The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-18 00:00:00

THE BANK FORGERIES,

(From the Times.
The Wagner gang, just convicted at the Old
Bailey, were social enemies, almost respectable from
the magnitude of their operations and the artistic
resources developed in their attacks upon their na-
tural victims, the banking community of this me-
tropolis. The history fe their lives reads more like
a chapter from "The Furs
-ltit of Knowledge under
Difficulties," or an account of fhe stages of invention
which produced our present steam engine, than like
the process of robbing a banker of X 265. The most
patient labour, the most careful tracking of occult
troths, the most open-eyed observation of trifling
indications, the qualities which have given statues'
and immortal names to Harvey and Watt and
Stephenson, seem to have been possessed and
exercised by Wm. Wagner, Robt. Humphreys, Wm.
Wynne Bramwell, Wm. Whitehead Chandler, and.
Andrew Foster. Their process was indeed the re-
verse of that which is employed by the benefactors
of mankind; their business was to shut out light,
not to create it, to walk in darkness and to erase
their footsteps as they trod ; but the qualities of
mind developed by the philosophers and the
swindlers are almost equally rare. Wagner and
his confederates elevated forgery to the dignity
of a science, and pressed into its service all the
fine arts that could aid in its advancement.
Imitative penmanship, engraving, die-sinking,
.
personation of the finest acting, and little ro-
mances flowing from imaginations always fruitful,
and composed with the most minute attention
to social probabilities and to the unities of time
aad place, were all lavished upon the design
of doing one false act in the face of day, before the
practised eyes of men trained to examine that act,
and to invest it with such a character of truth that
it should pass unchallenged and leave no track be-
hind it. It is a great fact in the progress of civili-
sation. It is a strong contrast to the clumsy crow-
bar and horse-pistol system of ruder times. To a
mere tyro in swindling it might seem.an easy thing
to forge a cheque and receive the money for it ; but
Wagner and his friends knew that to do this with
any certainty of success and after-impunity is of the
highest order of difficulty. Ten years of meditation
over a previous miscarriage had taught the master
forger the arduous nature of his calling. If he failed,
he failed as Caesar Borgia failed, by an unfortunate
error in the objects upon whom he exercised his
treachery and his confidence.
The machinery of Wagner was after this way.
There lived an aged man bent with
_years and infir-
mities, who had passed his long life in the laborious
acquisition of a facility in imitating other men's
signatures. The talent had not fructified in his
possession ; for we find him living in a miserable
lodging and in a single room, always engaged in
writing, and by no means in possession of those
advantages which so absolute a power over the
signatures of all the bankers and all the money-
dealers of the city of London would appear likely
to confer. The talent of old Kerp was the raw
material of Wagner's machinery. There is a sec t
among the Chinese who make it a religious duty to
search for scraps of writing and to consume them
by fire. Perhaps the Chinese, who invented every-
thing, have had Wagners among them, and founded
the sect in order to keep down the Wagners, just
as mice may be said to be the propagators of the
race of cats. But Wagner, at any rate, was indus-
trious in the collection of autographs. Wagner was
more careful in preserving the letter of his lightest
acquaintance than the Countess of Ossory was in
laying up a note from Horace Walpole. Wheit
Mr. Fellowes, a solicitor, entered into a cor-
respondence with Robert lumphreys as to the
terms of a projected lease, Wagner carefully put
the letter by ; and when Dr. Jones wrote a note
about some equally common subject Wagner re-
marked that " it would come in nicely by and bye."
These precious signatures and scraps of writing
were taken to Kerp, and that industrious old man
laboured at them as models until he had acquired
the power of perfect imitation. The next and ob-
vious step was to utilise this power by writing a
false order for the passbook of the person whose
signature was intended to be falsified, for the pur-
pose of knowing for what balance they might safely
draw. Then c'tme the engraving of the cheque,
and as it would not be quite safe to send the blank
to Somerset-house to be stamped, and as it was as
well to avoid even the slight suggestion of a sus-
picion which might possibly arise from the affixing
of an adhesive stamp, a die of the cheque stamp was
perfected after many trials, and the instrument
being filled up by Kerp, and the signature neatly
forged, the fraudulent instrument might be sup-
posed to be complete. A meaner mind would have
been satisfied, but not so Wagner. We must sup-
pose that Kerp, although the master penman, and
therefore necessary to the work of giving the true
style to the handwriting of the body of the cheque,
had his scholars among Wagner's friends. Whv
should Wagner throw away any part of the booty
upon this old man ? . His pupils, Bateman and
Chandler, could copy the forgery with sufficient
skill, and when the copies had been made Kerp's
original forgery was taken back to him with "no
effects" written upon it. Thus was the old forger
cheated out of all share in the produce of his origi-
nal work.

