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

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 Roscoe, whose
name has been going the round of the press iu 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, varyieg 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, be was hailed on every hand by his former
associates in toil, upon whom ho 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 Starbeck,
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 are 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 hands. 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, and 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.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF EXCHEQUER, July 3.

(Sittings at Guildhall, before the Loup CHIEF JUSTICE
and a Common Jury.)
TATTERSALL V. GRANT.

This was an action brought to recover from the de-
fendant, the proprietor of the Era newspaper, the
amount of a year's salary, at twelve guineas a week, for
editing and conducting the sporting department of that
paper. It appeared from the evidence of Mr. Ho-
race Mayhew, that in the month of May, 1846, Mr.
Grant engaged the plaintiff as his sporting editor
upon the following terms:—The plaintiff was to receive
twelve guineas per week for his services, but during the
seasons he was to pay out of that sum 1/. ls. per week
to the gentleman who supplied " cricket copy;" 11. ls. to
the gentleman who "did" the " yatching;' 11. 10s. per
week for the" timing of the races;" and to provide a sub-
editor should the pressure of business require one. In
return for this remuneration the plaintiff undertook
to supply a couple of columns of sporting intel-
ligence, and generally to superintend the sporting
department of the Era. The plaintiff performed these
duties up to the time of the Goodwood Races in the same
year, when his account of that meeting was rejected by
the proprietor, and that of Mr. Harrison ("Yates ") was
used in its stead. This breach of professional etiquette
induced Mr. Tattersall to throw up his situation as
sporting editor, and to commence the present action to
recover compensation for a breach of his engagement
with Mr. Grant. _

For the defence, Mr. Strutt, the attorney, was called
to prove that just before Mr. Tattersall abandoned
the paper, he became the proprietor of the Era, and
finding that the salaries paid to the various
contributors were extravagantly high, while the circu-
lation of the paper was rapidly going down, he deter-
mined to have " the house put in order." Accordingly
he engaged " Vates " (Mr. Harrison), as the sporting
editor, and agreed with the plaintiff to pay him 51.
a week to act conjointly with Mr. Harrison in managing
the sporting department. The plaintiff agreed to these
terms, but subsequently he expressed himself dissatisfied
with the arrangement, and left the establishment of his
own accord.

The jury found for the plaintiff—damages 101. 10s.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

William Girdlestone, 45, and Charles Swan, 48, were
indicted, with John Saunders, who surrendered, for un-
lawfully and maliciously conspiring together to make a
false charge of forgery against three gentlemen named
Francis and James M'Gowran and Barton, with intent
to injure them and to subject them to the penalties of that
offence.

Mr. Clarkson, Mr. Bodkin, and Mr. Ballantine con-
ducted the prosecution. Mr. Wilde defended Saunders.
The other defendants had no counsel.

The present indictment arose out of some proceedings
in this court at the May session, when the above-named
gentlemen, who now appeared as prosecutors, were in-
dicted for having forged the will of Francis M'Gowran,
the father of the gentlemen of that name, and upon that
occasion, when the defendants appeared in court to
answer the charge, the witnesses on the back of
the bill, who were the present defendants, did
not come forward, and, after waiting for some
time, the Court ordered their recognizances to be
entreated; and the defendants were acquitted. The
Learned Judge who disposed of the case, at the same
time gave directions that a copy of the indictment
should be given to them as a step to ulterior proceedings,
and the present indictment was preferred against the
parties now accused. It appeared that Mr. Francis
M'Gowran, the testator, whose will formed the principal
subject of the inquiry, was a gentleman of fortune living
in the Wandsworth-road, his family consisting of two
sons, Francis and James, his daughters and a niece. This
niece married the defendant Girdlestone, and it seemed
that he by the union expected considerable pecuniary
advantage, and his di,appointment in this respect no
doubt led to his subsequent proceedings. Mr. Barton, it
appeared, in 1841 was paying his addresses to one of
the daughters of Mr. M'Gowran, and he eventually
married her. The testator died in the same year, and
by his will his niece became entitled to a life interest
in some property in Webber-row, Southwark, but as
it evidently appeared, in consequence of the treat-
ment she had experienced from Girdlestone, her
husband, her uncle desired that he should be de-
prived of all personal interest in the property, and a
reversion of the interest in it was given to the children.
From that period to the occurrence which formed the
subject of the present inquiry, it seemed that Girdlestone