The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-07-21 00:00:00

PAYMENT OF A FORGED BILL.

A deeply planned and skilfully executed scheme for passing a
forged bill of exchange, proved successful at Bolton on Saturday
last. The facts of the case, we believe, are substantially as
follows:--On Saturday last, an individual of gentlemanly ap-
pearance, and about thirty-five years of age, called at the resi-
dence of Peter Ainsworth, Esq., the member for Bolton, and
asked iT he was at home. He was told that Mr. Ainsworth was
in London, attending to his parliamentary duties, but, that his
brother might be seen. To him therefore the stranger, who
'called himself William Parke, and represented himself to be a
partner in the mercantile firm of William Parke and Co., 'Of
Jamaica, piesented a letter of recommendation, dated Liverpool,
signed " Thomas Braucker," in which Mr. Parke was recom-
mended to the attention of Mr. Ainsworth, as a gentlemin, the
object of whose visit to Bolton way to purchase a quantity of
machinery.—After some conversation Mr. Ainsworth addressed
a note to Messrs. Bothwell; Flick. and Bothwell, brass and in n
founders and machine makers, of the Union Foundry, Black-
horse-street, where Mr. Parke again mentioned his integtion to
purchase machinery, and obtained an introduction by one of the
partners to the Bank of 'Manchester branch bank, at Bolton, as
a gentleman from Liverpool, recommended by Sir Thomas
Brancker. There Mr. Parke entered into conversation with
the cashier, and said he was desirous to dispose of a quantity of
bullion. After some further conversation as to the terms, the
cashier agreed to purchase some bullion, and it was to be sent to
the bank on Monday morning. Mr. Parke then produced a bill
of exchange, purporting to be drawn by John Bibby and Co.,
on Cropper, Benson and Co. for £486. 17s. at 60 days' date, and
asked the cashier to oblige him by discounting it. In conse-
quence of the highly sans factory introduction, and the apparent
rerpectability of Mr. Parke, this was done without hesitation.
Mr. 'Parke received in exchange for his bill, six £5O. Bank of
Eiuzland notes, and three £3O. Bank of. Manchester post bills
(of which latter payment has been stopped,) and after promising
to send the quantity of bullion agreed upon on Monday, he took
his leave. Monday passed, however, without the arrival of the
bullion; the cashier's suspicions were awakened, and, on writ-
ing to Liverpool, he ascertained that the letter of introduction,
purporting to have been written by Sir Thomas Braneker,. was
altogether a forgery, and that the bill of exchange was also a
forgery. It was ascertained that Mr. Parke had left Bolton on
Saturday for Manchester, in a post chaise, which was drawn to
the door of the Star Inn, Deansgate ; but as no such person
had stayed there, it is supposed that he had not entered the
house; and no further traces of him have yet been discovered.
A reward of £5O. has been offered for his apprehension. lie
is described as a person of gentlemanly appearance and address,
and rather pedantic in conversation, speaking loud and using
words not generally current in ordinary intercourse. it is sus-
pected that he is the same individual described in a circular
front the solicitor to the bankers' association to the bankers in
'town and country issued about a month ago,—as Wm. F.
Jowett, who, it is stated, by forged letters of introduction and
representing himself as a partner in the firm of Jowett and
Crosbie, Kingston, Jamaica, had succeeded in negociating
forged bills to a very considerable extent in the metropolis, at
Bristol, and in several other parts of the kingdom, and who was
supposed to be still practising these felonies with success, in the
character of a commercial traveller. For the conviction of this
individual, against whom the bankers were cautioned, we believe
the association, or the parties sustaining the loss consequent
upon the forgeries, offered a reward of £l3O. Without pretend-
ing to say that Mr. Parke and Mr. Jowett are indentical, we
trust that Mr. Parke will, before long, be br -ught to receive the
legal reward of sq.etever a trick as that which we have narrat-
ed.—Alanchester Guardian.

LASS OF THE SHIP LOPER, OF NANTUCKET, A
SOUTH SEA WHALEMANi ,

" May 25th, in the boat; in. let. 02 '22 south.
" The ship Loper left llelcahtiano on the 21th ifey of March,
hound to the United States, with a cargo of one thousand seven
hundred barrels of sperm Oil on boarcl,..and,..having a small
leak, which she had not lessened during the voyage, on the 6th
of Mai the ship increased her. leak at the rate of six bundred
strokes per hour, which continued a steady leak until the 19th
of May, in lat. 03 5 south, long. in 37 55 West; at eleven o'clock
p.m., the leak increased at the rate of three thousand strokes
per hour, upon which all bands were called, and we commenced
searching for the leak, which was found to be under the step of
the mizzen mast, where it was impossible to stop it; when this-
was ascertained, a council of all hands was called, and we found
it necessary to steer for the nearest land, therefore we hauled
our wind and kept both pumps going; but this was all useless,
for the leak still increased • on the '2oth of May, at nine o'clock,
p.m., finding it impossible to keep the ship above water any
longer, we were necessitated to take to our boats, leaving the
ship with eight feet of water in the hold. On the 23d of May,
the whole of the crew arrived at Maranham, in two'boats."

SUICIDE AMONG THE HlNDOOS.—Examples of suicide are
too common, even in Europe, to excite our astonishment; but
among the Hindoos of a certain cast of mind the propensity to
self-destruction absolutely amounts to a passion. Numerous
are the anecdotes related in proof of this position. Of these one
of the most curious occurred at Bombay. A Hindoo visionary,
who, with many others of his nation, lived in the cocoa-nut
woods near the city, had acquired, among those who knew him,
the reputation of being an amiable man. He was in the pilule
of life, and possessed a wife and four children. The natives,
perhaps from respect to their European rulers, generally keep
Sunday as a holiday. They who are rich retire to their coun-
try-houses and gardens, or walk cn a sandy beach near the see,
wuich is also the resort of the common -people. One Sunday
afternoon the above-mentioned visionary set out with all his
family from his dwelling in the
.woods towards the beach. On
the way he informed his wife that ho had received an invitation
from the Deity to go to heaven and take his family with him;
that they were to proceed by water, and depart from Back Bay.
What were the arguments by which he prevailed on his wife to
enter into his madness unknown ; but they were successful.
Accordingly the wretched parents proceeded to the beach, car-
rying each an infant in their arms. The two infants walked
before them. In this manner they entered the water until the
children sunk beyond their depth, and were carried off by (he
waves. The two infants which they carried in their arms were
thrown into the water, whither their mother voluntarily followed
them. As the father was deliberately consummating, the sacri-
fice, he suddenly recollected that the disappearant, of a whole
family in so unaccountable a manner might involve his neigh-
bour's in trouble ; he therefore returned to declare what he had
done, and explain his motives, before he should finally depart,
which led to his apprehension and execution. His punishment
he endured with the utmost resignation, merely regretting the
procrastination of his change in the metempsychosi, and that
he had not been permitted to leave the world in his own way.—
Forbe's Oriental Memoirs,