The Warwickshire Herald. — 1888-10-11 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

THE TRACK OF FRENCH SWINDLERS.  Some sharp and speedily.despatched business has lately been performed by M. Gown, bead of the Paris Detective Department. He went to London for the purpose of obtaining information from the members of the "Long Firm" known in Paris as the "band of Catusse, Altmeyer, and Company," who have been arrested in England. Owing to the restrictions of the English law, however, M. Goron was unable to question the prisoners. Re had therefore to await the extradition of one of the swindlers, Writigand by name, and when this person arrived in Calais M. Goron was able to find out from him that some of the "band " were still hiding in England. Nevertheless, M. Goron, after having sent the descriptions of the criminals, who are still at libcrty, to Scotland Yard, went to Brussels in order to make further investigations. While in the Belrian capital he received a telegram from Paris informing him that a German named Fleich, who had murdered a man outside Paris, was lurking in Brussels under the name of "Weber." The detective immediately set to work, and half an hour after the arrival of the Paris telegram be had the handcuffs on Fleich, who had only lately arrived in Brussels and was hiding in the house of a friend. The Daily Telegraph's Paris correspondent states that Menegand has given useful iiii'ormation, which has led to the capture of sonic of his confederates, to one of whom, a dangerous character called " Robert," he stated that he gave the diamonds stolen from the jeweller in the Rue Notre-Dame de Nazareth. TlKse articles were valued at £6,000, and "Robert" asserts that he gave them to a receiver of stolen goods, who threw them into the Seine. The particular part of the river mentioned by the thieves has been dragged without any result, and it is now believed that this diamonds, like most of the other property stolen or fraudulently obtained by the " firm," have been sent to the British capital. M. Gown brought hack f.aun London £4,000 worth of stolen securities, which he obtained by threats of "extradition proceedings" from clandestine commission-agents of French nationality near Lek-: square. The The "accountant-general" or " rect i " of the hand—a fellow called Chevalier—has hot yet been discovered. It appears that he was in the habit of going to London once a month 'valuable securities, which he handed over 1, ..ie shady commission-yenta, who converted them into cash at the first opportunity. Among the other niembers of the " band " who are wanted is a fellow named " Jean " or " Engl•ne Fritch," who has already been in the hands of the English police, but WWI discharged, as the description of him sent from Paris was inaccurate. A most dangerous marauder, "Edgard Anspacher.- nicknamed the " Man with the cut ear," as part of one of his auricular organs was snapped off by the teeth of an antagonist with whom lie had • squabble about a woman in the Faubourg Montmartre, has been arrested in Brussels, owing to the information given by his amie, and it is confidently expected that the whole "band" will soon be unaer lock and kev. Det.ctiver are still tracking the runaways in England. Belgium, and Spain. In the meantime it is stated that the Grand International Association of l'ickpockets has been formed in America, with a view to operations during the forthcoming Park Exhibition.  Mr. John Corbett, M.P. for Droitwich, has at length given in his adhesion to the Salt Syndicate. Mr. Corbett is by far the largest owner of salt works in Worcestershire. Be will be a director of the Syndicate.