Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-14

| EN
As LORD AND LADY SOMERSET.
| coup. But none Of us had sufficient ready
capital to work the scheme, and the question
| came up. how were we to get it? After a good
! deal OF thinking, my former experience with
| Ford and Rathbone came up in nv mind, and
| thought there was a chance In this way. OF
course, could not work the thing single
| stand in, as the saying is. / then put an
advertisement in the Daily Telegraph which il
| here appended, for man with f500 for q
partnership in Canadian farm:
| (,ANADA-UNIvERsITY MAN. HAVING FARM,
aud learn business with view to partnership: must
invest 600 to extend stock board lodging and 5Per
dress oXoN, Gien's. 379A, Strand. VIC.
MURDER NOT PLANNED.
1--WE intended to get the moneefrom one or
two men, and then in Canada nothing could
be said to US, as we could not be held in Cam
ada for fraud committed in England, and
| wait until We had brought off our coup and
then repay the men with something over to ap-
pease them and say farewell to them in good
part. 1t was q poor fraud without doubt, but
l thought SO long as We repaid them afterward
it covered the fraud to a large extent, so far "a
my conscience. at any rate, was concerned.
may here state most emphatically, with all the
the idea of murder was never for a moment
thought OF or planned and that it was a pure
and simple fraud for the time being. II il
failed it failed on its own merits, said we, but
as we had the thing down pretty fine it wasn't
likely to do that" According to Birchali he
secured the names of BenweL and Policy from
T. G. Mellersh, who said that for ESQ he would
secure such persons as Birchall wanted. Biz
chall continues:
THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF BENwELL.
81 chose out about four and among these Mr..
Benwell and Mr.. Policy. Mr.. Benwell evidently
had money and had, as he afterward told me,
intended to pay 81, 500 for a business, or rather
share of a business. Mellersh then dictated
to me a couple of letters, one to Policy and one
to Benwell, couched in pretty much the same
terms. OF course had no idea of what they
would say in reply at all. went away, arrang.
ing to see Mellersh, who said he would meet
me again when got replies. / heard from
both, asking me to meet them, Peiley at his
home in Saffron Walden and Col Benwell at
his club in London, the Army and Navy In Pail
Nal.
THE BENwELLs, FATHER AND SON.
81 went to call upon the latter first, and the
moment saw him perceived that he was
like good many other old military men
simple and credulous on business matters.
had a long interview, in which he asked me
many questions, and / told him many lies,
in couple of days had letter from F. C.
Benwell, making an appointment at his club
the National Conservative-to talk matters
over. / duly went and convinced him Just
as easily as his father before him, and he de-
cided to 60 with me and pay the $500. =
The Policy family entertained me
Hospitality, and found the father. like most
country clergymen, simple and confidiDg ar
ranged to writePelley with definite Offer which
l afterward did, by which he paid me f170 for
certain considerations.
"Of course it must be distinctly understood
by the reader that the scheme was all prear-
ranged and that, Of course, it had been neces-
sary to arrange to be able to show Benwell
some property to satisfy him and to execute q
fraudulent deed upon. SO that he should be-
lieve and be led to believe that it was mine and
mine alone. l cannot mention any names, I'M
fortunately, here, and II l did it would do no
good as the parties TO the fraud, SO far as lend
ing their property was concerned need never
be exposed. The public have formed their
opinion in their inmost minds on this matter,
i fancy.
"Benwell was to 60 with my manager until
the money came out, and during the short time
that 1t would take to consummate the deal they
were to travel about attending sales of horses
&C.. for show, and OF course not finding any
suitable Tor my purpose. This would have
obvlated the necessity of taking up residence
upon farm, which / arranged to do first Of all
We were after the money by fraudulent means,
Dus uot " lOuI uieaus, duu tuere Is u great anu
wide distinction here. The scheme was well
laid, both in England and Canada, and was
only entirely frustrated by the untimely death
OF 4. c. Benwell
HIS WIFE NOT AN AccoMPLIcE.
"The details having been fixed we decided
upon the day of sailing. And before / en-
bark with my readers on board the steamer
there is another matter that wish to see
set night once and for all beyond all possible
human doubt. 1 allude to what has been
said by Policy and by the general public OF
the knowledge that my wife had Of the trans
actions i speak of. / had told my wife pre-
vious to my marriage that / owned property
In Canada in the neighborhood of the Falls,
but that it was let to and looked after by
Others acting in my interest.
''Often gave my wife full and graphic de-
scriptions Of this property, which existed only
IN my fertile imagination. ana hence her ideas
TO Policy on what it was like and the things she
intended to get for the house. The poor dear
girl was building her hopes on u comfortable
home, and having 1t got up to her own liking,
and hence what she may have said was entirely
misconstrued into q guilty knowledge Of my
fraudulent doings."
| PELLEY TELLS HIS STORY.
Bit by bit the details OF substantially this
story was obtained by the detectives OF the
prosecution. 1t established a motive. Then
they went to work to weave the net OF circum-
stauuai evidence against the prisoner. They
traced him from Buffalo to Eastwood with
Benweil, his appearance there in company with
| him aud his departure alone. He added greatly
| to his detriment by telling falsehoods For
instance, he declared when arrested that he
had not been at Eastwood on that day That
was promptly disproven, as we're other state
ments. Then, too, the testimony Of Policy was
| particularly damaging. Policy declare that he
was out walking one afternoon with his part
ner near the whirlpool rapids, when Birchall
| persuaded him to descend frail and rickery
flight OF stairs Immediately over the water, and
| he was on the point OF stepping upon some
rotten boards, which would have precipitated
| him into the abyss, when horrible suspicion
| crossed his mind and he turned back
Brchall was standing above, calmly looking
| down.
Again, one dark and blusty night, Mr..
Birchall said: Come, let US take tn IN on the
bridge" The wind was blowing a gale, and
they had 70 lean over to keep their feet They
were quite alone ON the great suspension
| bridge, Birchall on the outside, when suddenly
he said, Come out here, Policy, and keep the
| wind of"
a horrible thought" said Mr.. Policy after
ward. crossed my mind, and, all Of . sudden
my suspicious were aroused about this man. II
that instant my whole connection with him
flashed across me; how he Was a perfect stran-
| ger TO me and that, meeting him as q stranger,
had been led to believe in him and had come
| out to q strange land with him ON the sole