Star.
London, England, 1814-03-12 00:00:00

THE LATE FRAUD ON THE
STOCK EXCHANGE.

. .

COMMITTEEROOM, MARCH /. '
The Sub-Committee of the Stock Exchange appoin-
ted to inquire into the circumstances relative to the
late Fraud on the public, have unanimously agreed
upon the following Report c
It appears in evidenee, from the examination of va-
rious pasties, and is already well known to the public'
that a person representing himself to be Colonel R.
Du Bourgh, Aide-de-Camp to Lord Cathcart, came
•tc' the Ship Inn at Dover, about one o'clock, on the
morning of the 21st of February. He stated, that he
Iliad just arrived from the coast of France, that he
brought the intelligence that Bonaparte had been
slain in battle, that the Allied Armies were in Paris,
and that Peace was certain. He immediately or-
dered a poit-chaise and four to be got ready ;—and
after having dispatched a letter to Admiral Foley at
Deal, communicating to him the above informyion,
with a view to its being forwarded to Government by
the Telegraph, set off with all expedition to London.
This pretended Messenger has been traced all the way
to town, and it appears that about a quarter before
.nine o'clock, he arrived at-Marsh-gate, Lambeth,
where he alighted, and got into a hackney-coach, in
which he was taken to No. 13, Green-street,.Grosve.

nor-square. • •
It likewise appears in evidence, from the examina-
tion of various persons, that (whilst this grand plot
was carrying on from Dover to London) a sort of
under-plot was also carrying on from North Fleet to
London. For, on the same morning, a person of the
:name of Ralph Sandom, who had ahiented himself
from the Rules of the King's Bench, set off from
North Fleet, in company with two other persods dres-
sed as foreigners, in a post-chaise to Dartford. When
they arrived there,' they got into a post-chaise and
four for London. They decked the horses with
- laurel, and directing the post-boys to drive over
London Bridge and through the City, they circula-
ted on their way, the same news as the pretended Du
Bourgh at Dover. This chaise passed over Black-
Friars Bridge, and stopped also within a short dis-
tance of the Marsh Gate.
The Sub-Committee, far various reasons which it
is unnecessary here to allude to, refrain from making
any observations 'on the evidence which they have
obtained relative to this subject. They therefore com-
municate it without a single comment. Their only
object has been to endeavour to find out the principal
Agents in this disgraceful and dishonourable transac-
tion; and they are happy to state, that there is every
reason to hope that the chain of evidence. which they
have been enabled to obtain, will finally lead to a
full discovery of the offending parties ; at the same
time they ha‘T the satisfaction of being able to de-
slare, that it does not appear that any Member of the
Stock-Exchange has been• implicated in the know!
•or participation of a measure which would
',Ave inevitably rendered him liable to expulsion from
the House.
It is unnecessary here to state the time and atten-
tion which the Sub-Committee have devoted to the
investigatiem of this subject. 'They cannot
,however
refrain from noticing the great difficulties and delay
whiiTh they have experienced in obtaiuing information
on those points, which would have-eriabli dithem to
- have brodght their 1 tbours to a mote-speedy anti
complete issue: For though they -hav had every
means of assistance voluntarily rendered to them by
his Majesty's Government and by the'Bank of Eng-
land', • inthose eases wheie it was very.ess-ential and
desirable, yet having -no legal power to compel the
attendance of persons whose evidence wont(' have
been of the greatest importance,', they have been ob..
• liged to resort to'a mores indirect..mode of procuring
the information on which their report is"founded.
Although the Sub-Committee, in thus presenting
the result of their labours,; may be considered as vir-
tually dissolved, yet they beg leave to .state that they
*are ready and willing to continue their exertiops as
long as they may be considered necessary. They are
in possession of still further information on the sub-
ject, which it is considered proper not to disclose at
Present, and which they hope acd expect will even-
tually crown their efforts with complete success. .
CHAS. L4VILENCE, CI:al/Tina FRANCIS WAKEFIELD
CHAS.NAIANC.Dtp.Chairmau FRANCIS DAILY
BENJAMIN OAKLi.Y JOHN !awls
Lewis A. DE LA CHAUMETTE JOHN CAREL
CuRISTOP#Lit TERRY WILLIAM HANISIOND.
MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.
TIIOMAS SHILLING stated, that he is a post-boy at
the Marquis of Granby Inn, at Dartford; that he
took up a person about halt-past seven o'clock, on
Monday morning, February the 21st ; that he drove
*the wheel-horses; that when the gentlemat got into
the chaise, 'the waiter asked him if he knew of any
news, to which he replied, that ,f it was all over :"
that when the waiter asked him what he meant by its
being all Qvir, he said; that Bonaparte was torn in a
thousand pieces, and that the Cossacks fought for -a
share of him that, at the time he said this, he was
in the chaise; that he ordered the post-boys to drive
fast, and that -they accordingly did drive very fast
for the first threg miles, but when they came to the
first hill at Bexley Heath, he told them they need not
drive so fast; that he said his business was not so
particular now, Since he thought the telegraphs could
not _work, Shilling replied, that he was site tEcf!
could not, as he knew all the telegraphs ; that tl*
gentleman then looked out of the chaise-window and
said, " post-boy! you need not mention the news as
you go along ;" to which Shilling repligd, " I shall
pot, Sir, unless you desire it ;" and at the same time
• asked him what the news was ? The gentleman then.
told him exactly what he had stated to the waiter,
with these additional circumstances, that he came,
ashore within two miles of Dover, the Fienchnien
being afraid to come nearer ; That he came from the
lace where he landed to the Ship Inn at Dover, and
left it at two 04ciOCk in the morning ; thathe had sent
the intelligence to the Port-Admiral at Deal, in or-
der that the telegraph
:itight be worked, and that
he was obliged to do so. The Gentleman then
,a to the post-boys till- they got to
when they dismounted and walked by
the horses, He Ikaye. them out of the
f- a bottle of wine and Some,biseuits, and
' Post-boy ! I think I shall take a
Shilling told him that the first
1:1410. Was at the Bricklayers' Arms.