The next point, and the most difficult of all, was
the realisation of the amount. The presentation of
the cheque is to the forger what the moment of
projection is to the alchemist. It often passed
easily and prosperously; but there are operations
which do not become more facile from repeti-
tion, and it was necessary not only to provide
for the honest division of the proceeds in case
of success, but also for the escape of the agent inthe
eventuality of failure. When, for instance, the
confederates had just obtained £440 for a cheque
originally forged by poor Kerp, but copied and
presented by Chandler, it was probable that the
face of the gentleman who arranged that transaction
at the counter would be likely to dwell upon the
memory of the cashier. It was easier to produce
cheques than to find fresh agents to cash them ; and
this was the weak point in Wagner's system.
Wagner addressed himself to this difficulty with
his accustomed ingenuity. The agent was always
provided with proof that he was himself the trust-
Inc, and innocent victim of some untraceable
scoundrel. The preparation for this purpose was
highly artistical. First the intended agent inserted
an advertisement in a newspaper for occupation.
To this advertisement he received an answer, with
an appointment to meet the intended employer at a
coffee-house, or at some suddenly taken lodging.
The agent kept the appointment, and there wasninet
by the disguised confederate, who was to bear the
onus of the possible discovery. The meeting was
made as publicly as possible, and the endeavour was
that the landlord and waiters should be able to
swear distinctly to the identity of the agent, but
should know nothing of the disguised confederate.
Thus, if the dreaded catastrophe should happen—if
the agent should be stopped at the Bank, his inno-
cence was evident. He advertised for employment,
a sharper answered his advertisement, met him at a
coffee-house, and sent him to change the cheque.
The letters, the advertisement, and the perfectly I
true evidence of the waiters, bear out this tale' the
agent goes scot free, and the only result of the
failure is the loss of the forged cheque. Other
precautions were, of course, taken upon the I, Quis
custodiet custodes ?" principle. The agent was to be
watched lest he should run off with all the money ;
and, as it was better that it should be watched by
persons whom he could not identify, he was placed
at the corner of a street while those who were to
watch him passed among the crowd and made
themselves acquainted with his features.
This is the Wagner system as it has just been
developed during three days of investigation at the
Central Criminal Court. Its theory was perfect, but
it signally failed in practice. The forgeries ought
to be as much above suspicion as Caesar's wife; but
the ingenious deception put upon old Kerp had pro-
bably rendered the imitations less perfect than
those his cunning hand prepared. The theory re-
quires that the confederate who acts the swindler
at the coffeehouse should be untraceable ; but Wag-
ner played the part himself, and was traced; and,
lastly, the working of machinery requires coherency
of action and proper test of materials ; but Wagner
was entrapped by a journeyman baker, whom he
had tempted and trusted without sufficient test, and
he was denounced by an accomplice. This ingenious
man had been working in full security of being in
utter darkness, when he was all the time living and
moving under the bull's-eye of a detective police-
man. Wagner and Bateman, the two principal
authors of this great assault uro:i all commercial
confidence are now sentenced to penal servitude for
life. May we promise the bankers and merchants of
London that the career of these criminals is closed?
It is very difficult to say what the event may
be. Both these men were once before convicted
of crimes as grave as those for which they are now
under sentence ; and if their punishment had been
carried out the losses they have now occasioned
would
not
have concurred. They were, however,
let out. The usual story was told. upon the
trial. They received tickets of leave, and, armed
gaolwith andt l r
Colonel Jebb, the prison inspector, they
were, after a comparatively, short imprisonment,
let loose again seek their prey. If some
system had been adopted whereby credulous chap-
lains and tender-hearted prison inspectors
rs were
made responsible for the damagels:n
they
buynl inno-
centeh men at the hands of the ruffians
we should not n3w have to tell the fate If William'
Wagner, or to condole with the bankers upon the
free exercise of his pernicious ingenuity.

