The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-04 00:00:00

Adventures of an Impostor.

George Hall Buckton, a " gentleman" already
unpleasantly known to several hotel-keepers at
Brighton, and who has been convicted by the
borough magistrates of vagrancy, &c., -has been
" doing" the good people of Lewes in a similar way.
He was brought up at the County Hall on Monday,
and charged with obtaining goods by false pretences
from Mrs. Stenning, of the White Hart Hotel. He
has been several times in custody, and is well known
to the police as an hotel thief and begging letter im-
postor. About a fortnight ago the Brighton borough
magistrates sent him to prison for vagrancy, and on
his release he seems to have at once recommenced the
dishonest course he is alleged to have practised pre-
vious to his committal. Coming from the gaol at
about 9 o'clock in the morning, he is said to have
first visited the Black Horse Inn, where, however,
he did not long remain, leaving "the house because
lie could not be accommodated with a fire. Then 1w
made his way to the White Hart Hotel, and ordered
breakfast, which was supplied, and which he seemed
very much to enjoy. The " gentleman" then asked
for the Times newspaper, and appeared to be an-
noyed because Turner, the waiter, could not lend
him a pair of spectacles. Then he did a good deal
of writing, and anxiously inquired of the attenAnt
respecting the state of the funds that morning.
About 1 o'clock a clergyman and another gentleman
came in and ordered luncheon, to which prisoner
invited himself, and, it is said, talked to his com-
panions quite familiarly, telling them he-was going
to Hastings, as they were, by the 2 o'clock train.
The "customer," about whom suspicions were already
entertained, next called for some of the " best beerin
theoellar," but the waiter brought him, instead, a
pint of,the sourest he could find " because," he said,
" I had taken stock of him, and didn't believe he
meant to pay." Having partaken of some whisky
and cigars, the prisoner naively inquired the
amount of his bill, and was told it was ss. 6d.,
upon which he said he had left his purse at Hast-
ings, and could not pay. H was then given
into- the hands of the police, who were somewhat
puzzled
as to what to charge him with, but ulti-
mately decided to bring the accusation stated above.
He told the constables he knew he had not brought
himself within the law, with which he was as well
and perhaps better acquainted than they, and that
he would bring an action against them for false im-
prisonment. On his person were found a number
of memoranda, which contained a list of several
London firms who owed him money, principally for
interest on cash ; several names of persons to be
proceeded against criminally or in the County
Court ; a list of the closing prices of railway shares
on a certain day ; names of places which he intended
to visit, including " Newhaven, Lewes, Eastbourne,
Hastings, Rye, Maidstone ;" and, what afforded a
good deal of amusement, a diary, in which, among
other things, he says, under date March 9, " I
smoked my pipe and drank my grog until 11 o'clock,
then to bed, very nice, comfortable bed, and a good
long sleep, but the girl did not bring my hot water
till 9 o'clock. At 10 o'clock read the Sussex Adver-
tiser." Again, " Owing to me, by Duke of Cum-
berland, 125." In a list of " persons to call upon"
appear the names of "Lord Llanover, Mr. Harvey
Lewis, Mr. Thomas Chambers, and John Bright."
His papers also contained a begging letter addressed
to the "Lady of the House," with the words, "The
bearer waits," in the corner of the envelope. The
letter sets forth that the writer is a lay preacher of
the Established Church, who, through unforeseen
circumstances, has fallen into poverty. He wishes
to raise £3O. to enable him to proceed to New York,
and whatever you may, in the spirit of Christianity,
be pleased to contribute towards this object to a
poor forlorn and decayed member of the Church'
of Christ will be most thankfully received. TWo
lists of subscriptions, containing the names ;of
some well-known London firms as subscribers,
were also found. Subjoined are two extracts
from the "Diary :"—" March 3d.-8 30—tea-
pot washings, no tea, sugar, bread, butter, or
herring. 11 p.m.—St. Martin's Church. Glad-
stone—sanctified, hypercritical, and wrinkled,
though not more than 56. Sits in pew No. 14,
middle aisle. Wicked souls, many of them no doubt
will receive the greater damnation.' Out upon
ye, hypocrites ! 1 30—Communion finished. Left
church just after William ' Stewart' Gladstone and
his two ladies. He departed from them at the
Crimean Statue. The two women went to 11,
Carlton-house-terrace. lie went to some club,
Pall Mall, probably the Reform Club. 2 p.m.—
Wrote to Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, 11,' Carl-
ton-house-terrace, 4 p.m.—Wrote again. 5 45 p.m.
Sent messenger with letter. 6 p.m.—Not in ; an
answer will be sent when he comes in. 6 30.
Sent to Gladstone again. ' Not in.' Where is he ?
At the Reform Club ? Wrote to him for 20s. My
bill at the Restearaunt,Grenadier Hotel, Haymarket,
is his. 7d. How shall I pay it without Gladstone's
help ? 9 o'clock.—No answer from Gladstone.
Greet the blackguard ! Support Derby and the
Tories against the thievish Whigs !" " March 30.
—7 a.m. Left B 22, same number as the conva.:
lescent ward at M.B. W. (someother prison) ; down
below, got on my clothes, which have been scalded.
8 a.m.—Two loaves. 9.—Governor gave my dis-
, charge. 9 30.—White Hart Hotel, opposite the
County Hall. 10.—Breakfast ; Times ;no spec-
tacles to be had ; tea, bread and butter, two eggs,
rasher of bacon, two rounds of toast. 1 o'clock.—
Luncheon ; cold roast beef, &c. Detained at this
inn till a quarter past 3 o'clock. Bobby No. 34
same. Police station till —. Go to Barleymow
Inn, Selmeston." The evidence of the waiter at the
White Hart having been taken, Mr. Goodlee said
although it was evident prisoner's conduct was
most dishonest and disgusting, there was not
the slightest evidence of false pretence to enable
him to send the case for trial. He was then dis-
charged.—Brighton Guardian.

