The Sun.
London, England, 1848-07-04 00:00:00

(LEFT SPEAKING.)

THE SWINDLER and the SWINDLED
We have seldom met with a more flagrant case of
wanton profligacy than the one we are about to unfold,
which is remarkable for possessing all the features of
modern romance rather than the characteristics of a
practised swindler. The hero in the drama is a strange
mixture of fool and knave, and we are only surprised
that he should succeed in defrauding so many respect-
able tradesmen of their goods. We are not disposed to
judge unfairly or censure harshly, yet we cannot refrain
from regretting- that the tradesmen of Harrogate and
elsewhere should have failed to exercise that degree of
forethought and discretion, usually observable under
such circumstances.
We are aware, the generally received opinion was
that the man had exchequer-bills or some such docu-
ments, to a large amount, and the pretended offer of a
sum of money for them, made by a Jew in Manchester
—a thing very probable indeed—might, we admit,
throw an unsuspecting person off his guard, nevertheless,
evidence more tangible than the man's own word ought
to have been insisted on. We leave the public, how-
ever, to judge for itself, from the undermentioned facts.
A man, named William Muscroft alias Boscoe, whose
name has been going the round of the press in a para-
graph, headed "Freaks of Fortune," and who, until
recently, was employed as a day labourer on the Leeds
and Thirsk Railway, about two months ago, brought
himself into public notice, by stating that he had,
through some deceased relative, or such like means,
become possessed of a large property, varying in
amount from twenty to thirty thousand pounds, and
exhibited papers, obtained from some unknown source.
which appeared to strengthen and give a plausibility
to the statement. The thing gained further credence
from the fact of his having, many years ago, received
one or two hundred pounds left him by a near relative,
The news of his good fortune spread, as such things
generally do, and in a week or two, he became a general
object of conversation. his employment as a labourer
was, of course, abandoned, and though retaining the
habits and intimacies of his former life, he launched out
into an expensive and dissolute course of living, as if
bent upon seeing how much money he could squander
and in as short a space of time as possible. Having pur-
chased a horse and kind of gig-cart, upon credit, and
added to his rough attire the appendages of a gold
watch and chain, and one or two expensive rings, also
unpaid for, he was hailed on every hand by his former
associates in toil, upon whom he lavished victuals, drink,
clothing, and in some cases, superfluities of the most
costly nature. The " Golden Lion," "Star," " Spa,"
and other inns in the neighbourhood of Starbeek,
Knaresborough, and Harrogate were, at his command,
open houses for thirsty souls, where the disciples of
Bacchus could resort to drink at his expense, and pledge
eternal friendship to the inheritor of Fortune's smiles.
While all this was going on, Muscroft paid numerous
visits to various tradesmen, showing a willingness to pa-
tronize them on an extensive scale, and by whom he was
received with inward satisfaction. Goods of every de-
scription being exhibited, orders were given without
limit. Jewellery, watches, in gold and silver, hats, boots,
linen, wearing apparel, dresses, fancy articles, &c., &c.,
to between five and six hundred pounds, were obtained
from shopkeepers, who, if they felt any qualms of pru-
dence did not object to let him have them, on the assur-
ance that he should in a few days be in the receipt of
money and would then discharge their respective claims.
Horses also were purchased at Boroughbridge fair, and
carriages ordered, but neither of the latter, we aro glad
to say, came to hand. A great portion of these goods,
as fast as they were obtained, was distributed among
parties who fell in his way, and laid claim to his friend-
ship. Thus things went on up to the latter end of last
week, when suspicions gained currency that he was an
imposter, and application having been made to the
banker in whose hands he had repeatedly said the money
was lodged, that gentleman at once denied that any
money was then, or ever had been, belonging to Mus-
croft in his bands. This at once opened the eyes of the
'victims, who made further inquiries, the result of which
was that he, Muscroft, and one or two other parties, sup-
posed to be concerned in obtaining the property, were
arrested on warrants, charging them with obtaining
goods under false pretences.
On Wednesday, Muscroft, and a man named Kaye
and his wife, the former a time keeper on one of the
lines of rail, were brought up at the Knaresborough
Court-house, tied the charge being proved against the
" man of fortune" and Kaye's wife, they were both
committed for trial. A portion of the goods, we learn,
has been recovered.—Harrogate Advertiser.

