Mr. Fauntleroy.
The Times, 1824-11-01T00:00:00

LFrom a Sunday paper.] Almost Immediately after this unfortunate gentletnan was appre. hended, he exprcsed to his friends his firn opinion that any detence would be unavailing, and his anxionts desire, by pleadling guilty, to spare himself the pain and mortification of being exposed for hours to the gaxe ot' a crowded court, and compelled to bear thc narraLtive of his delinquencies; and he stated that it would be more congenial to his feelings to adopt this coarse, because the prosecutors' counsel would then be compelled to shut up their briefs, and thus all further publicity would.be avoided: in deference, however, to the advice of his friends, lie placed himself in the hands of legal advisers, hut he still wished it to be understood, that if his counsel should consider his case as hopeless, he should be allowed to foUow his original inten- tion of pleadin& guilty. i-is counsel met in consultation, and were unanimously of opinion that he hail no prospert, or even possible chance of escape, if the indictments were framed as they had reason to expect from the intelligence and caution of the Bank agents, they would be; but they very properly declined giving any al- vice to Mir. Fauntleroy as to the course he should adopt, and left him to be guided entirely by his own feelings, as to whether or not he would take hiis trial, or plead guilty. The restult of this con. f'erence was partially coinmunicated to Mlr. Fauntlcroy on Tuesday last, and more distinctly on the following day, by his brother, and his solicitors, AMessrs. f'orber an'd Harnmer, and also by Alr. Iay. hew, a respectable solicitor, who, as a private friend, has most kindly and zealously, throughout Air. Fauntleroy's defence, afforded his professional aid and advice; and it was expected that Alr.Fauntleroy would decline putting himself upon his trial: on this point, how. ever, nothing decisive was elicited from him until Wednesday even- ing, when he addressed to Mlr. Forbes the following letter:- Aly dear hlr. Forbes,-John and myself have been a long time talking upon this melancholy subject, and we have fluially agreed to plead " not guilty," as no doubt the strongest case would be bro: ght forward first, andi thinfis may come out in extenuation, (though. perhaps, it may not avail), and may place me in a better view to- wvards the public eye-so pray be preparing a defence. Ever your's, "HENRY FAUNTLEROY." It should be remarked, that Mlir. Fauntleroy was daily annoyed by seeing tleunfounded slanders progagated respecting hina in the public prints ; and he was dreadfilly distressed and nervous on finding his name frequiently associated with that of the cold-blooded murderer Thurtell. These attacks unsettledhis resolves, and induced hin to put himself upon his trial, if it was only to have the opportunity of an- swering thle numerous calumnies propagated against him. as ap. pears by the following letters which he naddressed to Messrs. Forbes, "ly dear Sirs,J3ver since mv imprisonment, the utmost inge. nuity has been exercised in irivcnting, and the greatest pains taken in propsgatir.g, the most unfounded and calumnious reports respect. ing me. I daily hoped that the faelle fortunes. the distressing and appalling situation of an unfortunate and wreiched man, would excte commiseration in the heart of the most unfeeling and obdu- rate, aRd that these cruel slanders would cease on the slightest reflec- tion; in this expectation however, I wasdisappointed, and each suc- ceedingday I was doome to find myselfaccused of crimes I never com- mitted,and with a courseof profligacy anavice for which there was no foundation. Indeed, I have been depicted in such odious eolours, that it would be painful to any onehereafter to acknowledgeany relation- ship or acquaintance with me; and if these imputations remained uncontradicted, and were credited, no one could think of my me- mory without sensations of indignation and of horror. Had my un- feeling assailants confined themselves to statements and animadver- sions on the magnitude and atrocity of the offences for which I was to take my triAl, I should not have complained: thereare, however, but few crimes in the catalogue of human depravity which have not been imputed to me. The distress and anguish of mind which I have naturally felt at these reiterated slanders have been rendered ad- ditionally acute by the pain which I knew they would inflict on those who are dearer to me than life itself: so far, however, as I am concerned, they will shortly be of little consequence; but I cannot bear the reflection, that the sting should remain to torture the dear relatives and friends who will suryive me. It is this consideration, and not any hope of averting my fate, that has induced me to undergo the distressing and disgraceful ordeal of a public trial, as the only means by which I shall have the opportunity of proving to the world that the immense sums which it was suppeaed and asserted that I alone haid acquired and squandered away, were really never in my indivi- dual pos8session; that every shilling was placed to the house account, and appropriated generally to the concerns of AMarsh and Company; and