.

•
He replied, 0 I shall not get out there, &at wont do ;"
and asked if there was not a coath.stand in Lambeth.
road, and desired him to drive on to that place, a;
the chaise would go faster than a coach. At the same
time the Gentleman told Shilling, that he need not
mention any thing as he went on, but that on return-
ing he might mention it to whom he pleased. When
'they came to the Stags at Lambeth, there was no
coach there. The Gentleman then drew up the side-
blind of the chaise (at the corner where he sat) as if
to hide himself, and the post-boys drove on to Marsh-
Gate. They stopped at the side of a hackney-coach
standing there, and on the chaise-door and the coach-
door being opened, the Gentleman got into the coach
and drove off, after having given a gold Napoleon
to each of the drivers. Shilling asked the waterman
where the Gentleman ordered the coachman to drive,
and he replied, to Grosvenor-square." Shilling
described the Gentleman as having a large red nose,
large whiskers, face rather blotched, and that, when
he spoke, his eyes seemed to catch ; he thinks him
about the height of Sayer, the Police-officer, but not
quite so tall or so lusty : he had on a brown surtout,
and a red coat under it, a brown fur cap with some-
thing like silver lace ca it. He had also a sword and
a small portmanteau, which were laid on the seat of
the chaise. He paid for the chaise at Dartford, and
ordered it to drive to Downing-street. Shilling says,
he has no doubt but that he should know him again.

WILLIAM CRANE stated, that he is the driver of
the hackney-coach,. No. 89();----that he took up, on
Monday; February '2l, at about forty minutes past
eight o'clock in the morning at the Marsh-Gate, a
Gentleman who had just alighted Worn a Dartford
chaise and four ;—that he was directed to drive to
No. 13, Green-street, Grosvenor-square, where the
Gentleman alighted, and knocking at the door, in-
quired for Colonel or Captain
man did not hear the name] and was told by the
servant, that he was gone to breakfast in Cum-
berland-street ;—that on receiving this reply, the
Gentleman asked if he could write a note to him,
and on being answered in the affirmative, he went
into the parlour apparently for that purpose; that
he took his portmanteau and sword in his hand,
and laid them down as if familiar with the house;
that on Crane's asking him for more money, he came
to the parlour-door and gave him another shilling ;
that Crane then left him in the house, and the door