SERIOUS CHARGE.

CIRENCESTER, TUESDAY.
The Cirencester bench of magistrates were, until
a late hour yesterday evening, engaged in the in-
vestigation
of a charge preferred against Mr. Henry •
Pole, of Stratton-house, near Cirencester; German
Colburn, his groom ; Walter Mullis, his gardener ;
and Mary Colburn, the groom's wife, for abducting
a voter named John Kibblewhite, on the night
preceding the polling day, at the last Cirencester
election.
The Town-hall was crowded, and great interest
was excited by the proceedings. The magistrates
present were the Rev. Henry Cripps (chairman),
the Rev. Thomas Maurice, the Rev. Edward An-
drew Daubeny, Messrs. T. W. Chester Master, J.
Poole Haines, and E. D. Hartland. Among the
gentlemen also sitting on the bench was the Earl
of Suffolk.
The charge was laid under the 17th and 18th
Vietofia, cap. 2, sec. 5.
J . J. Powell, barrister-at-law, of the Oxford
instructed by Mr. W. L. Cooke, of Ciren-
cester,ecuirit' appeared to prosecute ; and Mr. H. W.
Cripps, of the same circuit, instructed by Messrs.
NAullings, Daubeny, and Chubb, of Cirencester,
appeared for the defence.
Mr. Powell, having opened his case, proceeded
to call the following witnesses :
John Kibblewhite deposed—l am a voter for
Cirencester. On the Thursday before the election
I saw Mr. Pole and Walter Mullis pass Mann's
beer-house, at Stratton. I had heard that Mullis
had been inquiring for me, and I went towards
him. Mullis told me that Mr. Pole wanted me to
open a drain that was stopped up. I went there
on the following morning, at half-past 4 o'clock. I
went there so early because, as it was nomination
day at Cirencester I wanted to leave for an hour
in order to hear the proceedings. I left Mr. Pole's
about half-past 10 o'clock, and came into Cirencester.
Previously to that I had two half pints of beer
in the butler's pantry. I returned from Ciren-
cester a few minutes past 12 o'clock. I had
nothing to drink while I was away. I resumed my
work. In the afternoon the butler ask me to go
into the saddle room. I went there, and had one
glass of beer. While J was in the saddle room
Mrs. Colburn, the groom's wife, came in, and asked
me to have a pipe of tobacco, and I did so. After
I had had the pipe she asked rue if I would like a
cup of tea, and I said I should. I went upstairs,
with her. The gardener (Mullis) also came up-
stairs, but I don't think he had any tea. The first
cup of tea I drank very well ; but the second cup I
told the mistress to put a little more sugar into, for
I did not like it. I drank the second cup, which
was very dark coloured. I do not recollect any-
thing after that until the next morning, when I
found myself in bed somewhere. I did not know
where I was. I felt very heavy in the head—not
as if I had been drinking, for if I had been drink-
ing I should have been sure to have remembered
something about it. I have no recollection how I
came there. I went downstairs and found I was at
Ashton Keynes. I was sick ; but I could not get
anything up. I stayed in the house no longer than
to put my shoes and gaiters on. I asked the land-
lord to put me on the road for Cirencester, and he
did so. I felt very ill on the road, and the nearer
I got to Cirencester the worse I was. At Water-
moor, near the town, I was picked up by a four-
wheel and brought up to the hustings. I was
unable to poll, or to do anything. I was not sen-
sible enough. I was taken to the Bear, and had
a " joey" of brandy and some tea given me, and I
was put to bed. I did poll ultimately. I felt the
effects of it for a week after, and was under Dr.
Smith all the time ; this was in consequence of
what had been done to me. A carriage going from
Mr. Pole's to Ashton Keynes would pass my own
door. lam a married man.
Cross-examined—Mending drains is part of my
occupation, if lam asked to do it for anybody: I
have done work for Mr. Pole on several previous
occasions—a good deal of work. On my return
from the nomination at Cirencester I went into Mr.
Mann's publichouse and sat down. I told them
there that I had had enough to drink already that
morning. So I had. Two glasses were quite
enough in the morning, but I could stand several
pints in the afternoon. I did not say I had had
some of Ponsonby's beer. When I got back to Mr.
Pole's I did not go to sleep by the pigstye, where
I was working. I neither sat down nor lay down.
I kept on with my work.
Re-examined—Between the time I left my work
and the time when I returned from the nomination
I had none of Ponsonby's nor anybody else's beer,
and I went into no one else's house.
Henry Cozier—l am in the service of Mr. Pole.
I recollect seeing Kibblewhite at work on the
nomination day. I also recollect seeing him in the
saddle-room about five o'clock in the afternoon.
Mr. Cripps here interposed, and said the witness
was not bound to criminate himself.
Mr. Powell said there was no charge against the

