Star.
London, England, 1821-11-01 00:00:00

FORGLRY ON THE BANK OF SCOTLAND.

PARIS COURT OF ASSIZE, OCT. 25.
The trial of .lames M'Dougal, alias William Har-
per, alias Debreton, commenced this day before the
Court of Assize. He was indicted for having corn-
' initted certain forgeries upon the house of Barillon
and Co. in Paris, and the Bank of Scotland, and cir-
-calating them knowing them to be forged.
The prisoner, in contradiction to the declarations
of numerous witnesses who recognized him as
Wil-
liam Harper M'Dougal, said that his name was
James Harper, and that he had generously substi-
tuted himself for his brother, in order to save him
from an ignominious sentence. The prisoner had
lixed in Edinburgh in 1819 under the name of Debre-
toh, Where he taught the French and German lan-
guages. He disappeared suddenly before the forgeries
were discovered, and an outlawry followed. He re-
Paired to Paris, where he assumed the name of Capt.
Wm. Harper, and lodged in the most elegant hotels
he could find. He frequented the gaming tables, and
became intimate with some English gentlemen of dis-
tinction.. In the month of June, 1820, under the
name of William Harper M'Dougal, he was married
to Miss Elizabeth Bedford Hodges, in the Chapel of
the English Embassy. Some time after he waited on
M. Barillon, the banker, and presented to him a let-
ter of credit from the Directors of the Rank of Scot-
land for £l,OOO sterling. This pretended. letter of '
credit, which had a false stamp and all the appear.
ance of the Bank of Scotland paper, was not sus-
pected by M. Barillon, who allowed Harper to draw
two bills on him, one for £6OO, and the other for
£4OO. Drafts which he gave to different persons in'
discharge of his marriage expenses, lodgings, &c.
were also paid without hesitation. The amount of
these drafts was 1'2,699 franc,. The Bank of Scotland,
knowing nothing of Wm. Harper, allowed his bills to
be protested, and M. Barillon found he had been doped.
It w as discovered that he had fled to Ghent, but on the
application of the French Government he was deli-
vered up by the Authorities of the Netherlands, and
on the 23d March lodged in the prison of Lille. He
there made a very strange declaration. lie asserted
that he was not the person accused, but his brother,
and that he bad, in concert with the wife of William
M‘Dottgal, planned his escape. Through the manage-
ment of the wife, her husband had been sent forward
to Lille under the care of a single officer. The car-
riage which conveyed him was about to leave the
yard of an inn at Coudray, when the prisoner (James),
who had followed his brother oh horseback, and was
dressed exactly like hint, stepped into the coach while
the horses were changing. He quickly put on his bro-
ther's cloak and cap, who escaped. James now in-
sisted that he was only liable to the punishment for
assisting in an escape. The indictment, however,
charges the prisoner with being the same persrn who
bad been successively linowa under *e names of

Prisoner.-41.arper is the name of a person who kit him
money, on condition he should take the hams of the testator.

Pre ;Went—You say you got clothes made similar to your bro-
ther's : what tailor made them!

Prisoner.—Why do you ask such questions? As I know that
the Belgian Government is despotic, I shall take good care not
to mention the name of the tailor, for that would only get hint
thrown into prison. _

In answer to these questions, the prisoner sketched
with a pencil a plan of the yard of the inn at Cour.
tray, to explain the mode in which he said his bro.
ther escaped.

