The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-22 00:00:00

EXTENSIVE SWINDLING.

Two cases of extensive swindling have just been re-
ported
at the chief police-office, Scotland-yard. The
frauds having been concocted and carried out in the
most systematic manner, the swindlers succeeded in ob-
taining money and goods to a considerable amount be-
f ,re suspicion was excited. The first case is that of
" a person of gentlemanly appearance," who figured
as the manager of works about to be commenced at
Buckhorn Weston, Dorset, by the formation of
a tunnel beneath the common in the above parish
to connect a new branch with the main trunk line
of the South Western Railway. In his assumed capa-
city he honoured the Stapleton Arms Inn with his pre-
sence, and so ingratiated himself with the landlord
as to induce him to advance various sums of money.
He also succeeded in obtaining money and goods from
other tradesmen ; and, to lull suspicion, ordered a large
quantity of wheelbarrows, trucks, buckets, and ropes
to be made, and his promises of situations on the rail-
way to the friends and relatives of those persons whom
he favoured with his orders were so tempting that he
drew from them large amounts of cash. At length he
was found missing on the morning that the materiel for
commencing the works were brought home ; and on in-
quiries having been made of the engineer, it was ascer-
tained that the tradesmen had been "gulled." A re-
ward has been offered for his apprehension.
In the other case a man, under an assumed cloak of
sanctity, has contrived to obtain from the religious com-
munities in Clapham, Croydon, Norwood, Brixton, and
other places south of London, a large amount of money,
in sums varying from St. to a paltry sixpence, on the
plea that he is the minister of the chapel at Bwlch,
Montgomeryshire, and that in consequence of a large
debt having been incurred in enlarging and re-
pairing it, he has been deputed by the con-
gregation to travel and collect subscriptions to defray it.
Suspicions of his character and probity having been ex-
cited by his importune mode of soliciting the poorer
classes for donations, inquiries were instituted, and it
was ascertained that he is not at all connected with the
above-mentioned chapel, which is not in debt, not having
had any alterations or repairs for above a quarter of a
century. Rather more than a fortnight ago (says the
Sheffield Examiner) a tolerably respectable looking man
induced, after much pressing, Mr. Skeiton, of 124,
Gibraltar street, to let him his front shop for a month,
representing that he was about to take up his residence
permanently in Sheffield, to teach phonography, but
that the place which he was going to occupy would not
be ready for a month. He gave the name of H. Barr,
and was accompanied by a vulgar-looking man, whom
he described as his assistant. They procured rough
planks, and with these the assistant constructed a kind
of desk and a form. On Wednesday week the shop
was opened, not as a seminary, for the teaching of
phonography, but as "The Equitable Loan and Dis-
count Office," of which H. Barr was manager. Bills
were issued stating that loans would be granted " on
approved securities of from 21. 10s. up to 501.," and larger
sums on "special agreement." The assistant now per-
ambulated the neighbourhood circulating bills and
reporting that " the governor" was as rich as CrCe3Uf4.
It no transpires that Barr was "G- Z." who ad-
vertised in the local papers for a clerk. There were
many applicants, and some six or seven of these he
has swindled out of about 701. He appears first to have
baited them with the offer of large salaries ; and the
tine qui non of engagement was the depositing of a
good sum of money as security for their honesty. Of
one young man he obtained 201., and from five or six
others he got 101. each. He appointed that the clerks
were to commence their duties on Wednesday morning,
and on that day they appeared at the door of the office.
Of course each of them thought that the others were
needy persons come to make application to borrow ; and
never suspected their true position. They waited a con-
siderable time, but still the office remained closed ; and
a man appeared stating that Mr. Barr was ill and would
not be at the office that morning. The parties now
began to communicate with each other, and in a few
minutes soon found how vilely they had been cheated.
Mr. Skelton got into the shop, the floor of which he
found strewed with torn-up letters. The imposing
lodgers, &c., had disappeared with the swindlers, who it
is supposed decamped late on Tuesday night or Lon-
don. The dismay and grief of the young men who had
been so heartlessly victimised, we shall not attempt to
describe. Some of them had actually borrowed the
money which they had deposited with Barr, making
sure that they could soon repay it out of the liberal
salary that they were to receive. And they are not the
only sufferers. Persons who had applied for loans had
been required to deposit a few shillings each as remune-
ration, it was stated, for inquiries into the trustworthi-
ness of their sureties. There are about a dozen persons
who have been cheated in that way. Two young men
who had been in treaty for the clerkship had a narrow
escape. They had agreed to deposit 15/, each with Barr
as security, but had been advised by their friends to do
nothing hastily. They kept back a few days, but still
the offer of Barr was so tempting that they could no
longer delay, and on Wednesday they went to the office
with the view of handing their money over to him.
Luckily for them he had given them up and flown, or no
doubt he would have postponed his flight till he had
plucked them also.