Rockhampton Bulletin (Qld. : 1871 - 1878), Thursday 22 May 1873, page 2


I THE LATE FORGERIES ON THE BANK I OF ENGLAND.

¡ Os March 7, Edward Noyes, described

as a well-dressed American, was brought l before the Lord Mayor, on remand, 1 charged with having obtained by fraud

and forgery from (he Governor and i Company of the Bank of England the

sum of £4500. ' The evidence given on tho first examination was rend over to the witnesses and signed. Mr. Frank Mny, deputy cashier at tho Bank of England, said it came to his knowledge that a fraud and forgery lind been com-mitted on tho bank, by means of acceptances discounted at the West-end branch, and he ascertained that some proceeds af the forgery had been paid into the Continental Bank in Lombardstreet. Ile went to that bank and saw the prisoner, whom lie gave into custody. He ¡ind previously said in the prisoner's presence to tim manager, " Is Ibis Mr, Horton's clerk?" and ho replied he was. The prisoner then said, " Why are you going to givo ino into custody?" Mr. Amery, a

ledger-keeper at the Continental Bank, proved that he knew thc prisoner by the name of Edwin Noyes. A man named Horton had kept an account, and the prisoner had paid in and cashed cheques on his behalf. On February 25 acbeque for £0000 on the West End branch of the bank was paid into bis account. It was signed " F. A. Warren," and boro the endorsement " C. J. Horton." The prisoner presented an open cheque for £5000 drawn by Horton. He was then Riven iuto custody by Mr. May. ColonA P. M. Francis, agent of tho Hank ot England at the western branch, said in May, 1872, Frederick Albert Warren, an American, opened a banking account at that branch, which became a drawing and discount account. A few days ago he received by post, in a registered letter from Birmingham, bills representing £2G,000, with n letter (produced) which was as follows:-"Dear Sir,Inclosed I hand you memorandum with bills for discount, proceeds of which please place to the credit of my account on receipt. I have yours of 25th,

acknowledging receipt of bills sent on 21th. I remain, dear sir, yours faithfaithfully, F. A. WAHBEN. P.S.-I luke this opportunity of thanking you for the trouble you have taken on my behalf in making special application to the Bank Committee about the Anglo-Austrian and Russian notes. 1 have some of each to the amount nf £0000, and shall either gel two endorsements on them or return them to my friends. Yours faithfully,

F. A. W."

Among thc £2ti,000 bills enclosed in thc registered letter were tho two for £1000 each respectively, drawn in first and second, now produced, dated Feb-ruary 1!), 1S7:{, nt Amsterdam, drawn by D. L Guldschmidt on, and purporting to bc accepted by, B. W. Blydonsleiu, payable at the London Joint Stock ; Bank. It was proved that both these I bills were forgeries. Sergeant Spittle

proved that the prisoner had given an address nt Durrani's Hotel, whero he had not stayed for same weeks. Colonel Francis was recalled, and produced letters from Warren dated January 22, enclosing bills for £1230; on January 25, enclosing bills for £9350 ; on February 4, bills for £11.072 18a. Od ; ou February 13,bills foi £14,006 10s 2d; on tho 2ttn, bills for £U,6S« 15*. 4d ; on tho 25th, bills for £10,253 ; and on tho 28th, bills for £20,000. Thc last two bills were not discounted ; for tho dntes of payment lind not been inserted. Ho subsequently found the whole of them were forgeries. Those bills wera all forgeries. Among tho bills ho received

on tho 2Slh wera two bills of £1000

each, payable at Smith, Payne nud Co.'s

Hank, dated February 12, drawn by Mr. j Jonarln, '1 Lisbon, and purporting to he accepted by Messrs. N. M. dc Rothschild and Co. TIIOFO bills were discounted.

On tho 28th tho bank paid four choques, drawn by Warren as follows-one dated February 25, for £0000, in favour of T, Carter ; February 27, £7500 in favour of Horion; February 27, £10,000 in favour of Clark and Co. ; February 27,

£5000 in favour of R. Graham. The

first three of these cheques were paid in to the account of Jay, Cooke, and Co.; and tho fourth, for £7500, was paid in to the Continental Bank.

Cross-examined : He had had a cood

deal of experience in banking, and lie never heard of one man keeping an

account io two banks in different names.

It was common enough for a man trading in one name to keep a private

recalled, proved that the bills in question made payable at the London aud West-minster Bank, the Union Bank, and at Messrs. Rothschild's were forgeries, They were to the extent of £12,000 in oil. Other inquiries had been made by

other clerks in the bank. Mr. Thomas Flowers, clerk to Messrs. N. M. Roths-child ond Sons, deposed that the accept-ances to the two bills for £1000 each, drawn by Mr. Jonarlo, of Lisbon, and purporting to bo accepted by Messrs. Rothschild, were forged. It was an imitation in each case of the signature of Sir Anthony de Rothschild, but not o good one. Mr. Algar Joseph Baker, clerk to Messrs. Jay, Cook, M'Culloch, and Co., American bankers in Lombard-street, said he remembered receiving three cheques for £7500, £10,000, and £5000, dated February 27, and drawn by Warren. They were brought to him by the prisoner-the £5000 cheque early in the

Mr. Frank May

morning, and the other two in the afternoon. Ile requested the firm to buy bonds for Horton with tho money. For tbe £5000 cheque he wanted 20,000 dollars on the United States Loan, 1867, and for the other two 80,000 dollars in tho United Stntes Five per Cent Funded Loan. Witness promised to buy them for him, and he arranged to call for them later in the day. Witness sent the cheques up to the West-end branch of the bank, nnd they wero duly placed to the firm's credit. He had known the prisoner since the middle of January last. He knew Warren, and he had some recollection of seeing the prisoner with him. After some further evidence, the Lord Mayor again remanded the prisoner.