The Hon. W. Fox Strangeways, her Majesty's
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at
Frankfort, is shortly expected to arrive in this country,
on leave of absence from his post, and the Lords Com-
missioners of the Treasury have issued directions to the
proper authorities for the respect usually shown to
Ministers of Mr. Strangeway's rank to be observed on
his arrival, and in the examination and delivery of his
Excellency's baggage and effects.
Mr. Marsh and Mr. Blunt had an interview with Earl
Grey yesterday, at the Colonial-office.
Tun IN oluru•lVEsTnnN RAILWAY.—On Saturday
the mail express and first-class trains on this line of
railway were accelerated, the distance bet wen Rugby
and the other stations being performed in from thirty to
fifty minutes less time than formerly. An entire alter-
ation also took pince in the time-table.
The Monkey steam-vessel proceeded to Chatham on
Saturday with Commodore Sir Gordon Bremer,
K.C.H., and returned in the evon:D3,

Name of Company.

Paid.

Birmingham. •• • • •• ••
East London ••••• ••
Grand Junction •• •• ••
New Rivr Lndn Brdge
Vauxhall .• • • • • • • • • ••
West Middlesex . • •

X s. d.
25 0 0
100 0 0
41 13 4
100 0 0

£ s. d.
5 0 0

21. 108.

21. 10s.
M. per cut.
!61. Os. pr cut.

GAS-MIGHT

AND CO

Dividend
per

Name of Company.

Amount
of
Share.

Annum.

Price.

British • • • • • • .. • • • • • •

Ditto Provincial.. • •
Bristol .. • • • • • • • • • • • •
Brighton ...... • • • • ..
City of London .. • . • •
Continental Consolidat.

Ditto, New • • • •
Equitable • • • .... • • • •
Imperial • • .. .. • • • • • •
Independent
L0nd0n..............
.•••• • • • .•
Rateliff
United General .• • • • •
Westminster Chartered
Ditto, New • • • • - • ..

11. Bs.
101. per cent.
51. per cent.
101.
925. pr share
85s. pr share
455. pr share
61. per cent.
61. per cent.

51. per cent.
51. and bns.
/. pr cent.
3/,
123.

X. s. d.
40 0 0
20 0 0
20 0 0
20 0 0
100 0 0
50 0 0
lAcie
50 0 0
50 0 0
40 0 0
50 0 0
50 0 0
50 0 0
100 0 0
50 0 0
50 0 0
50 0 0

178
81
75
55

,ANTES.

Paid.

.f. s. d.
18 0 0
19 0 0

100 0 0
39 5 0
37 10 0
50 0 0
50 0 0
40 0 0
SO 0 0
50 0 0
40 0 0
lio 0 0
50 0 0

10 0 0

Price.

