The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-03-13 00:00:00

OBTAINING GOODS BY FALSE PRETENCES.

(From the Manchester Guardian, of Saturday.)
Some successful frauds have been recently practised in this
town, by a man of somewhat decent exterior, whose name :ap-
pears to be Alexander Hayes or Hay. In consequence of in-
formation communicated by some of the suffering parties, Liud-
say, the Salford-beadle, proceeded, on Monday last, to a respec-
table house, No. 80, Oldfield-road, Salford, near' the Liverpool
and Manchester Railway, and found Hay there. He took him
into custody, and told him that the charge against hies was fur
having obtained some godds by false pretences, and, without
having paid for them, having resold them at a much lower price.
Hay acknowledged that he had purchased but not paid for the
goods, and that he had sold them again. In airswer to further
inquiries as to his name, &c., he presented Lindsay with his
card, which was to the following effect:—"'dr. Hay, surgeon
and accoucheur, (late of the honourable East India Company's
service,) 80, Oldfield-road, Salford." He told Lindsay that he
had just returned from the East Indies ; but, notwithstanding
all this apparent respectability, Lindsay conveyed him to the
lock-up, and the next day the prisoner was placed at the bar of
the New Bailey, and some evidence was given, sufficient to au-
thorize his detention ; after which he was remanded to yester-
day, in order to give an opportunity of making inquiries, and
getting further evidence as to various cases.
Yesterday the prisoner was again placed at the bar. He had
a military air, and wore an invisible green-frock coat, and blue
cloak with .velvet collar. Mr. Cooper, attorney, who appeared
for the complainants, first called Mrs. Hannah. Barnett, glass
dealer, of the Staffordshire House, Peter-street; and it appeared
from her evidence and that of her daughter, that the prisoner
first called there on the 11th ult., and ordered some decanters,
&c. of the daughter. Mrs. Barnett went the day afterwards to
the prisoner's house, to see if, from appearances there, she might
venture to give the prisoner credit; and, finding several joiners
at work, an the house fitted up in a respectable style, she
thought she might trust him, especially as he also stated that he
was a doctor who had been in the East India Company's ser-
vice, and was retiring with an allowance or pension. She
ac-
cmdingly delivered:some of the goods, and he afterwards cause
again'and obtained sonic more, and then gave his name Dr.
Hay, and stated that he had a pension of 7s. 6d. a day, besides
prize money and other allowances to the extent of £2OO a year
additional. lie had retired from the service, and meant, he
said, to reside here on his income, which he spoke of as alto-
gether about £lOO a year. Two more deliveries of goods were
made at the house of the prisoner, who then owed £7 Bs.- The
last goods were delivered on the 19th February; and on Monday
last, Mrs. Barnett„ passing the shop of Mrs. 'Fazakerley, furni-
ture broker, 23, Great Brolgerrater-street, saw in the window,
to her no small surprise, souse of tier own decanters. Mrs. '
Fazakerley stated that she had been induced to purchase the
decanters of the prisoner at a reduced price, by his tale of dis-
tress. Ile described himself to her as having been a traveller
in the paper trade; but being out of a situation, and having a
child dead in the house, he was compelled to sacrifice these arti-
cles. Lindsay, the Salford beadle, said, that though the pri-
soner, whets first apprehended, said he. had just come from India,
he had stated next -morning that he had beets twelve years in
England, the last three of them in the customs at -Liverpool.—
Mr. Yates, upholsterer and cabinet maker, Princess-street,
stated that the prisoner had obtained of him furniture to the
amount of £7O 16s. Bd., and represented himself as a surgeon,
late in the East India Company's service:—Lindsay said that
when the prisoner was apprehended he requested to have a tin
case containing some papers, and this had listen taken posses-
sion of by the police. One of the papers it contained was a
certificate that a pension had been granted to Alexander Hayes,
late a private in the Hon. East India Company's infantry, on
the Bombay establishment. This certificate stated, that Hayes
bail been admitted a pensioner on the company's military fund,
on the 12th July, 1826, at the rate of fifteen pence a day; and
it gave a copy of his description from his discharge, by which it
appeared that he was then 23 years of age, 5 feet 71 inches high,
of dark complexion, long visage, grey eyes, dark hair, ; that he
had been three years cud six months in the service ; was by
trade a weaver, and a native of Donegal. The cause of his
discharge was stated to be, that his left arm was fractured, and
the fingers contracted; the certificate set forth that he purposed
to reside in Liverpool. The pension was to be paid half yearly
Ell Bs. 91. at Midsummer, and £ll 7s. 6d. at Christmas. It
was addressed "Capt. Travers, E. I. C. agent, Cork."
