Council, who also suspended Sergt. Ginner for a like period because he refused to act while being off duty. Sergt. Phillips was appointed to take the Inspector’s place, and privates Jones and Adams were to be sergeants. The utterers of the notes got away notwithstanding the energetic watchfulness of the Brothers Reeves, simply through the supineness of the police. They were connected with a gang of forgerers and utterers, some of whom were taken and judicially dealt with. One of the gang, named William Davies, was captured at Birmingham. The gang had forged and passed notes on the banks of Stourbridge, Sheffield, Rotherham, Weymouth, Chippingham (sic), Northampton, Leeds, Warwick, Worcester, York, Darlington, Abergavenny and Brighton. The readers of this will do well to read also the speech of the Mayor at the Trade-protection dinner, in an antecedent section of this chapter.
Pocket Picking. On the 17th of July, a lady, while sitting on the parade, had her pocket picked of a new purse, containing a sovereign[1] and some silver. Perhaps the picker thought the purse was safer in his own pocket, but being unknown and unfound, he could not well be questioned.
Obtaining Money. — Another way of obtaining money was revealed on the 28th of August by a case at the County Bench. One Francis de Latour Dupin, professing to be the son of an aide-de-camp to the late Count de Neuilly, was charged with extorting money under false pretences. He had a bandage over his left eye, and his right arm in a sling. He had, he said, a pistol wound in his arm and a bayonet wound in his face, which he got at Rome. His arm, he declared had also been broken at Hastings while getting out of a carriage. These and the other versions of his ills were the means by which he obtained 3/- from some ladies near Bexhill, 2/6 each from a Mr. Paine and another man at the Bopeep hotel, 11/6 and 2/6 from Mr. Lucas-Shadwell, at Fairlight, with food, wine, and bed at a cottage, he having been found in the road, supposed to be in a fit. The evidence, however, of surgeon F. Ticehurst, (who tore off his bandages and showed the deception), together with that of other witnesses, resulted in the impostor being sent to three months hard labour at Lewes.
Another way of doing it. — Cn the 2nd of August, a man about six feet high and of fine proportions, having also a gentlemanly bearing, and calling himself Mr. Martin, from Court Lodge, Mountfield, where he had been shooting, called on the tradesmen and gave orders to a large amount, at the same time taking away the goods in his dog-cart. Tailors, shoemakers, a draper, a clothier, a perfumer, a gunsmith and a saddler, were all patronised. A horse was also hired of Mr. Hoad to do duty in a tandem. At length, his manoeuvers were observed by tailor Harman, whose suspicions were communicated to the Mayor, and the police -
- ↑ An explanation of old currency and coinage may be found at the following website Pre-decimal currency, accessdate: 16 June 2022
