The Portland daily press., 1878-12-19
Another Incognito NObIeman.
HE II CHARGED WITH SWIND.
LING PORTLAND BANKS
OUT OF $4,000.
He Gets $500 From Other Parties.


arrest at San Francisco, Nov. 18th, of William
Grifs, alias Saville, alias Lord Ashburtou, on
q charge of extensive forgeries upon the Union
Bank of London, England. About the same
time q sketch of some Of the events of this
forger's career was published in the Portland
papeis, from three column article which had
originally appeared in the st. Louis Globe
Democrat. 1t was not known or suspected, of
course, that so distinguished" criminal had
visited this city, or that any of our moneyed
institutions, or men, had been victimized.
The San Francisco papers have just come to
hand, and, at the same time. letters were re-
ceived by Marshal Bridges from Captain Lees,
Chief of the San Francisco Detective Force,
asking fer particulars in the case of the parties
victimized in this city. In the statement
given by one of the pals of Grifs, it was stated
that two of the banks in Portland, Maine, were
swIndled out of $12. 900. A photograph, with a
full description Of Grifs, was forwarded by
Captain Lees. What information Marshal
Bridges may have obtained in regard to the
matter, from the banks, we do not know. 1t is
claimed by the officers that Grifis's pal lied
Furthermore, they do not see how ally bank
here could be swindled by means of circular
letters of credit, since they do no business Of
that kind, but turn it over to brokers. A bank
officer said that if any fellow had played the
game on any of our banks, for such amounts,
he must have done it through forged checks
that had been certified, or in some such way,
and he would also have had to be identified
But MI. Grifis was in Portland and he did
make haul out of two persons On October
10TH Thursday, man about IS years of age,
Of dark complexion, and pock- marked face,
tall, neatly dressed, but with the air of man
who had lately come into a fortune, walked in
to moneyed insttution-whose name we sup
press-aud asked if he could have circular
following letter with amounts suppressed:
NIB, 343i5-For - sterling.
UNION BANK OF LONDON
Princes street, Mansion House,
boz g LONDON. the 8 tn CT August 1873.
~ To the Correspondent of the Union Bank of Lon
don-GENTLEMEN:-A credit in the sum Of =
pounds sterling has been opened by the Union Bank
OF London. in favor Of Mr.. W. j. Hadley, whose sig
nature you will find in general letter order No.
-, Of which he is the bearer Please paw him,
pray you after days sight on London, without costs
whatever the am unit Of the above t; named credit
the honor to be, gentlemen, your very humble SER
want,
JOHN SEATH Secretary
As these letters of credit are negotiable
among bankers and moneyed men, the gentle
man was requested to endorse the same, which
he did, in the name Of W. J. Hadley. The
sum obtained it is not necessary to state ex act
ly, but it was for large amount, about e25O.
or $3.50. Everything about the transaction
was perfectly regular and nothing more was
thought about it at the time. A short time ago
the firm saw that forger named W. j. Had
ley had played similar game on New York
jeweler for $1,000, and they looked into the
matter and found out that nv. Hadley was the
celebrated William Grifs, alias Saville, alias
Lord Ashburton, who has made great deal of
money out Of his operations.
Mr.. Hadley arrived in Portland on the
morning of October 10th. from Montreal. and
registered at the Falmouth Hotel. After get
ting his letter Of credit cashed for $3.50, he
made the acquaintance of q gentleman of
means at the hotel and afterwards succeeded in
obtaining from him similar letter of credit
for the sum of $50. or $3.50. By the evening
train he departed for Boston to seek ''fresh
feldsOaud pastures new"
The prisoners true name is William Grifs of
Tutness, Devonshire. England. He is about
IS years old, nearly six feet high, slender build
has stubby black mustache, straight black hair,
which he combs back from his forehead, has
wide nose, and his face is slightly peck marked
He has large scar on the forehead, and an
anchor, ia blue ink, on the back of the left
hand. He wears dark suit of clothes, and
glove on the left hand to cover the ink mark
In England, he was employed with his brother,
who is . timber merchant at Hamstead Heath
His mother, Mary Griis, resides at 80 Market
Lew street, Penzance, Cornwall. He stated
that he left England on the 22d of last January,
in company with man named Cobb aud Clara
Waters and Addie Robinson, actresses from
the ALEXANDRA Theatre; travelled through
France, Italy, and thence to New York, where
he parted from bis companions and went West
1t is also stated that he is q married man, and
that his wife and family are in England.