The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-02-18
TICKET.OF.LEAYE.
Remarkable Adventures of Ticket.
Of-Leave Man In Australia.

Remarkable Adventures Of a Ticket.
Of.LeaVe Man In Australia.
One of the most remarkable criminals,
says the Melbourne Post, who have fig
ured in the Victorian crime, is Owen Suf-
folk, London pickpocket, who was
transported to this colony in the year
1S47. Suffolk was man of considerable
ability, and has appeared as an author of
story published in Melbourne, under
the head of :'Days of Crime and Years
of Suffering" Suffolk was one of the
class of convicts who were not confined
oh their landingin the colony, but were
placed under surveillance. This grace,
however, did not do much good to Suf-
folk; for in the 1850 or 1851 he was ar
rested for robbing the Fyaniford mail. and
received long sentence, which at least
extended over four or five years, and du-
ring this time he was engaged as clerk in
the Melbourne Jail. His acquaintance
with the criminals of Victoria at this time
was very extensive, and some of them
had largo sums of money secreted, the
proceeds of robberies. Suffolk, by the
position he was placed in. aided, mo doubt
by lax discipline, was enabled to change
their warrants, and after the years of i'm
prisonment through the books, so that
many rufiians 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 heavy
irons that were placed on his arms and
legs, and without an effort went to the
hulks in Hobson's Bay.
In 1857, we next hear of him, when hs
next regained his freedom by ticket-ot-
leave, and went to Ballarat. There he
kept about some of the gullies, and going
into hotel said he was Detective Silcox
lin charge Of the district), and his easy
and persuasive manners made the land
lord 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
another long sentence He was then in
Pentrldge, and known under the slang
term OF a billet man, which means that
he was clever enough when in Jail to re-
celve some important position. In the
year 1866 he made his way to the house of
barber named Mannix lat present serving
three years for receiving stolen property,
and was received as species of hero.
About this time Suffolk, Mannix and a
few other notorious criminals who were
released about the same time Zone of
these fellows was an expert engrayer),
formed scheme for manufacturing a
quantity of forged notes for the Indian
market; but when the notes were manu-
featured the detectives received ''the
Office, and though they prevented the
Nflmsles' from being used, yet they
could not bring the crime home to the
principal actors in it, as the plant" was
removed a few hours before the raid was
made upon the foregoing house.
Suffolk kept at the back ground dur
ing 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 understanding beng that he would
leave the colony. His story of days of
Crime and Years of suffering" was pub
llshed and with the money received from
that work the cash he got from the Grim
lnals whose warrants he had altered, and
the proceeds of few of his other swim
dies, he managed to take his adieu of
Victoria with considerable amount of
money. During his passage home he
made a number of friends by his super
cilious manner, and landed in England
described as wealthy squatter from Aus
tralla. He made his way to his brother
house, and edged his way into several
drawing rooms, his hosts thinking he was
slightly outre from English society but
1t was excusable-at least so they said
as he was from Australia There he
talked largely Of his squatting and bank
Ing interests in Australia, also admitting
that he had dabbled in journalism, and
was part proprietor of the Melbourne
Argus. In time he was invited to sever
al houses, and at last was introduced to
charming widow of about forty years of
age, who was possessed of a house and
grounds, we'll appointed, besides FL, 800
In the funds. Suffolk Immediately made
a dead-set at this lady, and after little
time wrote letter, she being present, to
MIR. Reed. Solicitor at Melbourne, tel
ling him to dispose of tho Colonial Bank
shares and also his interest in the Argus
newspapers, which he could do by the
power OF attorney given him. Mr.. Read
was, OF course, very much astonished at
this eplstle; but no doubt thinking that
Suffolk, whom he had defended many
times, was following some of the old prac-
tees, and wanted Mr.. Read reply, so
that he could make use of the envelope
bearing the Melbourne postmark, and
forge a letter to answer his own purposes,
giveintormationt oSuperintendentN ichol-
son, who forwarded it to Inspector Field,
in Scotland Yard. In the meantime,
Suffolk married the widow, much against
the wishes of her friends, and went with
his blossoming bride to London. He had
two accompllces-on female, whom he
said was his niece and one day they
went on the river in wherry near Rich
mond. Suffolk managed to capsize the
boat. The female was saved by one of
his accomplices, and Suffolk got clear
away, the police thinking he was drowned.
A paragraph evidently written by himself,
headed, Melancholy Accident to an Aus
tralian Gentleman" appeared in the
papers. 1t was ultimately discovered
that he had escaped to America with
his wlfe's money, and the proceeds of
the sale of his wife's furniture which he
sold before he left England. By the
latest advices he was enjoying himself in
New York