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

EXTENSIVE FRAUDS.

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 years 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.--R Manchester
Examiner.

Yesterday Mr. Wakley resumed an inquest, which
was opened formally by him on Saturday, at the
Castle public-house, in the Holloway-road, relative
to the death of a young man named John A. C.
Huddleston, the son of Mr. Huddleston, a surgeon,
of Cornwall-road, Holloway, who was found dead
in a field between Claremont-cottages and the Great
Northern Railway, on the 26th inst. The deceased,
it appeared, had been brought up to the medical
profession, and had been with Dr- Bainbridge. He
purchased half an ounce of prussic acid at Hooper's)
Pall-mall East, where he was known through his
connection with Dr. Bainbridge, the greater part of
which he took to put an end to his existence. A
number of letters, books, and other articles were
found upon him when he was removed to the dead
house, among them a letter addressed to the jury
that should sit upon him, explaining why he com-
mitted the act of self-destruction, and accusing his
father of negligence. This letter was read by the
jury in private, and they decided that it was aesir-
able that its contents should not be made public, as
it involved matters whollyextraneous tothe inquiry
and did not bear upon the question of the sanity of
the deceased. Mr. H. Coote and Mr. Mitchell had
made a post mortem examination of the body and
head, and they could trace no sign of mental disease.
It was stated that the deceased had slept in the
New Cattle Market, and had only had a penny ldaf
to subsist on for three days, and from duplicates
found upon him it was evident he had been pledg-
ing such articles as only a person in the extremity
of distress would so dispose of. .
Mr. Close, an oilman, carrying on business in
Pleasant-row, said•the young man had not exactly
lodged with him, but he had taken him in out of
charity. That was on the 11th of April. He had
seen him before that time, but not to speak to him.
He did.not apply to witness to take him. He was
with li .---r.rtztlerraeleter- The fathavoffered
to pay his fare, through witnesso_if ho..would go
down to Dover, where his mother lived, to see if
she would do anything for him. The father refused
to speak to deceased, who used to complain of the
treatment his father had subjected him to. There '
was nothing strange in his manner or irregular in
his habits, and he had said there was nothing for
him to wish to live for in this world. He had neither
money nor friends, and his father would do nothing,
for him. He had put him to a profession, but would
not carry him through with it, and had deserted
him. -
_ _

Mr. J. N. Huddleston, the father of the deceased,
was then examined. He said he was a surgeon, of
16, Cornwall•place, Holloway, and the deceased
ceased to reside with him about January,lBsB. He
left in consequence of his having carried a knife
with which he threatened to murder witness. They
were not on terms of affection at all. He last saw
him alive on the 23d of April, and having been in
bodily fear he had consulted a professional gentle-
man (Mr. Lewis, who was now present watching
the case on his behalf) as to what steps should be
taken for his protection. He went to the police
court, where he was advised not to proceed then,
but in, consequence of the alarm he felt he could not
receive the deceased into his house. In April he
had to call for the aid of the police. On the 11th of
that month deceased stopped his carriage in the
road. He used to see him about occasionally. On the
23d he threatened violence with a stick. As witness
was passing down the road deceased rushed out
of some place brandishing a stick, and exclaimed,
" Now, will you not speak to me ? will you speak ?"
Witness said, " After what has happened keep your
distance." He then called a policeman, who pro-
tected him, and he went away. That was the last
time he ever saw him alive.

Cross-examined—lt was two years ago since
deceased first threatened to murder him with a
knife. He heard that he had been found in his
stable ; but he had not ordered his man to turn him
out and refuse him admission even to the stable to
sleep in, though he did tell the man to lock the
stable door and let no one sleep there. At times
be was very dissipated, and the original cause of
their differences was his propensity for late hours
and laxity of conduct. He was very headstrong,
violent, and unruly in temper, so much so that
his reason might be overbalanced. When the de-
ceased stopped his horse on the 11th of April he
got out of the chaise; and left his servant and the
police to get rid of him. He received a letter from
him on the 19th of May, which was referred to in
the letter addressed to the jury.
A solicitor, who attended to watch the case on
behalf of the mother and some creditors of the de-
ceased, asked Mr. Huddleston if his son did not tell
him when he stopped the horse on the 11th of April
that he was starving with hunger. The witness
said he believed some expression of the sort was
made use of.

that fhb— +'
o use a
Prove
his father.
- - - .

