Star. — 1823-09-25 (London, England)

SWINDLING.—A person of very respectable appearance and address, named Thomas Cor Rackarow, a resident of the house Lambeth-road, was brought before R. G. Cnaatacts, Esq. under the following circumstances. A Gentleman named Seaman stated, that on the 12th September, he went to the house of the defendant to demand cash for a bill for 151.wbich had been passed to him by the defendant and dishonoured. Upon that occasion the defendant threatened to murder him. This waa, however, a charge of trivial importance compared with one in which not only the individuals injured, but the whole Public were deeply concerned. An advertisement appeared in a Morning Newspaper on the 9th of March, to the following effect: 6. A person of respectable connexions, wishing to obtain a handsome income by a professional employment, without encountering much trouble, has now an opportunity seldom to be met with, by applying to the advertiser. It will. be requisite the party applying should possess 501. at immediate command. Respectable references will be given and required, also real name and address. Address (post paid) to B. H. Twopenny Post Office, Fish-street-hill." On reading this advertisement, the complainant said he sent off a note directed according to the instruction ; this led to i meeting, at which the defendant told him he was master of two branches of ',tinting, profile and flower, the former of which he should have no objection to resign in favour of some discerning person. The witness was told that for £5O he should be made, in the short space of six weeks, a perfect master of the art, and be enabled to put from £2OO to ,300 a-year in his own pocket, and £4OO or £5OO into that of hispreceptor. The £5O was paid down, but be found that, instead of any new mode of teaching, the defendant taught him by the old mode of DrAironlaston, called camera !undo; and three or four lessons proved that little faith was to be placed in the skill of the advertising quack. Application was then made, in vain, for the £5O, and at length a court of criminal law being held on% as a menace, the defendant thought proper to promise to refund £25 of the £5O, and the bill alluded to above formed part of that The complainant put the bill into circulation, but it was dish°. I noured and returned to him, and on applying at the house of &he defendant, he was refused any reecompence, detained against his will an hour and a half, and threatened, if he used any of those epithets which naturally spring out of bad treatment, with that decisive violence which separates soul from body. Upon regaining his liberty, he was i•i formed that a great nurn,er of young men and women were duped exactly in the same manner. Here several respectable young men stepped forward to corroborate the description given of this despicable impostor. The defendant,ln answer to these cases, complained of the dullness of his pupils. The defendant's solicitor contended that the case against his cltent was merely a breach of covenant. Mr. CHAMBERS said he should.adjourn the charge of fraud, that other persons who had suffered from this profligate system of imposition might attend and bring forward their charges. Ile then ordered the defendant to feud bail for assaulting and threatening Mr. Seaman.