lad.
Witness—l heard Kibblewhite, while in the
saddle•room, say he should like a cup of tea, and
Mrs. Colburn said, " Come on then, old man." They
went upstairs together. I saw Kibblewhite come
down stairs afterwards with Mullis, the gardener.
It may have been between six and seven o'clock.
I cannot speak positively. When he came down
he was about the same as when he went up. I was
able to make out what he said. _ _ _

The witness was here asked by Mr. Powell if he
had not made a statement to Mr. Cooke, which
that gentleman took down, and which was very
different from what he now said.
Witness said he remembered being questioned by
Mr. Cooke in a public room, and his answers were
taken down. Something was read over to him
afterwards.
The Chairman—Was that the same as you had
stated
Witness—Yes.
Mr. Powell then handed a paper to the witness,
and asked him if that was the same that Mr. Cooke
read over to him.
Witness—Yes. I still say that Kibblewhite was
drunk when he went upstairs, and drunk when he
came down. Between eight and nine o'clock at
night I was told by Colburn to put Draper, one of
my master's horses, into my master's carriage. I
was told to run on and open the gates. I did so,
and the carriage went out. Colburn drove the car-
riage, and Kibblewhite and Mullis, the gardener,
were in the carriage. Mrs. Colburn had gone out
just before the carriage left with her bonnet and
shawl on. The supper-bell rang just afterwards.
It always rings at nine o'clock.
William Carpenter—l keep the Stratton turn-
pike-gate. Mr. Pole's carriage passes through fre-
quently. I know the carriage, and Colburn, the
groom. I remember the nomination day at Ciren-
cester. The carriage passed through that night
about nine o'clock. Four people were in the car-
riage. I saw Colburn and his wife, but the other
two I did not know. One of them, who was sitting
along with the driver, was in a leaning position,
and had either a shawl or a cloth on him. I stayed
up until a quarter past 12, as I knew that the car-
riage would have to come back to Mr. Pole's. I
then went to bed. About 1 o'clock, to the best of
my knowledge, I was aroused, and I got up and let
the carriage through.
Mrs. Charlotte Kibblewhite--I am the wife of
John Kibblewhite. I recollect the nomination day
at Cirencester. I never shall forget it. On that
night my husband was out all night. I know Mr.
Pole's carriage. I saw it pass my house that even-
ing, and I saw him sitting in the carriage with his
head lying on one side.
Mr. Cripps—Who was the "him 9"
Witness, with emphasis—My husband, sir ; I
have no other " him." (Laughter.)
Examination resumed—He had a " jim-crow" on
and a shawl over him. They did not stop at my
door. He was a voter. I did not care about the
voter, I wanted my husband. He came in to the
nomination, and returned between 12 and 1 o'clock.
He was perfectly sober. I know when he is drunk
fast enough.

