILLIAM
BOYD.—William Boyd, known also as Sir William
Boyd, aged 59, of 18, Mecklenburgh-square, phy-
sician, was placed at the bar for the third time, on
remand, charged with feloniously intermarrying
with Elizabeth Carew, on the 27th of Oct., 1860,
his first wife Louisa Elizabeth, being then alive.
Mr. Humphreys, jun., again appeared for the pro-
secution; and Mr. Lewis, jun., defended the pri-
soner.

The evidence in this extraordinary case has
already appeared in full, and the first witness now
called was

Mr. Charles Taylor Ware, who said—Since 1
was here last I have seen Mrs. Boyd (the first wife).
This was on Tuesday last, and I have now a deed
in my possession. I have obtained it by her consent.
I now produce it. The deed is dated the 22d day
of December, 1827. It is a deed of separation be-
tween William Cathcart Boyd and Louisa Eliza-
beth Boyd. It purports to be the execution of the
deed between these parties, and trustees William
Shand and Richard Stockley. The attesting wit-
nesses on the part of Mrs. Boyd are the two trus-
tees, Edward Houghton and Eliza Perkins. The
attesting witnesses on the part of William Cath-
cart Boyd are Charles Bernier and William Rad-
ford ; after the Radford is the word "tailor," but
whether it is meant for the name or business I can-
not tell.

Mr. Humphreys—How is it spelt ? Is it " Tay,"
or "Tai."

Witness—lt is " Tay." I think it meant for the
trade.

Mr. Humphreys—Let me see it.
Witness—l must not let it go out of my hand.
Mr. Humphreys, going round to the witness box,
said I merely want to see the " tailor," and after
looking at it said, it meant the person's trade.
Miss Hannah Vandaleur, the second wife, re-
called, said—On January 12, 1857, I wrote a letter
to Mr. Watson, a solicitor, of No. 1, Lincoln's Inn-
fields. The letter now produced is the one. I en-
closed that letter in the one that I sent to Mr.
Watson. The enclosure was not sealed. It was
left open.
Mr. Barclay Farquharson Watson—l am a soli-
citor, residing at No. 1, Lincoln's Inn-fields. My
chambers are there. I have seen the prisoner. I
have also seen the witness who has just been exa-
mined. I have known her as lady Boyd, and the
prisoner as Sir William Boyd. I have known him
only in that name. About the beginning of
January, 1857, I saw the lady whom I believed to
be Lady Boyd, and had some conversation with
her. She called upon me at my chambers. It was
on or about the 13th of January, 1857, that I re-
ceived the letter from that lady. I received that
letter which she has just identified. I produce it.
Mr. Humphreys—l merely produce this to show
to your worship that the prisoner at the bar is the
same person who styled himself Sir William Boyd.
Witness continued—Enclosed in the letter which
I received there was one for the prisoner. The
enclosure was open. Prisoner called upon me in
the month of February, 1859, about two years after
I received the letter. He came to my office. That
is my present chambers. He said—
Mr. Lewis—l must ask you before you speak
about any conversation having taken place between
you, whether you were at the time acting as his
solicitor ?

Witness—No, I was not. I was not in any way
confidentially employed by him.
Witness continued—l believe, as well as my
memory will serve me, that he asked me if I knew
a publisher, and that he was about to bring out
some work, and wanted me to recommend him to
one. Whether it was a fresh work or a continuation
I cannot remember. I declined to do it. I then
asked him if he had heard from Lady Boyd lately.
He said " No." I then told him that Lady Boyd
had requested me to hand a letter to him the first
time I saw him. I kept the letter in my pocket-
book for two years. I then handed it over to him.
That was the same letter as the one enclosed in the
letter sent to me. He read it in my presence, after
which he said he thought that as he and Lady Boyd
had been living separate so long, it would be more
to the happiness of both if they continued so. If
these were not exactly the words, they were some-
thing to that effect. My answer was, that I very
much regretted it, for I was in hopes that I should
be able to bring them together. I have not seen
him from that time to this.

Cross-examined by Mr. Lewis—Lady Boyd told
me that she had only just returned from Australia.
I had no doubt, because she had written to me, and
left her address with me. I believe I told him that
she had just returned from Australia. I had her
certain address. I think it is very likely that I did
not tell him the address.

Mr. Humphreys—That is as far as I intend to
carry the case to-day.
Mr. Lewis—ls Miss Carew here (the third wife)?
Mr. Humphreys—Not at present.
The prisoner was then remanded till Thursday,
without any intimation of bail.