The Court then proceeded to examine witnesses to
prove the prisoners identity. Several persons with
whom he had lodged or associated, deposed that he
was the William Harper or M.Dougal described in
the indictment, and that he used to speak French per-
fectly well.
Major Foley, of the British service, recognized the
prisoner. He had dined with him, and had seen him
mere than fifty times.
The prisoner put questions to the witness, which
were interpreted to the Court. The Major said that
he observed no difference in his style, except that in
1920 he spoke like an Englishman, whereas now he
assumed a Scotch accent, which might be easily
imitated.
M. Byerley had become security for the prisoner to
the amount of 800 francs, which he was obliged to
pay. He afterwards challenged him, and they were
to meet in the Bois de Vincetirks, where the witness
waited three hours and a half after the time ap-
pointed, but prisoner never came.
President.—Are you quite certain of the Identity of the
prisoner ?
M. Byerley.--I hare not the least doubt. If he will take of
the handkerchief which he has tied about his head, you will see
that he is bald.
The prisoner refused to remove the handkerchief
pistil all the witnesses had been examined respecting
the colour of his hair. He said the truth was that M.
Byerley had endeavoured to swindle his brother out
td. I:800 francs. This he would prove by the testi-
mony of Mr. Manning.
Mr. Manning (an English lawyer) was immedi-
ately called. 'He stated that a Captain Harper, who
appeared to be the same person a 5 the prisoner. had
consulted him on his difference with M. Byerley.—
The dispute was settled by arbitration.
M. Ilyerley was again called up, and went into de-
tails respecting the life of the prisoner, who, he Said,
had been married in Edinburgh' under the name cf
Debreton, and had under that name published a
French Grammar.
The prisoner was repeatedly checked by the Court
for putting insolent questions to the Gentlemen and
other witnesses.
Several tradesmen with whom the prisoner had
dealt identified him. A Mr. Drake had sold him three
horses, for which he was paid by bills on M. Bat illon.
The prisoner asked this witness whether he thought
a Scotsman could imitate the English accent.
Mr. Drake.-1 cannot tell.
The ADVOCATIC•GENERAI..—The witness, it is true,
is an Englishman ; but he is a connoisseur in horses,
and not in languages.
M. Barillon had not the slightest hesitation in re,
cognizing the prisoner, who spoke French perfectly.
A Captain I Carper had been arrested in London in=
stead of the prisoner, but the innocence adult Gen-
tleman was soon proved, and it was ascertained that
the prisoner's real name was Debreton, and that he
had been a teacher of languages at Edinburgh.
Mr. Sloper, an Engli it lawyer, stated that he had
been consulted by M. Bat illon on a letter of credit
produced by a person calling himself Harper, and
that he had seen no I e. 1,011 to doubt its authenticity:
He had seen the prisoner at M.Barillott's bank, and
now recognized hint.
The Court adjourned to five o'clock. HavFng re-
assembled at that hour, the Advocate-General and
the prisoner's Counsel were heard ; after which the
President summed up the case.
The Jury having debberated for three quarters of
an hour declared the pi itonCr Gai/Py-15t, of forgery
of commercial and banking wt itings ; 2d, of having
used a forged stamp of the Batik of Scotland; 3d, of
forgery of private writing.
The sentence of the Court was, eight years hard
labour, pinery, branding, and SGQ francs fine.

_

<~

E E4N' N G STAR_

• I*. LONDON.
. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1. 1891.
ALL SALets.....lleiltlay at the Beak.

The Paris Papers of Sunday and' Monday have
• arrived. A letter from Barcelona, of the 17th Oc-
tober, gives a frightful picture of the ravages which
the plague continues to make in that devoted city.
Dr. Marrr, one of the French physicians who
went there with the benevolent object of arresting
the progress of the epidemy, has fallen a victim
to it: another, M. REILLY, is dangerously ill. The
remaining three, MM. PARISET, Faaucots, and Ro•
cuoux, had determined to withdraw to some of the'
country houses in the neighbourhood, to wait till the
malady has abated.
The greatest embarrassment is experienced at Bar-
celona in consequence of the accumulation of dead
bodies, with which the streets are filled. Persons
cannot be prevailed on for any price to undertake the
dangerous business of removing them.
The funeral of Cardinal PERIGORD took place on
Saturday. It was celebrated with great solemnity in
the metropolitan church of Paris.
Macdoval, an account of whose trial for forgery
will be found in the 'preceding page, has appealed
against the sentence condemning him to hard labour
and pillory. He persists in asserting that he only'
passed himself for his brother, who, he says, will not
fail to come forward and prove his innocence.
French Funds, Oct. 27, Five pa Cents. 90f. sc.

We have received to-day Madrid Papers to the
18th ult. The following ate extracts:

MADRID. OCTOBER 16.

Excepting in a place the name of which we do not
care to recollect, the parochial elections made in the
Provinces show the cams spirit of order, moderation,
and love of the Constitution, of which Madrid has
given such a distinguished example. The elections
have generally fallen on persons worthy of the public
confidence, and who promise not to frustrate the
hopes of the friends of the Constitutional System when
the time for the district elections shall arrive. This
uniformity of opinions is a fresh proof that the public
spirit becomes every day more and snore consolidated.

YELLOW FEVER.
BARCELONA, OCTOBER la
Rennin. New eases. Cured. Deaths.
Oct. 6, 603 124 23 $9
-7, 621 117 21 74
•-••-• a, 643 120 14 B 4
-9, 665, of whom 111 are stated to be convalescent.
The above list includes the City, Barcelonetta,
and Hospital.

PUERTA DE SANTA MARIA, OCTOBER 6.
From the Ist to the 6th inclusive, there have died
in this place, and Hospital, 39 persons ; 52 have been
cured, and the number of the sick is at present 814.