The chronicle=news., 1913-02-04
.O|SCL0SES TALE
Of A STRANGE
PAST

| uonplacs charge OF theft h<ard he
\ fore Allen Lawrie. at London s.s-
| Sion. therc was an eNiraoI dilaTy
! story of a mans past. The prisoner
! . well educated man. giving IN.
name Of Charles Alfred Williams.
god %. was sentenced 10 three
years penal scryiiude and suhse-
quoBt deportation TO America for
having stolen an ov.rcoat. valued At
lysIv.
on going into the witness box
Williams nut forward remarkable
defence lie pr"faccd his remarks
/ hy handing In q large bundle OF doe
umrufs. and explaining ;har among
those were personal letters from the
editors OF leading London news
papers and others when he was ne
sotiatlnE 10 80 out to the Balkans
a. war correspondent.
what are these papers put in
tor" asked Mr.. I-awrI.
To show whether IL Was fcasibl"
or POSSIBLE that ] would commit -
contemplate crime a~ to rob \ boy
Of his S.,Su oycrcolt when my own
co>J <7l So" replied IN. prisoner.
lie added that h. had arranged with
\ picture film company 10 receive
SO" a week for taking photographs
~ the war. Oth.r letters referred.
ne said. to company representing
leading London firms. whose names
sTc synonymous with ncorTuptih!lity
and integrity. and also \ diamond
syndicate In South Africa with which
he ~As connected as a partner. Will
tam. further claimed TO have been
connected with a leading financial
Institution uP TO 1898.
In 1909 warrants were issued n
south Africa against 4 well known
diamond maslsiFaf. and myself for
huyius diamonds sIrhoG, a license"
he addet. Il Was admitted 10 bal!
ia So. 600. aat the damon. mag
nat. n se0.aoo. ~. escaped and
forfeited ~. bail bonds fared the
music and va. sentenced 20 seven
YEAR Imprisonment with hard la
bor. The American Sove-un.nt-i
at an Am.gic4p-toos tae matter
W and II Was appealed 20 every cour,
n the country. but unfortunately
there Nas 20 criminal appeal except
oa certain point.. ~ss S.nt away
an !nvait foT lie. 20 cite. but tid
no; iis. escaped. and after :ray.l-
lag i,oee miles reached England. i
fugitive from ius;iec ! afterwards
represented on. of ;se la-se>, firms
IN the world. with capital OF sica
500. I vas connected also with !
branch estabii.hn.1; .a CEauce-y
lane. ~hcn ! "a. arrested for having
escaped from prison IN south Africs
aud Tor tpyine IS. .oo~ worth Of
ciz.ooucs- The ambassador kindly
gave tie his protection. hnt finally
my appeal asaias, est-att'.or :aile.
.e:ore ito lord cslef justice ! wee.
back Ny friends IN the African
parliament broueh, about an In
quGrr. aau the chic: O: n. detective
department. whom I had previously
inpug-ct. was called u7oa or the
question o: his r1o'lsss
HIS answer ~z< 20 blow his
brains out. aat ] WAS released. and
.ra utsd q free pardon for I crime
had never done. a:r-T serving one
yNar and eight months but | was
-entsrcsd 10 fs'n years i-p.Isonm.n;
because ! would rot tell xho TIE Of
;ics-s were who were involved at tee
time OF nv e>cap- ard Sho did ao'
N!ve Sarnius o. ny ..ClH-A unt!l :,
hours afterwards. After uy sea-
:snce returned to ihis country aa6
recommended business. forming !
conpsuy with my partner IA south
Af-.ca-
II = better TO tasA vou Into ~
confidence. because t. : only TIC
ruth that can save M today. have
had much trouble and anxiety. NJ
lance died during ray absence. ant
h.1 ! an sitting M az riSht
sometimes SEE double. ] m only au-
nan. and thilk an clever. aai I
90 th.lSs IA that MOD with 70
criminal iEtsai II t-e< C!rsuE-
stances IL has be. ~ misfortune
when .; CSpe;o=r % meet all class
80 os criminals In Souts Africa MILL
lolsir.s rcw --.itsr. n Loa1o-
who bought diamonds by similar
T -asihcis 70 What I did 2 ID su.tlci-a-
l Influence il parliament 20 have .sr-
I tai- laws plss-a3 which enacted that
the 7-.o- mar mus no. -zy G!aE-uds
I hut millionaire Cs- auy millions
7 OF POUNDS worth. lU s7iie OF all
have gone through - making ~
. heroic effcrt 70 retrieve The pas: zad
hold ~ ry head zuo-c honest zen. '-
IN reply to NJ. G-.a. Trosecut-
:I7c. the accused sE56 --sr his rfrnt
name vas Arthur R-a--. ;louSA he
. mad passed uade- tAat -. Sesrle. lie
I stU.itsd -a- iolipSsz. convictions
aud sentences. lS"1. North London.
sessions bound Owe Kimberly.
.sy-1 years penal sa-Titude: r.sr-
rested n 1905. tie =--sss Aid Ia.
1e Szs f;uallv Ts5-zs-5 in iSe-
Since then he had s~-V.s III. follow
iEc 7-Clshrslts 1895 Mi66lessr Z
SESSIONS. q uo--hs na-isoaEea-
.o- sealing hsSs- tS- Na-lt.ororcA
street. oatzi-i-c - r false pre-
lenses SIX months Isl London -