Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-01-28

An extraordinary trial has Just been con.
cluded before the court of justiciary, at Gas-
gov. The Glasgow Herald gives the follow
ing summary of the case, which occupied the
court three days 1T appears that about five
years ago person, named Frederick William
Thomas carried on business in London, as an
auctioneer and accountant, with one or two
ct ceteras superadded. Mr.. Thomas was un-
fortunate in business, and having great faith
in firm sounding name, he transformed him
self into Smith, Thomas, & Co, and started
off again, hopeful of success. The imposing
title, however, failed to bring up spirits from
the Vastly deep and accordingly another bank
ruplcy took place, and another nletamorpho.
sis, when Mr.. Frederick William Thomas
again appeared on change as Thomas Broth
ers. This resurrection occurred i'll 1860, and
twelve months thereafter the firm Of Thomas
Brothers went among the dead firms of all the
Smiths Thomases, and Brethren, which Fred
erick William had conjured into existence.
We have not the means of estimating the vast
losses which Mr.. Thomas or his creditors
must have sustained by the breaking up or
down of these unfortunate firms but at all
events the firm turned up III Renfld street.
Glasgow, under the designation of M Cotton
and Thomas, accountants and auctioneers. In
this instance, however, if we are not misin-
formed, there was actually firm of two per-
sons, one being none other than Thomas
wife ! For lew months the new firm APP.
peared to be doing business on an extensive
scale, and any amount OF money was freely Of
fered on any kind of movable property. AT this
stage proceedings, another actor appeared on
the scene, in the shape of Reuben Brookes, a
picture dealer in Buchanan street. who hap
pened to be in great trbulation, in consequence
OF sundry debts which he owed, and, IN par
ticular, $4,000, to a merchant tailor in New
castle but how a picture dealer could have
run up bill of this amount to his tailor the
evidence does not make very clear. Be that
as it may, however, the unfortunate Reuben
made application Tor advice and assistance to
M'Coton and Thomas, and run through the
bankruptcy court was determined on. The
Liabilities OF the picture dealer were summed
up by joint clerk Of the M'Coton firm, and
Of another legal gentlemen who appears to
have been carrying on his business in the same
premises, and the sum total of bona tide claims
was something like ETA 900. This was not
amiss for picture dealer but Reuben Brooks
had an idea that he owed 100000 somehow,
and for the purpose of humourng this harm
less deluson, his friend Mr.. Thomas, hunted
up few imaginary claims for the purpose of
swapping those of the real creditors, sweled
out the original amount of liabilities to up
wards Of "a, 0O0 A law agent trustees, and
concurring creditor were then selected by
Messrs Thomas and Brooks tue Sequestra-
ton was applied for and obtained; a meeting
of creditors was called, and the concurrng
gentleman kindly took the chair. AT this
meeting, Mr.. William Lyon MPhun, who had
been selected by the bankrupt and Thomas,
was elected as trustee, and the bankrupt him
self was voted two years protection by the real
and imaginary creditors. But suspicious began
to be entertained about the reality of Reuben's
extraordinary debts and, from less to more the
bankruptcy examination vas transferred to and
continued from time to time, by tine procllrat-
or Fiscal into whose hands all the books bills
papers, and men connected Herewith ultimate
ly fell. In due course the bill broking specu
laton of Thomas and Brooks were fully inves
tigated by couple of London detectives
when system OF wholesale fraud, perjury,
and forgery, were laid bare, the like OF which
has rarely been brought TO light. 1t appears
that this man Thomas had creatures i'll Lon
don prepared to perjure themselves at the rate
of los per oath. Bills to the extent Of 9l0,-
900 and upwards were drawn by Thomas or
some of his underlIngs, sworn TO by others OF
a like kidney, sold for sums varying from Is.
cd. to los. per bill, and then re purchased by
the manufacturers at G3 each Reuben Brooks
appears to have been as great an adept at the
swindling profession as his friend and accom-
plice, Thomas. In few years he managed,
as has been said, to run into debt to the ex-
tent of Ella O00 and when the bubble burst
the debris of his estate was represented by ELS
and n farm in Central America valued at moth
ing. 1t was strange, however, that although
he had only ELS to divide among his creditors
at the rate Of a iarthing per pound, he was
able and willing to pay E100 for his passage
through the bankruptcy court. The upshot
of the whole was that Brooks and Thomas
were placed upon their trial for conspiracy
and fraud, and were on the 28th sentenced to
four years penal servitude.