being stunt he drove away; that he should know the
house again to which he drove, and also that he
should know the gentleman again by his speech ;
that he looked like a foreigner, had a cough, and was
a red-faced man about the middle size ; that he had
on a brown great-coat with a red coat under it, and
a. fur cap with gold lace ; that the servant who open-
' ed the door was a short man, rather elderly, and
dressed in black clothe.
Mr. SAYER, the Police-OfTicer in attendance, stated,
that on Saturday, Feb. 26, he went. with 'William
Crane, the. hackney-coachman, to Green-street, in
order to identify the. house. When*. they arrived
there he desired the coachman to knock at the door,
and (under some pretence) to inquire for the gentle-
man whom he had set down there on Monday. He
did so, but was answered from the area, that the
gentleman did not live there, that Mr. Durand did
live there, but that he had just left it ; that the fa-
Mily nos*, residing there was Lord Cochrane's, and
that they came in only on Friday last. Sayer asked
the coachman if he had any recollection of the ser-
vant, heleplied tha-t it was riot the. same footman
whs) opened•the'door here on Monday when the gen-
tleman alighted.
At • •
a subsequent examination Mr. Sayer stated,
thatite had• obtained information in the neighbour-
hood, that Mr. Durand left No. 13, Green-street, on
Wednesday,- Feb. 16, and that. Lord Cochrane came
in a day or two afterwards.
- Mr. Sayer being instructed to obtain the most
correct intormation upon the subject, stated, at anr-
Alter examination,. that he had ascertained that Lord
Cuehrane came into the house, No. 13, Green-street,
on Thursday, Feb. 17, but that, it is uncertain whe-
ther Mr. Durand slept there that night or not ; he
likewise stated, that 4,e had ascertained that Lod
Cochrane, his brother, and three or four more men,
live in the house ; that the man-servant had been
turned off and another hired ; that the servant who let
in the pretended Du Bourgh is sent into the coun-
try ; that the maidservant is not allowed to be seen or
sp:len to—that tho- house is Mr. Durand's, who has
let it furnished, to Lord Cochrane—that Mrs. Durand
has been seen to wear such a cap as the one which
the pretended Du Bourgh is said to have worn.
Mr. LAURENCE (Cha;rman of the Committee),
stated, that he had been to Messrs. Bond and Co.
bankers, and had ascertained, that the four tel Bank
notes whiait the pretended Du Bourgh is said to have
paid away to the Landlord of the Ship Inn, Dover,
together with another £1 Note, which he had paid
away on the road, were in their hands between the
hours of one or two o'clock on Saturday, the 19th of
February ; on being asked whether they could tell to
whom they had paid away any quantity of R 1 Notes
after that time on _Saturday, they said they could not
without a great deal of trouble, but that if Mr. Lau-
rence would mention the name of any person, they
would turn to their account, and endeavour to ascer-
tain the fact. He requested them to see if any cheque
of Mr. Fearn's was paid on that day, wholly or in
part, in R 1 Notes ; but it did not appear that any of
his cheques were paid in that way. One of the clerks
however stated, that about three or four o'clock on
that day, Mr. Thomas Christmas, a clerk to Mr.
Fearn, requested to have fifty al Notes in exchange
for four £lO Notes and two R 5 Notes, which were
accordingly given to him.
Mr. THOMAS CHRISTMAS stated, that he was a clerk
to Mr. Fearn, but could not recollect having ex-
changed the notes in question ; he however said, that
he would not take his oath he did not. After much
hesitation and apparent unwillingness, he at length
acknowledged that be had exchanged the four RIO
and two 45. Notes for Mr. Butt, to whom he deli?
vered the fifty 411 Notes. 1
Mr. Gtovea, from the Bank of England, Investi-
-gator of Bank Notes, stated, that.the four ten-pound
Bank notes which had been delivered by Mr. Bnu to ,
Thomas Christmas, in order to get exchanged, Artie'
paid on February 16, by Messrs. Bond and Co. in
part of the value of a draft for seventy-five pounds,
drawn.by Mr. Yearn, and payable to Mr. Batt,
Mr. JOSEPH fameg, a stock-broker, stated, that he
knew Lord Cochrane, the Hon. A. Cochrane John-
stone, and MI. A. G. Butt t¢aß he had been 14 the

