The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-02-18
Ticket-of-Leave.
Remarkable Adventures OF Tloket-ot-
Leave Man in Australia.

One of the most remarkable criminals
SAYS a Melbourne paper, who have hgureo
in the Victorian crime, Is Owen Suffolk, a
London pickpocket, who was transported
to this colony in the year 1o47. Suffolk
was man of considerable ability, and
has appeared as an author of a story pub
lished in Melbourn, under the head OF
"Days of Crime and Years of Suffering.
Suffolk was one the class of convlcts VINO
were not confined on their landing IN the
colony, but were placed under surTlliance'
This grace, however, did not do much
good to Suffolk; for in the year 1901 or
1851 he was arrested for robbing the Fy-
aniford mail and received a long sentence
which at least extended over four or I'VE
years, and during this time he was engag
ed as clerk. in the Melbourne jail. HIS
acquaintance witch the criminals OF Victo-
ria at this time was very extensive, ana
some of them had large sums or money
secreted, the proceeds of robber1es. sui
folk, by the position he was placed IN,
aided no doubt by lax discipline, was
enabled to change their warrants, and al.
ter the years of imprisonment through the
books, so that many ruffians escaped with
much shorter sentences than they received
from the Judges of the Supreme Court
but one of the forgeries, not so clever as
the others, was discovered, and Suffolk
was informed of the circumstances. He
said nothing, but with the calm, clear
smile peculiar to him, quietly submitted to
the the heavy irons that were placed on
his arms and legs and without an effort
went to the hulks in Hobson'sBay.
In 1857 we next hear of him, when he
had regained his freedom by ticket-of
leave, and went to Ballarat There he
kept about some of the gullies, and going
into hotel said he was detective Sllcox
lin charge of the district,) and his easy
and persuasive manners made the landlord
believe he was on important duty, and
required money and horse Both were
provided for him, and he got clear away
but he again fell into the society OF his
friends Of the police, and received anoth-
er long sentence He was then In Pent
ridge, and known under the slang term OF
"billet man. which means that he was
clever enough when in jail to receive
some important position In the year 1866
he made his way to the house OF barber
named Mannix, Cat present serving three
years for receiving stolen property and
was received as species of hero. About
this time, Suffolk, Mannix, and a few 9th
or notorious criminals who We're released
about the same time, Zone OF these fellows
was an expert engraVer, )formed scheme.
for manufacturing quantity OF forged
notes for the Indian market; but when the
notes were manufactured the police ere
ceived the office" and although they pre-
% vented the flimsies from being used, yet
they could not bring the crime home to
the principal actors in it, as the "plant'
was removed IA few hours before the raid
was made on the foregoing house.
Suffolk kept in the background during
the investigation of the affair, and with
some interest used by his brother, who is
in large way Of business near Bristol, he
received conditional pardon. the under
standing being that he would leave the
Colony His story of Days Of Crime
and Years Of suffering" was published,
and with the money he received from this
work, the cash he got from the. criminals
whose warrants he had altered, and the
proceeds of few other swindles, he man
aged to take his adeu of Victoria with a
considerable amount of money. During
his passage home he made a number Of
friends by his supercillous manner and
landed in England, described as wealthy
squatter from Australia. He made his
way to his brothers house, and edged his
way into several drawing rooms, his hosts
thinking he was slightly o@t2a for Eng
lish society; but it was excusable-at least
so they said as he was from Australia.
There he talked largely Of his squatting
and banking interests in Australia, also
admitting that he had dabbled in journal
ism, and was part proprietor Of the Mel
bourne Argus In time he was invited to
several houses, and las5 was introduced to
a charming widow of about forty years Of
age, who was possessed of house and
grounds, well appointed, besides 81 500
in the funds. Suffolk Immediately made
a dead set at this lady, and after a little
/ time wrote letter, she being present, to
Mr. Reed, Solicitor at Melbourne, telling
him to dispose of the Colonial bank
shares, and also his interest in the argus
newspaper, which he could do by the
power Of attorney given him. Mr. Reed
was of course, very much astonished at
this epistle but no doubt thinking that
Suffolk, whom he had defended many
times, was following some of the old prac-
tees, and wanted Mr.. Reeds reply, SO
that he could make use Of the envelope
bearing the Melbourne post mark, and
forge a letter to answer his own purposes
and gave information to superintendent
Nicholson, who forwarded it to Inspector
Field, in Scotland Yard In the mean
time, Suffolk married the widow, much
against the wishes of her friends, and
went with his blooming bride to London.
He had two accomplices- a female,
whom he said was his niece-and one day
they went on the river in . wherry near
Richmond. Suffolk managed to capsize
the boat THE female was saved by one
ofaccomplices, and Suffolk got clear away