The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-31 00:00:00

EXTENSIVE FRA UDS.

A warrant is now in the hands of the Leeds
police for the apprehension of George Terry, brazier
and tinner, Woodhouse lane, Leeds, and Grand
Master of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows,
who absconded on Sunday morning last. He is
charged with frauds to the amount of £4,000, and
the manner in which they have been committed is
not less villanous, nor the injuries inflicted scarcely
less deplorable than those brought to light in the
cases of the celebrated swindlers, Sir John Dean
Paul, Robson, and Redpath. Mr. Terry, who is a
man about 50 years of age, has been generally looked
upon as a successful and trustworthy tradesman.
In 1836 he became connected, with the Grand
United Order of Odd Fellows, and by his appa-
rently sincere attention to the interests of the society
he was, in 1839, appointed grand master, and in
that capacity became also treasurer. He was also
treasurer for the Leeds district, comprising nearly
50 lodges, treasurer for his own local lodge, and
chairman and treasurer of the widow and orphans'
fund. A loan society, bearing the title of the
Odd Fellows' Loan Society, but not connected
with the order, was established, and Mr. Terry-
was appointed treasurer of this. It was fondly be-
lieved that in his hands everything would be safe
and prosperous; and so great was the confidence
reposed in him that, until recently, the business of
the society was left entirely with him. Thus he
was enabled to carry on his nefarious practices for
a long time without fear of detection. A few years
since his likeness was taken and engraved at the
expense of the order, as a mark of respect. Num-
bers of his admirers possessed themselves of his
counterfeit; but many of the engravings are, at the
present moment, distributed throughout the police
courts of Great Britain as a guide to his apprehen-
sion. About fifteen years' since the members of the
order for the Leeds district presented him with a
silver watch and guard, and five yeaf's ago the
general order made him a present of a gold lever
watch, worth 20 guineas, and a purse of 30 guineas.
The manner in which he obtained most of the
money was simple enough in his capacity of chair-
man, and also treasurer to the loan society. A
depositor brought his £lOO, £5O, or £lO, as the
case might be. Mr. Terry received this, gave the
depositor a memorandum-book with an entry of the
amount, but failed to enter the sum in the books of
the society. In order to avoid discovery, he regu-
larly paid the depositors their interest at the rate
of 5 per cent., this being the amount he alleged the
society was making. Among a number of painful
cases we may mention the following :—For years
had a middle-aged couple striven to save a little
money, to be ready in case of need. By and by
the wife becomes a widow, and the hard-earned
sum of £6OO is, for safety and interest, depo-
sited with Mr. Terry, as treasurer of the loan
society. This sum would have supported and
comforted the widow in her old age, but by the
rascality of the man in whose hands it was placed,
she is deprived of her all. A thrifty porter at the
Great Northern Station, by several
years' depriva-
tion, scrapes together £lO. This is likewise swal-
lowed up by Terry. The " grand master" also
held in trust about £4OO for two children, and in
various other ways has he defrauded a great num-
ber of persons resident in Leeds and the neigh-
bourhood. The deficiencies ascertained are as fol-
lows :—loan society, between £2,000 and £3,000 ;
the order, £500; local lodge, about £5O; widow
and orphans' fund, £l3O. What has become of all
these moneys is a matter of surprise, for Mr. Terry
was not an extravagant man, and he did a flourish-
ing business. It is to be hoped that much of it
may be recovered and restored, at least in part, to
the rightful owners. George Terry has been made
a bankrupt, and, according to Act of Parliament,
the order of Odd Fellows will first be paid in full
what is due from the estate.— Manchester
Examiner.