The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-20 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.-July 19.

MANSION-HOUSE—Otto Frederick Ilomeyer,
described as of Wolgast, Prussia, merchant, was
brought up on a charge of forging two bills cf
lading for corn to the va!ue of 3,75 U/.
Mr. Mullens, solicitor t.) the Bankers' Protection
Committ,e, appeared for the prosecution, and Mr.
Beard, of Basinghall-street, for the prisoner.
The prisoner being entirely ignorant of the Eng-
lish language the proceedings were conducted
through the m'dium of au interpreter.
Mr. Mull. ns having.briefly opened the case, the
following witnesss were examined :--
M.. Rudolph Ft:Tr:La:Kb Tiednain—l carry on
business as a Merchant' at Newcastle-on-Tyne, and
know the prisoner, who carries on business as a
merchant at Wolgast, in Prussia. Ou the 12th of
June 1 received from him a letter, dated the 9th of
June, of which the translation now put in
.is a
correct c'Ty. The ltt%r was signed by him.
Mr. Mullens—l will read that letter, which is
as follows : _ _ _

" Wolgast, June 9, 1858.
" During the spring I had the pleasure of seeing your
traveller with me, and in consequence of the conversa•
Lion I had with him I am rather inclined shortly to con-
sign a cargo of wheat to you. I therefore beg to ask for
how much and at what date you will open for me a
credit in London. I hope soon to have a more lively
correspondence with you here."
Examination resumed—l answered that, and
received from the prisoner the letter now put in,
dated the 26th of June, in which was included a
duplicate bill of lading. The paper now produced
is a correct translation of that letter.
Mr. Mullens read as follows : •
" Wolgast, June 26, 1858.
" In answer to your favour of the 12th I have made
up my mind to consign to you the 8,310 sheffels wheat,
shipped by the vessel Anna, Captain Kell, for which I
take the liberty to make use of your kindness to draw
2,4001. on your account on the Union Bank of London,
at two months' date, requesting you to give due protec-
tion to those draughts. The insuracca you will please
effect there at the premitim stated. I trust I thrill find
a good market with you, as few shipments have been
sent to your quarter.—With special esteem,
" OTTO F. 11031ItYER."
Examination resumed—l received that letter at
Newcastle-on-Tyne. In consequence of something
which I beard I bad occasion to send my clerk to
Wolgast with the bill of lading, and he has not yet
returned. In consequence of that letter I gave in-
structions to my bankers at Newcastle, and received
from them a notice of acceptance. The paper pro-
duced is a translation of that which I received from
the bank, and the signature, " Otto F. Homeyer,"
on the back of the original, is the prisoner's hand-
writing. I received some communication from my
bankers with reference to the letter of the 26th of
June, which refers to having drawn upon them for
2,4001. The six bills produced are &awn in the
prisoner's handwriting.
Cross-examined by Mr. Beard—Before I was in
business for myself I was in an office where I had
opportunities 'of seeing the prisoner's handwriting,
but I never saw him write. flenew him personally
before this transaction, but I had never had any
previous-transactions with him.
By Mr. Mullens—l had called upon the prisoner
twice at Wolgast—once while travelling for another
hoirse, and once since for my own. I have spoken
to him silo() he was in custody. I saw him this
morning at the station. I asked him whether ha
had forged a bill of lading, and he told me he had.
I did not show the bill of lading to him. I asked
him why he bad done it ; and he said to pacify
other licensee to whom he had to ship wheat. He
said they had pressed biro so much that he had done
it in desperation. I asked him what he had done
with the bills, and he said he had sent them to Ber-
lin for discount. He fur.her stetcd that he should
have been able to send me my cargo of wheat. I
also asked him whether he had forged any bills of
lading at Antwerp.
Mr. Mullens—You need not go into that.
By Mr. Beard—All this conversation took place
at the police-station in presence of the officer ; hut
there was no one who could speak the prisoner's
language besides myself at the time. The
suggestion while
officer did
notwas
questioningti
Mr. Mullens said he should not hate elicited the
ol in e,
tohre raiks earn iyn this way.
facts of the conversation if Mr. Beard had not raised
a question as to the identity of the priso-cr and
his handwriting.
Edwera Warr —I am clerk to Messrs. Lotenger
and Son, Newcastle. In the year 1856 they were
brokers to the ship Anna, Oeptain Kell. I know
Captain Kell, and have seeim write. Ido not
believe the signature "T. K n hell," on the bill of
lading produced, to be his handwriting,
F. Myerni—l am clerk to Messrs. Bischoffsheim
and Engel hart, who are the London correspondents
of the Berlin Discount Bank. On the 29th of June
we received a letter from that bank enclosing the
six bills produced, and requestine, us to get them
discounted. Thera was also enclosed a bill of lading,
which we were to give up upon the acceptance of
the bills. We presented the bills at the Union
Bank, and they
were accepted.
J. Hawksworth, clerk in the Union Bank of
London, produced a letter dted a follows :
"W dated as follows :
"Wolgast, s June 26, 1858.
"To Union Bank of London.—For account of Messrs.
Tiedemann and Co., in Newcastle, I took free to
value upon you (six bills for 4001. each enumerated) in
firsts and seconds to my own order, at two months' date,
and I beg you will give prompt protection to them for
account of said friends. " Wi!h esteem,___
" OTTO F. HOMETER."
Jarvis, detective—I- took the prisoner into cus-
tody on Saturday, at the St. Katharine's Steamboat
Wharf, and called in the assistance of JO, Kantor,