The North-Carolinian. [volume] (Fayetteville [N.C.]) 1839-1861, 1860-06-23
THE ENGLISH BANKING AGENT,

Josiah Austin Ghee, the loan agent of various
English banking houses. whose financial operations
were so suddenly arrested by officer Hicks, on SUM
day evening" was brought before the Mayor,
Monday morning, and was requested to produce
any reference in his possession showing him to be
what he had represented hlmself-a man OF charac-
ter and stability. In reply, he stated that he had
none with him, but was In daily expectation OF the
arrival of his partner, Mr.. Wilson, from England,
with the funds necessary to meet all present engage
ments and future applications for loans upon the
terms set forth in his published cards. He stated
that he had already paid at Hamburg, South Caro-
lima, the money advanced by the party at Columbia,
through whose instrumentality he had been arrest
ed besides paying an extra 500 for costs OF arrest
&C. He still claimed that he was the principal
agent of the house of Ghee, Wilson & Co., agents
for the disposal of the surplus capital Of several
large banking houses in England.
He asked the Mayor what would be his course, if
the party who had caused him to be arrested de
clned any further proceedings, in consequence Of
having been satisfied, and the transactions having
been withdrawn Mayor said that would be
decided when the came up but IN the mean
time they would be obliged to detan him for futher
investigation. The accused was ordered to be re-
manded to his cell in the Guard House.
During the day, Ghee made confession to ofhcer
Hicks that he was swindler. He stated that he
came to this country with the intention OF gct'nS
an honest livelihood, but being cripple ana oest-
tute he first had recourse to begging faiIiiig III
that he commenced his present operations, ana hao
met in various cities of the Union, with success
bevond his most sanguine expectations he was
about played out, however, anu was hoW oi' "o
released willing to quit the country. In cxpana-
ton of the tools found in his possession. he SAID
they used in adjusting his cork leg. but ga,
no satisfactory in reference to the Skeleto,
KEYS discovered in his trunk, the large amount
of silver plate and watches in his possession. He
glad, he said, that he had been arrested IN a
State where there was no penitentaary.
On being told that there were large rewards Of
tered in Chicago and Mephs for his arrest and de-
livery, his countenance fell, and it was some mo-
ments before he spoke although he endeavored to
appear composed and Indifferent The reward Of
fered in Chicago is $500. A reward is offered In
Memphis, Tennessee, for Harriss, a swinder,
the description answering to the accused in almost
every particular When the officer told him that
that affair would be copied by the English papers,
and he would be recognized, he said they would not
recognize him under the name of Ghee.
The accused has taken his confinement very phil
osophically, begging to be allowed few novels to
pass away time, which have been granted to him.
We learn also, that he was not boarding at 80
Wentworth street, that being private residence
although he did board in Wentworth street, in a
highly respectable family Charleston Courier