. • .
habit 40f transacting business -each of them in the
public Funds ; that on the morning of the 21st of
February, he sold for various persons Consols and
Omnium to a very large amount—in the whole about
g 928,000, Of this sum there wese sold for

•MNIUM. CONSOLS.
Lord Cochrane ..... £139,000 None.
1-lon. A. C. Johnston.t
Mr. Butt
most of which had been purchased in the course of the
week preceding ; that Mr. Butt often acts for Lord
Cochrane, in his instructions to buy and sell Stock,
and that such bargains are always acknowledged as
correct by Lord Cochrane ; that Lord Cochrane, Mr.
Cochrane Johrvtone, and Mr. Butt, were with him by
ten o'clock of the morning of the 21st of February.;
that Mr. Cochrane Johnstone took an office for him
in Shorter's•court (next door to the Stock Exchange)
without his knowledge, and that he entered it on the
morning of the '2lst of February ; that although he
sold a great deal of Stock on that day, yet ( with the
exception of the three names above mentioned) he
did not sell for any one person above ,E. 55,000 ; that
Lord Cochrane bought 820,000 of the Omnium
above mentioned on Saturday, Feb. 19, and Mr.
Cochrane Johnstone bought £60,000 of it on Friday,
Feb. 18 ; that he thinks Mr. Cochrane Johnstone and
Mr. Butt acted in concert on Monday, Feb. '2l, al-
though at other times they have occasionally acted
d fferent ways in the purchase and sale of Stock ; that
the whole of the above business was done for the next
settling days, and not for money.
Mr. HICHENS, a stock-broker, was sent for ; but it
being understood he was confined to his bed with a
severe fit of illness, Mr. Wakefield (one of the Sub-
Committee) waited upon him, and learned frcrn
him, that .although he had known Mr. Cochrane
Johnstone for some years, yet he had not done any
business for him in the Public Fiinds before the pre-
sent year; that about the Sth of February he be—
gan to make some purchases in Omnium, which
had increased to such an extent, that on the 14411.0 f
February it amounted to JESG3,(XIO ; that of this sum
£200,000 was sold on Feb. the 16th, and £115,000
on February the 17th—that the remaining sum of
£250,000 was sold on the morning of February the
21st; that out of this sum of £2.50,000, it was stated
by Mr. Cochrane Johnstone, that £50,000 was for a
friend of his, and he consented to be a guarantee for
any loss which might accrue; that he does not know
Lord Cochrane, or Mr. Butt.
Mr. Smaueoxr., a Stock-Broker, stated that he
had bought (a few days prior to February the 21st)
£4.0,000 Omnium for Mr. Cochrane Johnstone, and
£lO,OOO Omnium for Mr. Butt; that both these were
sold in the morning of February the 21st ; that the
bargains were made for the next settling-day, and not
for money.
Mr. J. M. RICHARDSON (a Bookseller, but occa-
sionally acting AS a Stock-Broker) stated, that on
the afternoon of Saturday, February the 19th, Mr.
Butt applied to him to buy £150,000 Omnium frr
the next settling day ; that he had once purchased
£20,000 Omnium for him, and gained 5-Sths per
Cent. on the transaction ; but that he declined enter-
ing on so large a speculation as the one now proposed;
that however he did purchase £30,000 Omnium tor
him as he requested ; and that he sold it on tlic morn-
ing of February the '2lst.
[From these statements it appears, that on the af-
ternoon of Saturday, February the 19th, the three
parties above-mentioned may he considered as having
purchased for the next settling-days the following
sums, viz.

