Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-14

n prayed for his help to recover her
money.
The subsequent proceedings on the part
OF Benson and his confederates seem to
have been chiefly confined 70 realizing
their M gotten assets and to escaping JUS
tics. The possession Of the money OBJ
tanned from Nine. de Goncourt was not
necessarily the enjoyment OF It. Numbered
Bank OF England notes are not silent wit
pesses in cases Of fraud. but their names
often speak with trumpet tongues. The
first effort therefore wss to get rid Of
these and TO obtain some safe and portable
medium that would be less bulky than
gold and which would not be earmarked
The way often was TO get their money
changed into Scotch bank notes, which
were not always recorded as they left the
bank.
The members Of the gang were, how
ever. wanted and strong representation
were made by the French police to Scot
land Yard to intercept letters coming from
France and TO Sc cure the conspirators
In the ordinary course of events they would
doubtless have been speedily brought to
justice, but the daring Benson and Kurr
had led them to seduce and get under
their influence various members OF the de-
~tective force. From these they learned that
the warrants were out and other intorma-
ton which enabled them for a time to
keep out OF the way. This succeeded for
a while, but at last the matter grew into
a grave scandal and the men were given
twelve hours to clear out of the country.
Benson and the others escaped 10 Holland
Here for a while they avoided detection,
spending the time at Rotterdam. 1t was
in consequence Of having changed their
names that trouble first came. They had
reached this city of refuge, each by a diff
ferent route, each agreeing to so under a
fresh alias. In the hurry of leaving. how
ever, when they received the final notice
to go from their friends at the coGrt they
forget to arrange by what name they
should ask for Benson at the hotel le
would stay at. In Consequence of this the
walters became suspicious. An effort to
pass some Ciydtsdalc Lotes confirmed this
and Information was given to the police,
who had been in con municatlon with Lon,
don. Benson, who was passing under the
rame of Jacob Francis, was found TO have
a large sum of n oney in notes sewed
around his body in a belt.
Police Beat Forged Telegram.
after they had spent some time in the
Dutch prison an application was made for
the extradition of the prisoners. 1t the
judicial examination they made a most
amazing attempt to get off and very nearly
succeeded, A. confederate, an attorney
named Froggatt, managed to send a forged
telegram to the authorities purporting TO
be from Scotland Yard, and laying that
the prisoners might be discharged, as it
had been found that they were not the
men who were wanted. Before, however.
this message could be acted upon an escort
of police arrived from London to take
charge OF the men. 1t was possibly CON
venient for both parties that Druscovitch
was at the head of the detective party. 1t
was, of course, not known that he was
hand in glove with the prisoners. But he
was, OF course. at last compelled to do his
duty and could not help them any more.
"The trial, which naturally aroused the
greatest public interest, began at the Old
Bailey on April IS, 1877, before Baron Hud-
dleston, who, formerly the brilliant leader
of the Oxford circuit. had just been raised
to the bench. The distinguished array of
counsel on that occasion included many
famous men, several of whom have since
Joined the great majority, including Ser
gent Parry, Mr.. Montague Williams. and
Mr., Besiey.; The prosecution was con-
Quoted by the solicitor general, Mr.. Bowen
and Mr. Mcconnell. The prisoners we're
Henry Benson, Frederick Kurr. william
Kurr. Charles Bale and Edwin Murray,
who were defended by able attorneys.
Swindlers and Detective Imprisoned.
After a long, weary trial the jury found
Benson, Bale and the Kurrs guilty of for
gerry and conspiracy, while Murray. ac-
,,4Nt.l - $780,
ersl conspiracy. Benson was sentenced TO
fifteen years penal servltude, the Kurrs
and Bale to ten years each, and Murray
to eighteen months at hard labor. The
costs we're ordered to be paid by the
prisoners.
1.-THE result of the confessions Of Benson
and William Kurr was that on October IS,
1s77, the officers of the law implicated were
placed on trial. They were Inspector John
Meiklejohn, Chief Inspector T.. Druseo-
witch, W. Palmer and Edward Clarke. all
OF Scotland Yard. With them was Fro
CART. the attorney. The course OF the trial
was necessarily tedious. as the evidence
connecting the various detectives with the
prisoners in the previous trial was mostly
derived from the testimony Of the con-
vlcts themselves, which had 10 be corrob-
OAoNS1 ~ hhcoH1 70 AttNtAo anu ~ OAAAGA
ways. Its most startling features were
the amounts OF the brides paid and the
exceedingly clever way in which the princl-
pal schemers had gathered one after an
other OF the country's chief police Of
ficers into the meshes of their net. 1t was
testified that Meiklejohn received c5O. The
money was paid to him in notes which
were part of the proceeds netted BIS the
eonspirators. and Meiklejohn paid for a
house with some OF these same notes. The
defendants. with the exception of Clarke,
were all found guilty and were each sem
fenced to two years imprisonment. the
maximum penalty for their offense."
After BattIeS and Packy.
SAN FRANCISCO. Cal, Feb. l3,-Pro-
moter James coffroth is making strenuous
efforts TO arrange a match between Bat
Ting Nelson. lightweight champion, aud
Packey Mcfarland, one of his most promi-
nent challengers, for March II. coffroth
Is reported to have received word from the
Battler that he desires a match. After
due deliberation with Nelson's manager II