Mr. John Taylor, attorney, said the instructions he had re-
ceived from the prisoner's wife were, that he certainly had pur-
chased the goods es stated, and that some money which he ex-
pected from abroad not having reached him, and having a large
bill of exchange to meet, he had been obliged to sell some arti-
cles sit. a sacrifice to enable him to meet the bill.—Mr. Foster
directed the examination of witnesses to lie taken in both cases
against the prisoner. In answer to an inquiry as to the restitu-
tion of articles found at the prisoner's house, Mr. Foster said he
could give no direction as to the goods —Mr. Taylor said, that,
in fact, Mr. Cooper, of the St- Phillip's *Tavern, Salford, the
landlord, had seized all the goods in the house, under a distress
for rent; and when that was satisfied, the surplus proceeds
would be handed to the wife.
A young man, from the shop of Messrs R. and J. Clough,
ironmongers, &c. Market-street, stated, that the prisoner went
there on Saturday, the 21th ult., and ordered a fender and some
other articles, amounting to £2 125., which he directed to be
sent to his house, leaving his card o address. The porter was
sent with these goods, but was enjoined not to leave them un-
less he was paid. It so- happene I that the porter was an old
soldier; and Mr. Hay, having discovered this, had the man
into the parlour, gave him spirits, talked to him of India and
the army; and the porter, of course, came back with a flattering
account of Mr. Hay's circumstances and credit, but without
the money. The collecting clerk was then sent to Mr. Hay,
who promised to call and pay the amount on Monday. In the
meantime, Mrs. Hay went to the shop, in a hackney coach,
and looked out the most expensive tea trays, tea urns, and
a great variety of articles, to the amount of about £2O. Mr.
Glough, however, directed that these should not be sent, unless
they were first paid for. On Monday, the prisoner made his
appearance; affected to be offended at the supposition that he
would not pay for the goods; drew from his pocket, aud pre-
tended to search, a large black pocket-book, or bill-case, as if
for a bank note; in doing which, he massaged to display a note
so folded as to exhibit "£5O. Bank of —." He said, he
supposed he must be responsible for the other and larger order
given by Mrs. [lay, and he paid the £2 125., expecting, proba-
bly, that Messrs Cloughs would be induced to_send the second
parcel of goods; but in this he was disappointed, for the goods
were never sent. After the prisoner's apprehension, Lindsay
searched the house, and found the pocket-book in a back-room.
He produced it; and it appeared to lie OT a form used in the
customs. It had a stamp of " Wm. IV." and a crown, on the
leather; and inside was written, "A. Hayes, customs, 13th
May, 1831." In one of the pockets Lindsay found the note,
which proved to be what is termed a " flash note," of the
" Bank of Elegance."
Though the cases above noticed were the only ones entered
into before the magistrates, the prisoner has by no means con-
fined his operations to the three tradesmen there mentioned.
We understand he obtained of Mr. Zanetti a chimney glass,
value £l3; of . Mr. l'helvvell, silver plate, &c. to the amount of
£3-1 Bs. ; of Mr. Goodall, King-street, carpets. &c. to the amount
of £25; of Mr. Pickfords, beds and bedding to the amount of
£l6; of Messrs. Kendal, Milne, and Faulkner, cloaks. &c. £25;
of Messrs. Lawson, Kemp, and Pringle, shawls to the value of
£7 10s; and of Mr. LlVain, St. Mary's Gate, clothes for himself
to the extent of £lO. 'Of these goods, we believe Mr Yates,
Messrs. Lawson, Kemp, and Pringle, Mr. Thelwell (except two
work-boxes, pledged by the prisoner,) and Messrs. Kendal,
Milne, and Faulkner, recovered the whole or the greater part
the articles sold by them to the prisoner. hay had also obtain-
ed groCeries frotn the shop of Mr. Morley, Chapel-street, Sal-
ford, to the amount of £5; and two barrels of teupenuy ale, of
Mr. B. Joule, brewer, New Bailey-street.
Nor have his operations been confined in this town; for in
the pocket-hook were various invoices not receipted, for different
descriptions of goods obtained by him from tradesmen and shop-
keepers in Liverpool. One of, these appears to have been for
the cloak the prisoner wore in the dock. It was dated, " Dec.