OYINIUM. CONSOLL
Lord Cochrane £139,000
Han. A. C. Johnstone X410,000 set 00,000
Mr. Butt

Total £773000 £268,000
The whole of which was sold on the morning of
Monday, February the 21st].
F. 11A I.Dfl EY stated, that he is a post.boy, at the
Rose Inn, Dartford ; that on Monday, February the
21st, he took up Mr. R. Sandom and two other per-
sons at Dartford, in a post•chaise and four ; that he
was ordered to dtive over London Bridge, through
the City, and over Blackiriar's Bridge, down the
New Cut, towards the Marsh Gate ; that the men
had cocked hats with a white cockade in each; that
the horses were decorated with laurel ; that they
came from Dartford to London in about an hour and
an halt ; that they all three got out about two hun-
dred yards from the Marsh Gate, where they arrived
about twelve o'clock, and tying up their cocked hats
walked off in round ones ; that he knows Sandom
very well, but does not know the other two; that
these two others had blue great coats on, one of
which was laced across ; that one of them is a thin
man, and the other had a roundish face ; that he
thinks he should know one of them again, but is not
certain of knowing the other. Sandom gave the post-
boys twelve shillings each, but did not settle•for the
chaise ; that he had seen Sandom since.
Mr. WoLee stated, that on the evening of the 21st
of February, he was at the Carolina Coffee-house,
where he saw Sandom, who said that he had received
an order to bring the twp persons to town with him ;
that Sandom showed him the order, which was writ-
ten in French ; a gentleman present copied it.
Mr. P. Foxatt., master of the Rose Inn, Dart-
ford, wrote to the Sub-Committee, enclosing Mr.
Sandom's order for the chaise, and at the same time
mentioning that Sandom had not yet called to pay
for it.

Mr. VINN stated, that on Tuesday, February the
15th, 3.e met by appointment at the Carolina Coffee-
house, a person named Alexander M'Rae, whom he
had formerly known ; that Mr. M'Rae proposed to
him a plan similar in every respect to that which was
adopted on the following Monday by the pi etended
Du 13ourgh ; that if he would personate the Mes-
senger, he would have all his expenses paid, and
would be handsomely rewarded for his trouble. Mr.
Vinn, however, considering this to be a dishonour-
able transaction, declined having any thing to do with
it, and has since been very active in endeavouring to
find out M'Rae, but hitherto without 'any effect ;
M'Rae is considered as a man in distressed circum-
stances, as intentionally secreting himself from the
Public.
Mr. HoLLowAY, hiving requested to attend the
Committee, stated, that although he knew Mr. San-
dom and Mr. M'Rae, yet he Was totally unacquain-
ted with the plot which was carried into 'effect on Fe-
bruary the 21st; that be certainly did sell someatock

* At a iubsequent exatninttion, Mr. Fawn e:apressed some
doubt upon Ws point as to Lord Cochrane.

OP

on that day, but not so much as lie had been in the
habit of doing at other times, when a rise in the pub.
lic funds took place,
Mr. R. SANDom having requested to attend the
Committee, stated that lie resided at North Fleet;
that about an hour before day-light on the morning
of February the 9.lst, two men dressed like foreigners,
and pretending to have come recently from the coast
of France, landed near his house from a six-oared
galley, and having called him up, delivered to him a
note, purporting to have been written by a persoil
of the name of Partridge, whom he had formerly
known at Dever, requesting him to take these two
persons to London, who had groat public news to com-
municate to Government, but not to suffer them to
be at any expense; that accordingly did order a
chaise from Dartford, and they proceeded (in Olt.
manner already described) to Marsh-Gate, where
they alighted :—that they then went to Westminster-
Bridge and teak a boat to Whitehall, and on entering
one of the passages of that building the two men tcrk
leave of him, by saying they had no further occasion
for his services :—that lie has not seen or heard of
them since ;—that he has•however seen partridge
and finds that the order sent to him was a forger).
Mr. Sandom stated that he had no account in the
Stock Exchange ; that he disclaimed all knowledge
of any of the parties in the plot, and said that fc;
some time he believed the report (which was circula
ted) to have been true. .

4.$

rid no more
040Ptvra4-lill,
the s* of the
fhaise, part of a
.
to, §hiping
h4ckP?Y !coach.'
t4c1.917-c9ish.