Cross-examined—My husband was not drunk, he
was sober. I could take my oath it was him in the
carriage.
Re-examined—On the next morning I went to
Mr. Pole's to know what they had done with my
husband.
James Wilkins, the keeper of the Siddingtcn
turnpike-gate, on the Ashton Keynes side of Ciren-
cester was next called, but Mr. Powell stating that
he would only prove that the carriage passed and
re-passed through his gate, which could not be
disputed, he was not examined.
David Cove—l keep the King's Head Inn, at
Ashton Keynes. I remember Kibblewhite being
brought to my house on the night of the nomination
day, a little after 10 o'clock, by Mr. Colburn and
another man, and Mr. Colburn's wife. The other
man was called "the gardener." Colburn at first
said he had picked a drunken man up, and wanted
me to find him a bed. I told him I could not find
him a bed without turning out the girl. He then
said Mr. Pole had sent the man to my house, and I
was to keep him concealed until four o'clock the
next day, which was polling-day, so that he could
not vote. HI would do so, Colburn said he would
always respect me as long as he lived, and he would
give me anything. I asked him who the man was
and he said his name was Kibblewhite or Kibble
and that they came from Cirencester. I at last took
the man in because I did not think the man was fit
to go any further. He appeared like a drunken
man, stupid drunk. The gardener brought him
from the carriage into the kitchen in his arms, and
took him up to bed. Mrs. Colburn did not give
me anything. She gave my wife a bottle. I saw
the bottle after they were gone. It was rather

more than an inch in length. I did not see what
wasan
.ectis
tin;
-Named
.Ai
fntTehrt
he
Kibblewhite
liquidhihehuseeiviahnhi
ot ieut t wwhaaasls
putsf
a nd ahrtekeu asrh.
e dTt porterhheeyy
--.T) of beer and a bit of 'bacca. When they
had a dr. tiioeKeleblboleekw,haistei'sdirodonm(;tanthdit
H- e was abneedfooLeceks9e.uveenlnewee e,eenfl
o'clock
kns
were gone' we--
muf-our time uh p
auma with
efit him
of
the
the
untilrioet.
the next morning. This was iu
being sick and his appearance. He seemed
the next morning, rather better than I expected.
He came down stairs, and did not know where
he was until I told him. I put on his gaiters and
laced up his boots. My mistress asked him to have
a cup of tea, but he said "I will have nothing to
drink in the house." He jumped up, and off he
went. On the next day (Sunday) Colburn came to
my house on horseback, and asked. me how I came
to let the man go? I said I never intended keeping
him. Colburn then said, " What must I give you
for your trouble ?" I said, " What you like." He
gave me 15s. Kibblewhite had paid for his bed 6d.
Colburn asked me whether I would give him the
bottle, and I said " Yes." I did not want such a
thing in my house; I never had such a thing in my
house before. I gave him the bottle. I did
not see what was in the bottle. He said his
master, or Mr. Pole, I forget which, would be very
glad tc see the bottle. On the Monday evening
following I saw Mr. Cooke, and wrote a note to
Colburn. In reply I received a letter, in which he
asked me to meet him on Thorncote-common at one
o'clock. I went there, and met him, and went with
him to Somerford and had some beer. He asked
me if I said anything about it, and I said " I had
not yet." I told him that if ever I was had up I
should speak the truth. I thought I might be had
up. While we were talking Mr. Chubb came up,
and Colburn got into the carriage with him and
went off together. It was Mr. Pole's carriage, to
the best of my belief.
Cross•exammed—l will not swear it was Mr.
Pole's. I believe it was the same that the man
was brought in. Ido not know Mr. Chubb's car-
riage. I was not aware Mr. Chubb had one. I
knew Colburn when he lived at Colonel Shirley's,
at Ashton. I knew him very well. He slept at
my house a week. I and Mr. Pole are not ac-
quainted. I don't know him by sight even. I
should like to see him. On the day of the poll
Kibblewhite went away from my house about 8
o'clock in the morning. I persuaded him to go,
and he set off on the run.
By Mr. Hartland—Kibblewhite was sick. I
have seen people as sick as he was from drinking.
By Mr. Maurice—All that was due to me when
Colburn paid me the 15s. was seventeenpence.
Re-examined—My reason for going into the
man's room in the night was because of the bottle
that was left.
Mrs. Cove—l am the wife of the last witness. I
remember Kibblewhite being brought to our house
on the Friday night. Mrs. Colburn gave me a
bottle, and said I was to give him 20 drops in some
rum on the following morning. I showed the bot-
tle to a man named Williamson. It had a bit of
pink paper over the cork, and " Laudanum, poison,"
was printed on it. I understood that the man was
to be kept till morning, or to the middle of the day.
I did not hear any reason stated for keeping him.
I was not in the room. I will tell the truth as far
as I know. I was in the parlour when it was said
what the man was to be kept for. Mrs. Colburn
said nothing to me about Kibblewhite being.a
voter. She told me I was to get a drop of rum in
the morning, and put 20 drops of laudanum into it.
She said nothing more.
Mr. Cripps then addressed the jury at some
length and with much ability. He admitted that
the evidence against the three servants was of such
a nature that the magistrates would probably feel
it their duty to commit them for trial, but he im-
plored them to consider upon what slight grounds
they were called upon to commit Mr. Pole also.
The evidence did not touch Mr. Pole in the least,
and if they committed him for trial at the assizes
he would have a serious charge hanging over his
head for months, and no grand jury would find a
true bill on such evidence. To commit him, consi-
dering his position in life, would therefore, under
such circumstances, do him a grievous injury. With
reference to his horse and carriage being used, he
was not responsible for the acts of his servants when
they acted illegally. His name had been used by
his servants without his sanction. It was possible
that his servants might have fancied that what they
were going to do would please him, knowing the
interest he took in politics, and it was possible even
that some other person in the house—for there was
a mistress as well as a master—had given them the
orders, but there was nothing whatever against Mr.
Pole that would justify the Bench in committing
him for trial.
The Bench then retired for consultation, and
were absent about half an hour. On their return
the Chairman said they had decided to commit the
three servants for trial—namely, German Colburn,
Mary Colburn, and Walter Mullis. There was no
' case against Mr. Poly, and the charge was there-
fore dismissed. _ _

