Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-07-27

The recent bank frauds which have been devel
oped in the Court of Bankruptcy in England. divide
the attention of the English Press with the Eastern
war. The charges brought against Davidson & Cor
don Overend, Gurney & Co., and those involving ths
character of Messrs. Strahan, Paul and Bates, o
London, have created great excitement is alleged
that this lastmentioned firm transacted business up to
the very latest moment before its failure, receiving
money from dep0sitors the same as if they in
good credit and able to pay! They were bankers TO
the nobility and gentry in the West end of the city
1t is charged that the large deposits received, and
and heavy balances retained from their customers,
were, some years ago, diverted to speculation in
Italian railway contracts They failed for about
100000. The London Times says:
Almost anybody who happened, by the sale OF a
property or the death OF a relative to be burdened
with an odd fifty thousand pounds he did not know
what 10 do with, felt immensely obliged to those
Kind gentleman, Messrs. Strahan, Paul and Bates,
for relieving him of the troublesome charge. Why,
1t IS the merest chance in the world they have not
gone on Indefinitely, right into the next century for
all sorts OF stories are afoat of people who were
on the point of putting another twenty thousand or
seventy thousand in the bank. They have been so
long IN the business, and always respectable
feople remembered them when they were cricketers
and all that sort of thing, and though less able lat
terIy 10 bat and to bowl, doubt they beCom
ing more and more substantial every year-nobody |
knew how rich. All the time the whole firm was
not collectively worth as much as the crossing sweep
er opposite their door, and they knew it AS they
walked out of their Bank arm in arm, they knew that
he was worth all of them put together
lhe partners found, it is sad good round sum
IN the till. So they wrote to their particular friends
to certain favored depostors to give them the hint
and when some three -fourths so had been sacri-
need TO friendship, perhaps 10 make friends with
the mammon OF uprigheousness, they left the re-
malnder TO the public, just the genteel highway
men OF the old school used TO present his victim with
guinea out of his purse, for luck or to carry
him 10 the next town. Really the thing has been
done in such grand style, and it is of little import
ance whether it is Sir John Smith or Sir Robert
Jones who gives good dinner, that could almost
admire the brilliancy of the fraud. But, unfortu-
nately, usual, there is a crowd of little well
great depositors Widows and orphans and wards,
and small people of all sorts, compose the bulk of
the sufferers 1t is said good deal of the prize
money due TO poor sailors has gone to bolster up
the credit and the hosptalities of the firm, and,
among others, the widow of Admiral Boxer has lost
his savings. Is it possible to xaggerate the crime
of such career?
But such acts as these cannot be committed with
lmpunlly In England. Law and justice in that coun-
try are something more than mere names. The Eng
lls Schuylers and Meiggs not permitted 10 escape
the penalty of their crimes and what sympathy the
public has, is reserved for the victims not the rogues
The guilty parties have been committed. and
bly, end in their transportation to Botany Bay. Ac-
ers are liable to be transported beyond the for
any term not exceeding IA years, nor less than
years. to be imprisoned for any term not exceed
ing three years. and also to be once twice. or thrice
publicly or privately whipped Gf the Court should
think tit III addition IA