29, 1837 ; Mr. A. Hay to 'l'. B. Hayward, one superfine blue
cloth cloak, lined through and velvet collar, £3 10s." Another
was to " William Christian—to amount of account as per check
book, £3 17s 9d." Another, dated January 4, 1838, to S. 14.
Nightingale, a Venetian blind manufacturer, £4 25." Of C.
Hargreaves, tailor, 80ld-street, the prisoner appears to have
obtained on the 2d January last, an invisible green frock coat,
with velvet collar and a figured Valencia waistcoat; together,
£4 Bs. Of a Mr. M'Convrll, in December last, feather beds,
ticking, &c. to the amount of £7 6s. How some of these articles
had been disposed of, might be inferred from several pawn-
tickets, of articles pledged both in Liverpool and Manchester.
In the tin box were several other papers which appear to re-
late to the prisoner. One of them was to the following effect :
" Camp, Biljaum, Oct. 5., 1825.
"'This is to certify, that private Alexander Hayes, of the 2d
company, Ist Bombay European regiment, is entitled to share
as a private in the capture made at Kittoor, in the month of
December, 1824; and that his name is borne upon the prize
roll, and has been returned to the prize agent; and that no part
of the prize-money has been received at the regiment at this
date. (Signed)
A. M'D. Wtssosr, Adjt. Ist B. E. Refit.
(Countersigned)
Gao. P. TAYLOR, Capt. in charge."
Another was a document apparently cut out of a letter, or, at
all events, without the name of the port. It was as follows:
" Alexander Hayes has served in the water-guard, at this
port, since May 13, 1834, and has always conducted himself as
a sober and trustworthy man. He leaves the service of the cus-
toms at his own request."
(Signed) L. C. J. WALKER, Inspector of Revenue."
" Nov. 29, 1837."
We believe the prisoner took the house in ()Weld-road about
two months ago; and there is reason to believe, that he IsaS•ob-
faille(' goods since that time of other persons, besides those
above named.

NATIONAL EDUCATION.—CLERGY OF KILMORE.—The Lord
Bishop and Clergy of the Diocese of Kilmore have agreed to a
petition to the House of Lords (similar to that recently adopted
in Derry) against the system of the National Board of Educa-
tion. The petitioners state that the modifications proposed by
the board increase, rather than diminish their objections; and
they pray for a grant to
.promote scriptural education in Ire-
land. It is stated that petitioners of a similar character are in
preparation iu all other dioceses.
At a moment when the French society, for the abolition of
slavery, is providing, under the patronage of noble ladies, for
the black children in the colonies, we are astonished to find the
feelings of maternity degenerating so much in France under
the baneful influence of misery. At the corners of the streets,
and i❑ the public squares, the ' police pick up every morning a
number of infants abandoned by their pal cuts, either dead or
dying The hospitals are full of them. In the departments, as
well kis in Paris. the local budgets are swelled beyond measure
by the necessity of making a provision for foundlings ; family
ties are in a complete relaxation. Within slime days a consi-
derable number of infanticides have taken place.—L'butre Mer.
THE SPITALFIELDS WEAVERS.—The misery of these
wretched victims of free trade is on the increase. Last night
they held a very numerous meeting, at the Golden Heart,
Phcenix-street, for the purpose of petitioning both houses of
parliament, and memorialising her Majesty for a protective
duty against the importation of French silks. It appears that,
although the weaving population has been increasing since
18'2-1, the wages have been reduced 1.1000 per day since that
year. Several cases of dreadful misery were detailed to the
meeting.—Standard, Saturday.
'MELANCHOLY CIECUMSTANCE.-011 Saturday night, about
half•past eleven o'clock, as Richard Williams was passing along
Knot Mill, he saw a man lying across the footpath; and on en-
deavouring to raise him up, finding that the man was quite sense-
less, be immediately called the assistance of the watchman ;
and a crowd gathering, a surgeon was sent for, but none could
be procured. The man was then conveyed to the Infirmary,
but before he reached there life was extinct. Ou Monday an
inquest was held on the belly, when it appeared from a card and
documents f.tind in the poc-kets of the deceased, that his name
was Jobn Tilley, professorof music; add that he had been many
years of the King's Theatre and Vauxhall orchestras, and that
be was in a state of great distress. The appearance of the man,
which was stretched in the evreme, fully confit med the poverty
of his circumstances Sick;e. the police officer, recognised the
body, and said that he knew Tilley when highly respectable, and
that he had now a brother in the *King's heat re, London. De-
ceased appeared to be shout 50 yea:a of age. he jury found
that he died by "the visitatiutt of God."—Manchester Guar-
dian.