CANALS.
..---........
Names of Li Divislentil Price Names of r; Dividend
. I''',4 per
Companies. l's, per i Companies.
41 Annum. price.
kr... Annum.l ',I
-
£ - X
Ashtn& Oldb 97 71„p e 80 Macclesfield . 100 - -
Barnsiez •• • • 160 121. 180 Neath •.• • • • 100 181.
Srknk&Abrg 150 51. 85 Oxford.. •• • • 100 201. 190
Birmingham 35 41. 80 Peak Forest. 78 - _
Coventry ...• 100 251. - Regent's ••• • 33 if. Sc. 18%
Derby ••• • • 100 61. 63 Rochdale .. • • 85 41. 54
Ellstrre&Chs 133 41. 48 Somrset Coal 150 IL 104. 130
&rev. ash ... 100 32'. - Do.LkFdSt 12 61. p. c. -
GrandJunctn 100 51. 81 Stffr€lBtWorc 140 281. 290
Grand Surrey 100 - 35 Shrewsbury.. 125 151. -
Grand Union 1001 1/. 10s. 25 Stourbridge.. 145 201. 285
Grantham .. 150 121. - §evern and'?
/leant & Avn 39 7s. 6d. 4N Wygßail.i 26 11.8 x• 26
Leeds& Liyrp 100 341. 410 Warwick&l
j
Leicester .... 140, 101. 75 uirmlag. 100 51. 65
Leicstr &Nth 83'41. 36 Warwick&
Loughborogh 142 k 701. - Napton.. 100- 46
Monmouthsh 1001 81. - Worcstr 88] 78 21. 39
Mntgemryshlloo 51. - Birming.
MeitnMwbry,loo 101. - Wilts & Brks 67 11. 11
LIST 01' SCOTTISH COMPANIES' PRICES
--
Dividend Amount
Name of Company. per of Paid. Price.
Annum. Share.
...-----.
X s. d. X s. d
Bank of Scotland
British Linen Company Si. per cent. 100 0 0 100- 0 0 195
Caledonian Bank ••.• • 7% per sent. 10 0 0 210 0 41. Os
City of Glasgow Bank . 61. per•eent. 10 0 0 10 0 0 11 14
Clydesdale Bank •• • •
Commercial Bank •• • • 71. per cent. 500 0 0 100 0 0 149
Eastern Bank.... •• • • 61. per cent. 25 u 0 10 0 C 10
Edinb.& Glasgow Bank 61. per cent. 50 0 50 0 511
Exehangeßnk of Scot.. 6/. per cent. 100 0 0 50 0 0 41%
Isle a Man. Company 71. per cent. 10 0 0 7 0 0 -
National Bank 6% per cent. 50 0 0 10 0 0 18%
Northof Scotlandßank 7/.percent. 20 0 0 50 0 4
North British Bank • • - 50 0 0 10 0 0 31.05.
Royal Bank of Scotland 6/. per cent. 100 0 0 100 0 0 121
Union Bank of Scotland 8/. per cent. 100 0 0 50 0 0 80
Western Bank .. ••• • • • 81. per cent. 50 0 0 50 0 0 71
Aberdeen Fire and Life 121. per cent. 12 10 0 20 0 2%
B. Accord. Life and Fire - 20 0 0 011 0
British Guarantee Ins. - 10 0 0 1 0 0 lOs Od
Caledonian Fire Insur. 101. per cent. 100 0 0 10 0 0 21
Church of ling;and Ins. - 50 0 0 2 0 0 _
City of Glasgow Life 6l. per cent. 25 0 0 2 0 0 21. 43
Edinburgh Life Insur. 61. per cent. 100 0 0 12 10 0 17
East of Scotland Life - 10 0 0 015 0 113.0 d.
Eng. & Scot, Law Life 51. per cent. 50 0 0 217 6
Hercules Insurance Co. 71. per cent. 100 0 0 10 0 0 11
Insur. Co. of Scetlnd• • 51. per cent. 100 0 0 10 0 0 7
Life Assoc. of Scotland 5/. per cent. 10 0 0 1 0 0 li. 7,
Mercantile Life -• • . - 10 0 0 010 0 53. Od.
National Fire and Life 5/. per cent. 10 0 0 1 0 0 205.
North British Incur. - 5%1.pr cent. 200 0 0 20 0 0 22
North & West of Scot. G/. per cent. 10 0 0 1 0 0 178.6 d.
Scottish Life and Guar: - 20 0 0 011 0 55.
Scot. Mas. and Gen. Life 5/. per Gent. 1 0 0 015 0 10s. Od
Scottish Onion Insrnce. 6MI. pr cent. 20 0 0 1 0 0 11. is
Standard Life •••• • • • 5/. per cent. 50 0 0 4 5 0 9U
United Dep. Assurance 51. per cent. 10 0 0 1 0 0 138.0 d
MISCELLANEOUS.
Dividend Amount
Name of Company.
An per of Paid. Price
are.
------ ----- - -
X. s. d. X. s. d.
Australian Agriculturl - 100 0 0 30 0 0 -
Anglo-1/exican Mint., 1/. 49. 10 0 0 10 0 0 17
Ditto, Half Shares.. - - 210 0 -
Canada ... •• • ... ••.. ' 6/. per cent. 100 0 0 32 10 0 28
Uppr Canada Bonds 5/. per cent. .- - -
City Bonds .. .. .. .... 3141. pr cent. - - 82
Comp. Cppr Mars Eng. 51. per cent. 100 0 0 70 0 0 -
Gen. Revers. & Invest. sp. c. 1,8 bs, 21 100 0 0 100 0 0 -
Equitable Reversienry 51. pr cent. 100 0 0 100 0 0 95
Gen.SteamNavigation 11. Bs. 15 0 0 14 0 0 19
London Institution ... 10
- . - -
Peninslr & Orient.Stm. 8/. per cent. 50 0 0 50 0 0 51?
Reversionary Int. Soc. 3%1. pr cent. 100 0 0 100 0 0 90
Royal Mail Steam.... 3%1. pr cent. luo 0 0 60 0 0 45%
South Australian ... - - 25 0 0 25 0 0 16
Van Dieman's Land.. 11. per share. 100 0 0 23 0 0 -
Universal Salvage.... - 25 0 0 5 0 0 -

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, July 3.
COMMONS ENCLOSURE BILL.

On the motion of Lord CAMPBELL, the Commons
Enclosure Bill was read a third time and passed.
GOOD-CONDUCT WARRANTS FOR THE NAVY
AND MARINES.

The Duke of RICHMOND asked whether it was
intended to introduce the system of issuing good-con-
duct warrants to the navy and the marines, as well as to
the army?
The Earl of AUCKLAND said it was his intention
to extend the system of good-conduct warrants to the
navy and the marines, if Parliament would sanction the
proposal.