In answer to a juror, he said his (witness's) mother
had given deceased a meal's victuals now and then
when he said he was starving ; he once lodged at
his mother's, and once he found him in the stable.
He did not exactly receive orders to turn him out,
but to prevent his coming in again. Mr. Huddle-
ston, as far as he knew, had always brought up his
son kindly until they quarrelled.
A Juror—And was not that in consequence of
the son visiting his mother?
Mr. Lewis ojected to the question, as it related
to matters that had nothing to do with the inquiry.
The Coroner thought the question was beyond
the issue.

The juror said there were all sorts of rumours
afloat, and if it were a falsehood that it was because
the son went to see his mother that Mr. Hdddleston
had so treated him, it was only justice to him that
the question should be put and a denial given.
Mr. Huddleston volunteered to answer, but was
stopped by his solicitor.
Mr. Close was not allowed to state his reasons for
taking the deceased out of charity. Among the
papers found on the deceased was one apprising him
of a situation at £4O a-year, with board and lodg-
ing, which the Coroner said would go to show that
he had still some prospect when he committed the
rash act, as the letter was dated but a few days be-
fore he took the poison.
After a very lengthened inquiry 12 of the jury
agreed to a verdict " That the deceased died from
the effects of poison administered by his own hand,
but that there was no evidence to satisfy them as to
the state of his mind at the time."

TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION

WI2R AMERICA.

The question as to the immediate prospect of re-
establishing telegraphic communication with Ame-
rica will be decided on Wednesday week. The
company are then to hold an extraordinary meet-
ing to submit the terms they have obtained from
the Government, and to see if £6oo,ooo—the re-
quired amount of new capital—can thus be raised.
It appears that the Government are ready to gua-
rantee a dividend of 8 per cent. per annum for 25
years, provided the cable is in successful operation
and capable of conveying 100 words an hour.
Also, that they will pay £20,000 per annum for
messages. The company, moreover, are to be
allowed to spend £20,000 out of the new guaranteed
capital in attempts to make the existing cable
available. They are likewise to continue to enjoy
the benefit of the original arrangement for a pay-
medt of £14,000 per annum from the United
States' Government. In return they are to sur-
render the exclusive right of landing cables on the
shores of Newfoundland. The directors consider
that these conditions should induce the share-
holders to subscribe the necessary amount, espe-
cially as the risks of the work will be greatly
reduced not only by the experience gained, but by
a variety of new precautions. They propose to
guard by a policy of insurance against accidents or
loss from the process of submerging the cable, and
also that the contract for its manufacture shall be
accompanied by provisions for its efficient electrical
working for a considerable period. The new capital
is to be in the form of preference shares of £5 each,
entitled to all the net profits of the company up to
8 per cent., and to divide all further profits with
the original shareholders. A reconstruction of the
Board is at the same time to be effected, as well as
a reduction in the number of its members. Finally,
the directors point to the urgent claims of the
undertaking from its advantages in a political sense.
If England," they remark, "were compelled to
take up arms for the defence of her colonies or her
commerce, its absence at such a crisis would be a
national disgrace,—a calamity the more bitter on
account of its easy prevention, considering the
perfect facility with which the work can now be
brought to completion, if a warm and public-
spirited effort be made."

THE EASTERN FISHERIES.—The mackerel fishery
on the eastern coast has up to the present time been singu-
larly unprofitable. Although the season is advancing and a
considerable number of boats have been sent out, the results
obtained have been exceedingly discouraging.