The Sun.
London, England, 1832-10-27 00:00:00

UNION-HALL.

Yesterday an elderly man of gentlemanly appearance,
passing under the assumed name of Sir William Payne.
Bart., was brought up in custody of Grossmith, an officer
of this establishment, and a constable of Bury St. Ed-
mund's, on the following charge :
From the statement of tradesmen residing at Bury St.
Edmund's, it appeared that on the 2,1 of August the pri-
soner drove into that town accompanied by a livery servant,
and also a female attendant. Having put up his barouche
at livery, he proceeded to the house of Mr. George Wicks,
introduced himself as Sir William Payne, and told him
that he was come down to Bury St. Edmund's to take up
his abode there for some time. He then said that he
warred to rent a house of Mr. Wicks, and that he had left
directions in town for his furniture, carriages, and horses
to he sent soon after his departure ; he was therefore
anxious that a house might be prepared for his reception
as soon as possible. From the address and appearance of
the prisoner, Mr. Wicks was induced to let him have a very
xcellent house that he had unoccupied in Bury St. Ed-
mund's at the time of his application, the former, how-
ever, remarking, that he should take private lodgings
in the town until the furniture, &c. arrived from
his residence in London. The following day the
prisoner called on Mr. Crane, the coachbuilder, and
having described himself as Sir William Payne,
and related a similar account to that which he had
previously given to Mr. Wicks, then ordered a light olive-
green gig, with lance-wood shafts, observing that be re-
quired a light vehicle instead of a heavy barouche, as he
intended to take a great deil of exercise in the vehicle
be ordered, for the benefit of his health. lie next
called upon Mr. Harstead, the harness-maker, and or-
dered two sets of harness; and from thence went to Mr.
Groom, the ironmonger, from whom he obtained an ex-
pensive brass fender, besides a set of ivory harlibed knives
and forks, and other articles in the hardware line. Ile
hei hsa ddeas
called upon several other tradesmen in the town, and ob-
scsruiputeiodn.s oAf pll roperty
eurntyd,e
it the
appeared,n
atanidnedalou
title
was directed to he sent to the house he had taken in the
first instance, and a certain day was appointed by him for
the tradesmen to send in their bills, for the purpose of be-
ing liquidated. In the interval Sir William Payne lived
in a style befitting the condition of a man of rank in so-
ciety ; he had splendid lodgings, kept his livery servant,
and also a female servant, and in fact managed matters so
well, anti gave such large orders to the tradesmen, that he
was looked upon as a great acquisition to Bury St. Ed-
mund's. The tailors were also called into requisition to
adorn the "baronet's" person, and Mr. Baxter furnished
him with a snuff-coloured coat, with velvet collar, and a
pair of black kerseymere trousers ; and that it should not be
supposed in the town that Sir William Payne gave the pre-
ference to one tailor above another, he ordered a superfine
green cloth cloak of Mr. Prynn, a resident of the same
place. When the promised day of payment approached,
the tradesmen's bibs began to pour in, and suspicion was
excited in the minds of many, owing to the nonappear-
ance of the furniture, carriages, and horses the prisoner
talked about coming from his own house; and another cir-
cumstance which excited the alarm of the good folks of Bury
St. Edmund's was the fact of his mixing very little in
society, and keeping at home. At length the day for
liquidating the accounts arrived, and a host of tradesmen
soon collected about " Sir William Payne's" lodging, when
it was shortly discovered that he and his servants had
gone off in the night, and that the various articles of
property lie bad fraudulently obtained of them had been
conveyed away to London and converted to his own use.
Soon after the prisoner absconded, he was advertised in the
Hue and Cry, and a reward offered for his apprehension,
but notwithstanding great exertions were used to appre-
hend him, no trace was discovered of him until yesterday.
The prisoner has a wife residing within a few miles of
Cambridge, where, it appeared, he had obtained goods of
tradesmen similar to the manner which he had of those in
Bury St. Edmund's. Since that time the constables of
Cambridge have been on the alert, and fully anticipated
his apprehension through the medium of the post-office,
by stopping letters addressed to his wife. The prisoner,
however, managed to carry on a correspondence with his
wife out of the usual way. Fearful of detection, he was
in the habit of transmitting a newspaper twice a week to
her, and writing on the edges in such a manner that it
was impossible to detect, unless the paper was opened out
A few days ago a newspaper addressed to his wife was
examined at the post-office, when the secret of their cor-
respondence was discovered, and it was ascertained that
he frequented Widdicomb's coffee-rooms in Farringdon-
street, and that it was his intention to call twice a week
at the post-office (naming the days) fur any letters that she
might send to him. Acting upon this information,