The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-05-29 00:00:00

SINGULAR DETECTION OF A SWINDLER.

A rather singular and unpremeditated disclosnre took place
at the public office on Tuesday last, by which one of the
most notorious of an incorrigable race ofmore or less respect-
able swindlers who infest this part of the country has been,
for the present at least, safely lodged in the Forbury Gaol.
It appears that on the above day a fellow calling himself
George White, but who has gone by as many other names as
occasion and convenience have suggested during his "black"
career, preferred a charge of felony against Elizabeth Towns-
bend, a very decent-looking woman, of about 40 years of age,
who took up her abode in this town about a month since.
He produced a copy of the Police Gazette of the Bth inst. in
which he had inserted a paragraph descriptive of certain
money and goods stolen from him, and of the dress and ap-
pearance of the woman who had absconded from him with
such of his property about a month ago, at Colchester, and
for whose apprehension he offered a reward of 2 guineas,
giving for his address, Post-office, Bristol. He then stated
thet he had now traced her to this town, the prisoner being
the individual in question, and having applied for and pro-
cured a search-warrant, he proceeded to the woman's lodg-
ings for the purpose of investigating her goods, and meanwhile
she made the subjoined statements :—That she, though not
his wife, had lived with him for the last three or four years,
during which time they had visited about 20 places, setting
up in each town as corn and flour dealers, or otherwise, ob-
taining goods on credit, selling them under their stipulated(!)
cost, and finally, when the faith reposed in them by their
good-natured neighbours began to diminish, decamping sans
cerimonie, or previous indication of payment for value
received; that previous to embarking in this lucrative occu-
pation, she lived in Cheltenham, where she has a sister
now living in respectable circumstances, who is the bona
fide wife of the now-styled George White, but who was
perfectly agreeable to the transfer of that worthy member of
society ; that in the course of their travels her partner; had
assumed the respective names of " John White, ThOrnas
Shaw, William Langdon, George Martin," &c, and had
visited the following towns :—Thame, where they took rf shop
for the sale _of corn, &c, and remained one month ; New-
bury, where where they purchased some oats, took a shop, and
stayed one week only ; Salisbury, where they took a shop,
obtained corn and flour, and remained three weeks; thence
they proceeded to Southampton, St. Alban's, St. Neot's,
Newport, Abergavenny, Yeovil, Chard, Exeter, Taunton,
Colchester, &c., their stay in each place averaging about a
month. It was at Colchester she separated from him, having
first packed up some of her own goods, which she took away
with her, together with some money that was due to her, it
being the amount of cash borrowed by him of her, with the
allowance for the loan thereof. The woman further admitted,
that they had both been convicted, in the name of Martin,
of obtaining goods under false pretences, at Grantham, in
Lincolnshire, for which they were senterced each to seven
years' transportation ; but before they had hardly reached
their destination they were, by the interference of some kind
friends, and the ingenuity of counsel (who detected a flaw in
the indictment), again brought back, and once more set at
liberty. She likewise stated that she had now £3 belonging
'.to her, independent of £5 in the savings' bank, and that she
at present lodged with a woman in Thorn-street. There is
no doubt that every word of the woman's statement is sub-
stantially correct, and will shortly be corroborated elsewhere,
the magistrates being determined, if possible, to bring so in-
corrible a rogue to justice . she appears to regret that she had
ever formed so discreditable a connexion, and we believe it
was her intention to open a little shop for the sale of small
articles of provisions, &c., as soon as an opportunity pre-
sented itself. It has already transpired that White is the
same man who visited this town about twelve months ago,
and took the Lamb beer-house, in Alfred-street, at which
time he was furnished with a cart, agreeably to order, by Mr.
Freak, of Friar-streot, who, however, experienced rather an
unpleasant freak -on that occasion, Mr. White (we beg par-
don, lie was then in the enjoyment of an earlier alias—Wil-
liam Loader being at that time his chosen cognomen) having
made off with the cart, after a sojourn in Reading of about
two weeks. We understand that Mr. Freak intends, if prac-
ticable, to appear against him on this score. The man hav-
ing recovered from the disagreeable surprise which this
unexpected disclasure.occasioned, was, with the female pri-
soner, committed for further examination till Wednesday
next.—Reading Mercury.