The accused were then fully committed for trial
at the ensuing Glocester assizes. They were ad-
mitted to bail, the men in a £lOO bond and the
woman in £2O, Mr. Pole, their master, being
accepted as surety.

THE EXPLOSION AT THE HOUNSLOW

POWDER MILLS.

Yesterday afternoon Mr. Wakley, and the jury
empanelled to investigate the circumstances at-
tending the late explosion at the Hounslow Powder-
mills, which occasioned such a deplorable loss of
life as well as the destruction of property, re-
assembled for the fourth time at the Prince Blucher
Tavern, Twickenham-green.

Ma. Sergeant Ballantine attended, as on the
previous occasions, to watch the proceedings on
behalf of Messrs. Curtis and Harvey, the pro-
prietors of the mills, and during the proceedings
the room was densely crowded.

After a short re-examination of the witnesses,
Robert Rouse and H. Atlee, the jury heard the
report of Dr. Thompson, lecturer on chemistry at
St. Thomas's Hospital.
The foreman then, after a short consultation,
handed in the following special verdict :
" We find that the deceased Thomas Albone was
killed by injuries inflicted in and upon his body by
the explosion of a certain large quantity of gun-
powder at the mills belonging to Messrs. Curtis
and Harvey, but by what means the explosion took
place there was no sufficient evidence to prove. In
returning this verdict the jury felt it to be an im-
perative duty to express their opinion that the works
of Messrs. Curtis and Harvey, where the explosion
took place, have been conducted in an exceedingly
loose and dangerous manner, and that the safety of
the workmen engaged in such establishments, and
of the public generally, requires the immediate
enactment of a law for subjecting all gunpowder
manufacturers to the stricgent supervision of Go-
vernment inspection and control, with a view to
the invariable adoption of the precautions and
recommendations similar to those contained in Dr.
Thompson's report. The jury think it right to
notice that of late years the works in question
have been greatly, and as they believe unlawfully,
increased, and that gunpowder has been kept in
such vast quantities as to be attended with danger
to workpeople employed therein, as well as to the
inhabitants of the surrounding neighbourhood."
_The proceedings then terminated.