THE CESSION OF RUSSIAN AMERICA.---Thi3
Russian organ, Le Nord, says :—" The Transantic tele-
gram which announces the meeting of the United States
Senate in order to receive communications of a treaty for
the cession of Russian America contains nothing whiCh
ought to surprise us. This cession, if we are not mistaken,
is the consequence of negociations dating back several
months. It is easy to see the mutual advantages that Russia
and the United States must derive fromsUch a transaction..
These American countries, hitherto all but unprOductive
to Russiai owing. their distance from the centre- of in'
empire already so vast, will be more easily vivified by
Yankee expansion; and the current of colonisation and
commerce which will ultimately be established between
the Asiatic and American sea-board of the Pacific will
powerfully aid the prosperity of Eastern Siberia and the
basin of the Amoor."
FORTIFICATIONS.—Yesterday a return was issued
relative to the past and prospective outlay for fortifications
at Portsmouth, Plymouth, Pembroke, Portland, Gravesend,
Medway and Sheerness, Chatham, Dover, and Cork. The
total estimated cost of the works was £6,995,000 ; the
amount expended up to the beginning of the present year,
£3,491,872 ; the number of guns that will bo required,
about 2,000 ; the estimated cost of armament for the works,
£1,883,722 ; number of artillerymen, 9,841; number of in-
fantry, 22,441; cost of land, £1,064,761; total expenditure
to beginning of present year, £4,556,633 ; and amount re-
quired to complete, £2,438,367.
A Romisli PRIEST FOUND DROWNED —A melan-
choly impression has been produced among the people of
Leith, Scotland, by the discovery of the body of the Rev.
Father Noble in the harbour nearly opposite the entrance
to the Victoria Dock. The body was found about 6 o'clock
on Tuesday morning by some fishermen, and the deceased
was lust seen between 1 and '2 o'clockgoing in the direction
of the east pier, for what purpose is not known. He had
gone to bed about 12 on Monday night, and would appear
to have visited the chapel before going out, the private
door from the chapel-house being open. There had been
nothing unusual of late in his habits or demeanour, and
his resort to the pier is attributed to his not having slept
well for some time, and to his fondness of a walk in the
sea air. The probability is that ho had fallen into the
water during his nocturnal perambulation. lie was greatly
liked by the Roman Catholics of the town, and highly
esteemed by the community-in general. During the recent
epidemic of cholera his services were such as to call forth
the special approbation of the magistrates. He was a native
of Ireland, and was about 43 years of age. lie had been
settled in Leith for six or seven years.—Scotvnan.
SHOCKING AND FATAL FIRE.—A shocking fire
broke out in Clonmel on Saturday night. The fire oc-
ourred in Main-street, in the residence of a baker, and the
flames spread to the adjoining tenement occupied by a
.hair dresser.- -Before- the flames could be- extingnished
.both,houses wety burnedoto the ground,l and :two persons
.Soirentaen years ago the same baker's house
was burned, and seven persons perished in the flatnes,

OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE BOAT-RACE.

PUTNEY, March 4.

The Oxonians are taking good pedestrian exer-
cise this morning, and there are some of them
aware that they need it. The " pumping" of three
or four of the men in the row down yesterday after-
noon showed that they were not in condition for a
great race. There are one or two who are so full of
flesh that half a stone could be spared. The Cam-
bridge men, on the contrary, have not any to lose,
or, at any rate, if they lose any mores it will not be
an advantage. They must have had much more.
training and exercise before they came to town than
*their opponents. They seem more practised in their
style of rowing, and more in _condition for a race.
Instead of .being hustled about the course as they now
are at P uin ey the men .tbsolntely want rest—too much
s being taken out of them, or soon will be, and un-
less it is discontinued the crew will become weak-
ened. Judicious training, of course, may prevent
this, and those who have them in hand should know
how far they ought to go. There are yet a week
of rowing days between this and the' 13th, and
what may be most beneficial exercise to the Oxo-
nians may be most detrimental to the Cantabs.
A great change has taken place in the betting,
caused by the great pace in which the Cantabs have
done the distance during the last two-days both up
and down. Betting is nearly even now. For a
great time it was 7 to 4on Oxford ; it is at present
little more than even betting, Oxford for chance.