OLD WIVES LEESE.—" I have, in manuscript that in
the year 1638 Sir Dudley Diggs, of Sheldwich, Kent, lave
by his will zt:26 to be paid yearly from an estate called
grave Manor' to two young men and two young women, on
the 29th of May for ever, to be run a lye at Old Wives
Leese, in Chilham, and prevail.' Li pursuance of this
bequest, the young men and maids run at Old Wives Leese
yearly on the Ist of May ; and the same number run at
Sheldwich Leese on the Monday foll ming by way of trial;
and the two of each place of either sex that ' prevail' run
for the £lO at Old Wives Leese, as above mentioned."—
Mockett's Journal. We understand a contest is likely to
take place this year, several young men and women from
Wingham, Margate, and St. Peter's intending to try their
speed, the sum being so inviting. Many gentlemen from
each place will back their neighbours.—Kentish Observer.

Barbadian, Hughes, from Norfolk, at Jamaica
Sarah, Hanker, hence at Marseilles
Jane, Watson, from Valparaiso, at Deal
St.'Patrick, Danis, from Newport for Liverpool, at Milford, with
loss of main topmast
Felicity, Ackers, from , at Studwall Roads, with loss of
foremast and leaky
Thomas Worthington, , sailed from Lima for Liverpool 24th
Feb.

-
Hindley, , from Istappa, at Lima, and was to sail for
Liverpool Ist March
Eblana, , and Avon, , hence at Trinidad
Lively, Hick ; Agatha, de Groot, and Chieftain, Baxter, hence at
Helvoet
Brilliant, , hence at Jamaica
Mary, (supposed the May) off Cape Palmyras 21st March
Elizabeth Radcliffe, Black, hence at Lima in 112 days
Murray, , hence at Jamaica
Despatch, de GI uchy, hence for Hayti, off Antigua 24th April
Sonnes, CaMpbell, from Belfast, at Troon, with loss of topmasts,
bound to St. John
Douro, Stubbs, from St. Kitts, at the Cove
Chieftain, Todd, front Sierra Leone, ditto
Jenny, Boumack, hence at Newfoundland
-Tomlinson, , hence off Tampico
Ann Mondell, Roberts, from London, at Trinidad
Heyworth, Dunlop, from the Clyde, at Demerara
Glanmalier, Brown, hence at Valparaiso
Black Prince, Martin ; Heroine, Bouch, and Asia, Bloomfield,
sailed from Valparaiso for Islay 4th Feb. and Pearl, Carrick, for
Cadiz 6th Feb.

ANTIGUA, April 25.—The Eleanor, M'Pherson, from Liverpool
for New Orleans, ran on the Horse Shoe Reef 22nd instant, but got
off without apparent damage, and making no water, proceeded
BEAL/MARIS, May 27.—The Jane, Williamson, hence to Charente,
is aground in Friar's Roads, but not expected to receive any da-
mage _ _

May 26.—The llebbles, Floating Light Ship, came in here
last night, having broken from her moorings during the gale

TELEGRAPH OFFICE, MAY 28, 1840.

Wind at Holyhead, S.W. moderate.
Off Holyhead, outward bound, at 6 p.m. No. 388, Mischief, B.Bk.
for Ancona.

Off Point Lynas, inward bound, (have pilots,) No. 1279, Grey-
hound, B.Sc. at 8 a.m. : No. 1612, Henrietta, 13.8. from New Or-
leans, and p 6, Thomas Worthington, 8.13. at 2 p.m. and No. 115,
Clifton, 11.11 k. at 4 p.m. - .

. .
Off Wel Nant, inward bound, at 7 p.m. No. 1612, Henrietta,
B.S. from New Orleans.