Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-03-24

Of ten pounds, as | had still day or two
to spend in town before my return to
Birmingham. happened, however, to
get through all my business that after
noon, and on the following morning pre-
pared to leave. l had not left myself
much time to catch the train, and was
chafng in the dining room at the wait
er's delay with the receipted bill and tho
change for my ten pound note.
was trying to solace myself with the
view OF the Waverly monument, just in
front of the hotel, when heard some
one enter the room. knew by the step
it was not the waiter, so I did not turn
my head. The party, whoever it was,
however, came up to me, and, touching
me on the shoulder. said:
"Will you be good enough to come
this way"
"No, can't; I shall be too late for
my train as it is.
"Your train will have to wait soma
time"
"what do you mean, and who are
yOui"
"Dinna craw so cruse"-hc meant
"Don't crow so loudly "it means that
I'm detective, aud you must go with
me to the police office"
It was useless to resist.
Anything you say may be used in
evidence against you," he warned me.
On our way to the station he told me
that my ton-pound note was forgery,
that Others OF a similar kind had been
in circulation, and that suspicion pointed
to me as one of the gang uttering them.
Ny southern accent was, in his eyes,
enough to justify any suspicious OF me,
as the notes were importatiOns from the
other side OF the Border.
told my story to the chief police
official, the Procurator- Fiscal, but I
could see l was not believed. Inquiries
would, however, be male at Birmingham
and Stirling. The magistrate before
whom I was brought in the course Of the
morning remanded me for q week. l did
not apply for bail, as knew no one in
Edinburgh, except one or two cu'tomars
of our house, aud they had only my
word for my identity.
On the fifth day OF my Incarceration l
was told that some one had called to see
me. In a waiting.room l foull Mr..
Hinde, young Mr.. Macgre2oT and an old
gentleman whom l did not know. He
turned out to be the young mans real
father, not the venerable swindler of
Llnlithgow.
Mr. Hinde informed me that | had
sent him nearly eight hundred pounds
worth of forged notes, and that he had
narrowly escaped arrest himself on seek
ing to get change for one at Warwick,
but fortunately the inquiries from Elm.
burgh had helped to explain matters.
He further told me that two men had
been apprehended in Falkir&, one OF
whom had sought to pass one of the
genuine notes Of which l had been
swiudled, and payment OF which had
been stopped By young MacgregoT. A
solicitor was engaged to appear for me
aud I was allowed out on bail, the two
Macgrcgors, who were woll-known, be-
coming responsible for my appearance.
Two days after l again appeared in
the dock, and to my great satisfaction
there stood III it also the cid gentleman
whose acquaintance l had made at Lin
lithgow, aud the hOrsey man had seen
in Macg:egor's shop. My venerable old
friend had dispensed with bis beard aud
wig. They had served their turn.
was discharged from custody, ana
called upon to give evidence. The whol'
of the notes had been recovered, fact
which caused me no little gratifcatlon
had been the victim of gang who had
come to the Tryst to get their notes
placed; aud the conversation overheard
in MacgregOr's shop by the old mans
companion, and, no doubt, the sight OF
what took place in the back room, had
suggested their scheme, which my de-
parture for Linlithgow had admirably
furthered.
Along with other two they were SEN
fenced to fourteen years penal servitude
each. Since then do not allow senti-
ment to come in the way of business.