that, although I have been criminal, others are not infallible, and I owe it as i debt of gratitude to those dear conRexions who have not deserted me in my great and anxious tribulations, to rescue my mensory, as far as I amn able, from unfounded calumny ; and I do hope, that when all the cireumstances of my unfortunate case are reviewed, it will appear to every impartial and liberal-minded man, that I heye been a victim to the peculiar circumstances in which I had u.tFortunately been placed; an-d although by the existing laws of the country I may be justly doomed to suffer the heaviest punish. merit those laws can inflict, still that I am nor altogether undeserv- irg.he commiseration arid the pity of my fellow-creatures. "The detailed statement I have already harded to yt relates the history of my misfortunes, at least ss far as thev led to the coramis- pion of the oftence with which I am charged, aind the appropriation of the money. I shall not, therefore, here troable you with a repe- tition, but shall confine myself to short and general observations on the zeproachful and slanderous reports which have been so wideiy circulated regarding the incidents, or the imagined occurrences,of my private life. "lam chsrged withhaving been a gambler. ly answer is, that I was never in a.gaming-house in my life. Although a member of two clubs the Al7ion anid the Stratford, I never playea at cards or dice at ciiter, nor did I ever play at any other game of chance. " I have been accused of having ruined a lady, and refused to make reparatioII until threatened by her brother to call me out; and it was added, that I had deserted her the moment she had the greatest claim to my protection. Delicacy forbids rae entering into an explrnation on this subject, further than to declare, that what I did was perfectly voluntary, and with the most laudable and honourable 7Hotives; and so far from thr lady's brotLee having interfered, he was at the time aluded to itt tIme West Jndies. Could all the circumsttances be exposcd, and mynco, i duct and motives duly appreciated, I feel conrinced that ever.v liberal-minded man would rather apllaud than censure them; and i feel pleasure in stating, that the ladv in question has always been. and now is, actuated by the best fee:l gs towardls me. "I am reproached with a dishonourable seduction in France. I never roeas upf on the Continent but vne night in myJitle.i e. Cralais), and therefore could not have seduced any yaung woman from a con- vent, which has beeni falsely attributed to le. - " l am accused of keeping many exoensive establishments for my amours. This I positively deny; I never kept any one such esta. blishment. I !ladonc houseat I,ambeth,.and oneat Brighton. The one at Lainbeth waa my house, as my children were thcre; at this no extravagance was permitted, for I Awus living there in perfect re. tire.ent after my hours of business. The expenme of the Brighton establishment I have before described in my other remarks as alto- gether not exceeding 3401. a year. " I aun accused of carrying on an intimacy with Mrs. Bertrar., and by that means squandering awa, money. Aly only knovleke of this woman I have already describel to you, and which will ap- peat to have been a mere temporary andl slight acquaintance, which ceasedl mnany years ago. " I am charged with having prodigally, or at least inadvertently. lent money to persons of loose character: this I also deny. I never lent to any such persons, nor did I advance any sums without re- ceiving a security. " I am charged with bavingsettled upon various femalesannuities of the Yearly value of' 2,2011. ; and it has been said tbat I have fraudulently invested monies in the funds to answer the payment of such annuities. This, like all the others, is a gross fabrication. " I am charged with having invested monies in my name, or irs that of trustees, in the Foreign Funds, or with having deposited sums of great m-gnitude with confederates. This I positively deny; I have no investment whatever in any foreign or other funds, neither have I deposited witlh anv person, or in anv way concealed, one sin- gle guinea. I have always felt too much interest and devotion for the welfare and keeping up the credit of the banking-house, to think, for one moment, of makinz the least provision for myself; as the sacrifices I have made for years past, in sleepless nights and anxious days, and my presert unhappy situation, must too truly testify. " I cannot conclude without offering my grateful thanks to those dear friends, who, notwithstanding the calumnies that bave been heaped upon me, have stiU consoled mc by their kind attentions ; to all of themr, I give my humble, best, sincere blessing, and bid. tDem a last adieu. "1 [ remain, dear Sirs, " tour ever sincere and affeecionate, "HEIENRY FAUNTLEROY." In obedience tO "r. Fauntlerov's wishes, the substance of his statement was pHtt into 'ttrnas a defence,and tlhe draught was on Fri- day evening submitted to hr..' inspection. He rea, and approved it, and promised, not only to cop* .'t by the following mnorning. but to read it to the jary;* and at ten of ck at lnight Air. li's%Yhew and bis subeciters left him. __ MR. FAUNTLEROY.