The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-18

M. William Portal in 1869 had been for some
years at the head " the industry TO which the
family owes lts position aud It's property. He
wns naturally therefore In close, confidential,
sad constant relations with the authorities Of
! rSr puuJ! Of Fngiant, aud especially with the
| Gosssn1 ~ ,Sid Tic chief cashier. the lattor OIL
clal. being the most important functlonsry Of
the bank, in consequence OF the curious pro-
| vision OF the bank charter which prohibits the
election AZ a director or Governor Of any one
connected with the business Of banking. Early
in the month Of August, 1862, Mr.. William
Portal received through the post two notes,
one from the then Governor, and one from the
thon chief cashier Of the Bank Of England.
lie was on terms Of personal and friendly
intimacy, az he told me, with both OF these
functionaries. and he was therefore a little sur
prised at the cold and formal tone Of the note,
in which the Governor requested him TO come
70 London and to the bank without delay, on q
matter Of Importance, giving him at the same
time no hint as to tho nature Of this matter.
The other note, from the chief cashier, still
more disturbed him. for 1t simply requested him
10 make q point when he came TO London OF
seeing the cashier In his private room before he
presented himself 10 the Governor. II could
not tell what TO make Of all this" said Mr..
Portal to me, but 1t much disturbed me, for,
evidently. there was a screw loose somewhere,
where or how L could not dlvlnO."
When he saw the cashier the next morning
that official said to him: do not ask me why
the Governor wants TO see you, but you know
me TO be your friend, and l think IL right, there
fore, to tell you that the Governor means TO ask
you q question of the gravest Importance TO
yourself and your family, and that you should
prepare yourself TO meet IL calmly, and TO
answer H. with extreme care.' Thus fore
warned, Mr.. Portal, as you may imagine. went
into tho Governors room In what we Ameri-
cans are apt to call "a state of mind" " had
not the faintest suspicion" no told me, "of what
had really happened, and l was completely at
sea. The Governor received me with great po-
likeness. but also with extreme forinality. lie
begged me TO be seated, and then surprised me
not n little by saying. Mr.. Portal. your family,
think, have held the monopoly of the manu-
facture of the paper used by the Bank Of Eng
land for n century and a half, have they not p
l replied In the Affirmative. Can you tell
me- he went on. whether your family have
any document or writing in the nature Of
q contract with the Bank assuring them
of this monopoly I reflected for = few
moments, utterly at a loss as to the drift
Of his questions, and then replied: No, I do not
think there has ever been any written contract
whatever between our family and the bank
80 l thought said the Governor: and your
relations, therefore, with the bank have always
reposed. ms a matter Of business, upon the good
faith and honor of both PARTIES Yes l said.
quietly. Til bank he went on. has never. I
think, had any cause OF serious difficulty with
your family nor your family with the bank In
all this timer Not to my knowledge l re-
Piled. Very well. Mr.. Portal then said the
Governor. as we thus understand each other,
will you have the goodness to take this note. ex-
anime it carefully. and tell me whether. in your
Judgment. It Is or is not printed on paper made
at your mills?' and as he spoke he handed to
10 n fve-pound Bank Of England note. to all
appearance genuine. You will believe said
Mr.. Portal to me with O smile, that my hand
as I took the note was not absolutely steady.
The whole thing was utterly unexpected. and its
possible results TO us were rather bewildering.
Itook the note. rose, and, going to a good light,
scrutinized 1t long and closely. With the print
ing and the signatures, of course, I did not con-
Germ myself. l had only to examine the texture
and water mark of the paper and certain little
pecularities perfectly well known to me. After
q little time / turned back to the Governor,
handed him the note, and said: TO the best of
my knowledge and belief. sir. this paper was
unquestionably turned out of our mills at
Lsverstoke.' The Governor heard mo very
gravely, and replied: Il am sorry to hear II,
Mr.. Portal. for this note il q forgery of course
by this time said Mr.. Portal. 1 had OWNED
WHAT WAS coming, DuI IL was u buhTp buoCk U
all that. The genuineness Of the Bank OF Eng
land notes, l knew had for years been attested
and assured by our monopoly at Laverstoke. II
our mills could not be trusted. what was to be-
come OF the bank currency. and what was to be-
come OF our mills. We had gone on. father and
son, for years, making this paper under a system
of administration and supervision which, as we
believe, made 1t absolutely impossible for a
single sheet of our paper to DO taken surrepti-
tiously out OF the mills. Almost all. indeed, I
think all, our workmen were natives OF LAYER
stoke, and the little village had grown up with
the growth OF on. mills. could not speak for
a few moments. all these considerations and
others running through my mind like a millrace.
ait Is n very bad business, Mr.. Portal said
the Governor at last, not unkindly, bad for us.
bnd for you. bad for everybody, We have no
idea as yet OF the extent of these forgeries. This
note. with many others, we have received from
New York. or course notice must be given that
such ~forgerles exist, and we have a very serious
inquiry on our hands. But now let me say to
you that we propose TO leave the direction of
this inquiry mainly In your hands. Our rela-
tons with your family in the past, as we have
agreed. have always been satisfactory. Let
them so continue and we will cooperate to un-
earth this business"
AS a result of this interview. equally credita-
Dlcs L tIlnks 10 tuo IOElaIa uui u u YUMA,
an inquiry began in August, 1859, which led TO
the arrest aud trial in January, 1863, OF certain
persons for forging Bank Of England notes,
printed on paper stolen from tho paper
mills ut Lnverstoke. Four of these persons,
Buncher. Barnett, Brewer, and Grinths.
were convicted OF this offence. but II
was found impossible TO fasten the actual
theft of the paper from the mills upon another
person. OF whose guilt all the investigating par
ties, as Mr.. Portal told me, felt morally assured.
there being no imaginable way In which the
paper could have been procured and conveyed
out Of the mills without the actual completely of
some one occupying a position OF condolences in
tho works. Tho person upon whom suspicion
centred with a force almost amounting TO GER
tainty was a man of mature years, whose father
before him. I think, had grown old In the works.
and who himself held a position Of trust In them.
After the trial was over one OF Mr.. Portals
counsel strongly urged him to devote a certain