The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-07
Clever Swindler i'm Tolls of
British Courts
POSTCARDS CENSORED
England Having Trouble With I'm
proper Cards-Zebehr Pasha, Man
Who Could Have Saved Cor
don, Dead Near khartoum

arrest on q cQafSe OF petty tneIL OF
Charles Alfred Williams, alias Searle,
alias Arthur Brann. John Rand Gas well
as other names too numerous to men,
tion). Williams posed as the noted war
correspondent of the same name. He
alleged that he was IAN interested
party in a large s5oo,oOo,o0o South
African and American diamond con-
corn. He produced letters and refer
ences which took away the breath of
the court.
Yet for the pilfering of an overeoat
not worth more than $3.50 alias Will
liams has gone to serve three years
penal servitude.- After he finishes do
Ing time he will be deported.
THE devil is not so black as he is
painted" he observed to the judge at
London sessions who convicted him.
He went into the witness box to tes-
tify in his own defense like a cotillon
leader entering a drawing room. All
eyes and ears were open as in cultured
tones he put forward his remarkable
claims. -
He prefaced his remarks by handing
in q voluminous bundle of documents
and explaining ethat among these were
personal letters lfOln Ine eultoTS VI
leading London papers and others when
he was negotiating to go out to the
Balkans war correspondent
Other letters referred, he said. to a
company representing the leading Lon
don firms, whose names are synony
nous and incorruptibility and integ-
rity," and also diamond syndicate"
in South Africa with which he was
connected as partner. Prisoner further
claimed to have been connected with
a leading financial institution up to
1898, and again a constinuity of that
connection down to last year.
When proof was submitted of a long
Jail record in South Africa. Williams
protested, but gave the following ex
PLANTATION: In 1902 warrant was is
sued in South Africa against me for
buying diamonds without a license.
faced the music, and / was sentenced to
seven years Imprisonment with hard
labor. The American government am
an American-took the matter up, and
we appealed to every court in the coun-
Try, but unfortunately there was no
criminal appeal except on certain points.
/ was sent away an invalid for life to
die, but L did not die. / escaped, and
after travelling $4,000 miles I reached
England, a fugitive of Justice. After
ward / represented one of the largest
firms in the world with a capital of
$500, ,000, 900.
II was connected also with branch
establishment in Chancery Lane when
J was arrested for having escaped
from prison in South Africa and for
buying $S5,000 worth of diamonds. The
ambassador kindly gave me his pro-
rection. but finally my appeal against
extradition failed before the lord chief
Justice. l went back. My friends in
the African parliament brought about
an inquiry and the chief of the detec-
tice department, whom / had previously
impugned, was called upon on the ques-
ton of his motives. His answer was to
blow his brains out and / was released
and granted a free pardon for a crime
I had never done, after serving one
year and eight months. but / was sem
fenced to two years Imprisonment be-
cause | would not tell who the officers
were who were involved at the time of
my escape and who did not give warn
ing of my escape until As hours after
wards. After my sentence | returned
To this country and recommended busi-
ness, forming a company with my part
ner in South Africa.
ut is better to take you into my con-
fidence' Williams proceeded. because
it is only the truth that can save me
today. have had much trouble and
anxiety. My finance died during my
absence and when | am sitting up at
u1Snt sometimes see dOuDle. i am only
human, and ] think / am clever and
do things in that mood with no criminal
intent. Tn these circumstances it has
been my misfortune when at Capetown
to meet all classes of criminals In
South Africa milionaires who bought dia-
monds by similar methods to what did,
had sufficient influences in parliament
to have certain laws passed which en-
act that the poor man must not buy dia-
nonds, but millionaire can buy mil
hons of pounds worth. In spite of all,
have gone through I am making an
heroic effort to retrieve the past and hold
up my head among honest men,
When the police records were handed
40 the. judge he grudingly admitted the
following convictions and sentences:
1903-North London sessions bound over.
1903-Kimberley, seven years penal
servitude.
Rearrested in 1905 Williams said he was
finally released in 1907 Since then he had
served the following punishments.
190s-Middlesex, sessions q months inn
prisonment for stealing bags.
1910 Marlborough street, obtaining SOS
by false pretenses: six months
19l1--London sessions, obtaining 500 by
fraud; Is months.
Canon Rawnsley of ST. Paurs, militant
divine who loves to hunt out the devil
In the hooks and crannies of life, is hot
on the trail of the improper postcard.
The canon demands postcard censor.
His action is surely we'll taken. Lon
don and England are flooded by the most
disgusting postals-cards which would
subject their possessors in the United
States to long terms of imprisonment
The demand for them has outstripped the
supply. The heads of great printing con-
Germs admit that they have to participate
in this abominable traffic or lose other
valuable business To the vulgar postal
Sir Adolph Tuck attributes a great part
of tho social evil in this country.
The commissioner of police has
warned fashionable hostesses in the
West End that crystal gazers" or
other charlatans at society receptions
are liable to immediate arrest and that
their patrons stand in danger of going
to Jail with the option OF paying a
fine The edict las caused a flutter-
ing in the dovecotes Society has gone
wild on the occult hokus-pokus and 1t
is possibly just as well that Sir Edward
Henry, the police head, should so In
form the West End that the law against
fake futurists reaches rich as well as
poor
One of the most remarkable figures
+ CnnSfinafiOn I|