The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-02 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY IMPOSTURES.

An extraordinary case of imposition has come to light
during the pre-ient week, the circumstances being of a
nature exeibiiing a vast amount of credulity on the part
of the poor woman who has been deprived of her property,
and, at the same time, a succession of artful impositions
on the part of a worthless creature, who has succeeded for
years past in living " by her wits" in a most disgraceful
manner. It appears from the facts which have c .me to
our knowledge, that Ann Rawlins, or Rollins, the subject
of this notice, was born of humble parents in the little
village of Beaulieu, in the New Forest, and that when
old enough to be placed out to service was recoms
mended to a working painter, living in Brewhouse-court,
Southampton, named G. Lock. Lock was at the time
engaged to be married, and the romantic story told by
Rawlins induced both him and his intended to manifest
considerable interest in her welfare, the whole of her
statements being received with a degree of credence
which is quite astonishing. She stated that, at an
early age, when attending a parochial school, a great
fancy was taken to her by a gentleman, who was at that
time a resident clergyman, but who has since become a
colonial bishop. The gentleman in question made an
application to the Queen for a situation as a bishop in
England, with no wish or desire to go abread ; but he
thought that when the Qiteee offered him the situation
abroad he could not do less than accept it. Atter
the bishop left England a young man of colour came
to Beaulieu on a visit, and at the house of her
grandfather, Mr. Godden, became enamoured of the fair
Ann's charms, and offered her marriage. The young
man went to London, and before he had an opportunity
of fulfilling his engagement he was afflicted with a sick-
ness, from which he died, leaving Ann the property,
which he had brought with him to England for his sup•
port, as a testimony of his affection and regard for her,
and which amounted to the sum of 1,6001.
This munificent gift was placed in one of the South-
ampton banks, a man named Ward, of Beaulieu, being
entrusted with the care of the banking-book, but as Ward
did not fulfil his duty in seeing that the interest on the
principal was punctually paid, the trust which had been
confided in him was transferred to a well-known medical
gentleman in Southampton, who had been in attendance
upon the bishop's family during his residence in Eng-
land, and was in the habit constantly of receiving letters
from his lordship, requesting that Ann might be well
taken care of, as he intended to return to England for
the purpose of marrying her, and would well reward those
who showed her any kindness, as well as discharge any
debts which she might incur uctilshe came in possession
of the sum vested in trustees in her behalf. Ann was
treated with the best which the house could afford, and
when Mr. Lock at length became a husband, vast were
the expectations formed by himself and wife as to the
benefits they would ultimately derive from Ann living
with them. Lock's income was found to be ton precari-
ous to defray the ordinary household expenses, and this
at length led to a very reluctant notice being given to
Ann to quit her service. Ann protested that she had no
home at that time to go to, and held out such hopes of
the benefits which must ultimately be derived from any
assistance that was rendered her, that Mrs. Lock ulti-
mately consented to return to the service in which she
was formerly employed at the house of a Ventleman
living at Brettenharn Perk, Biddlestone, Suffolk, and
support herself there, leaving Awn still in the house to
take cere of her husband, on condition that she kept
him clean and tidy, and took charge of her furniture
and various boxes containing Indian goods and articles
of value which she had acquired by her industry. Ann
wrote from time to time informing her how things were
going on, and, in letter, the orthography of which was
very indifferent, repeated statements alleged to have
been made by the bishop in his correspondence with
the me, deal gentleman to whom we have alluded, and
others of well-known standing and respectability, in
order to show the fond regard which he still entertained
fir her, and the delight with which he was centem-
plating a visit to England to make her his wife. Ann's
letters nearly, or always concluded with a request for a
loan of money, and for a period of three years this re-
quest was repeatedty made only t > be readily complied
with, until at length the sum thus advanced to her
amounted to about 1001., the whole of Mrs. Lock's bard
earnings. In one letter Ann detailed how a young man
in Southampton had dared to profess that he loved her,
but as she was of opinion that her money was the object
of his affection, she determined to remain true to tae
bishop. How this determination was persevered in may
be judged by the fact that, after a time Ann was with
child, and most numerous were the congratulations
offered to Mr. Lock upon the fact of his being about to
become a papa, but the wife was quite satisfied that this
could not be, because she received a letter from Ann
imputing the paternity to somebody else, and, as Ann
always told the truth, she must believe her, for, as Look
remarked to us wits a smile, " People will talk, you
know, sir, and says lots of things, but you can't be-
lieve 'em." But now arose the question, what woull
the bishop say ? and anxious were Mrs. Lock's in-
quiries of Ann upon this point, but her suspicions
teat she would lose the bishop's favour were soon
dispelled by the receipt of a letter from Ann,
stating that she' had thought it best to make his
lordship acqeaiined with toe whole of the circumstances,
and that though he was very angry at what had occurred
be should forgive her this time on condition that it
should not happen again I The child was maintained for
two years at the ex dense of Mr. and IVlre. Lock, on the
promise that on the arrival of the bishop, the worthy
doctor, as trustee, would see them repaid for their trouble
out of the fund, which had now accumulated by

nterest to the sum of 1,7001., and to show how

faithfully the doctor fulfilled his charge in taking care,
not only of her health bat of her worldly pros-
pect, he had, fearing the failure of the Southampton
Bank, in which the "money was invested, removed
the whole to the Christ Church Bank. The girl,
finding at last that some additional reason was necessary
to induce Mrs. Lock to grant her a further loan, having
ascertained, it is supposed, by looking at one of the
newspapers, that a vessel was leaving Australia for Eng-
land on the 25th of May, wrote to Mrs. Lock to say
that the bishop was coming by her, and as Mrs. Lock
found by referring to the Times, that a boat did leave
Australia on that day, she says she could do nothing
else than believe everything which bad been told her.
The boat at length-arrived, and no bishop came : the hus-
band, instead of being taken care of, and "made tidy,"
was neglected ; during his absencs on a visit to Ly-
mington in search of work, the boxes in the house
containing articles of the greatest value, were all ran-
sacked of their contents ; and at last the fair Ann
herself decamped. Mrs. Lock Wrote in great tribu-
lation to the medical gentleman at S.nithampton, who
took no notice of the communication, and was soon after-
wards waited upon by the good lady herself, when, to
her great astonisbtnent, the doctor assured her that he
had not the slightest knowledge of any of the parties,
and knew nothing of the money or the bishop. Mrs.
Lock could hardly believe the truth of what she heard,
but was at length compelled to acknowledge that she
must have been deceiver], and as the whole story
turns out to be a fabrication, the affair has now been
placed in the hands of the police, a search warrant being
granted by the magistrates to enable the house of the
girl's father at Beaulieu to be examined, to ascertain if
the property is secreted there. The bench bas also
given directions to apprehend Ann herself, but she is at
present non e t.—Poole Herald.