Convicted in Eerror.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXII, Issue 6556, 28 April 1905, Page 4

Convicted in Eerror.

ANOTHER, BECK CASE.

Following on the Beck case, a petition was recently forwarded to the Home Office praying for the release on the ground of wrong conviction of Henry Underwood, of Birmingham, who at West Bromwich m July last received twelvemonths' imprisonment on a charge of obtaining money by false pretences. Underwoed at the time declared his innocence. A Home Office fficial recently held an enquiry, and the Home Secretary ordered the release of Unlerwood. Further enquiries made buow that Underwood declared thathoha3 innocently undergone two terms of imprisonment for obtaining money by false pretences, and hough ho made repeated applications to the Home Office for an investigation no notice was taken of his petition. In June lasn he was again arrested for an exactly similnr offence at Tipton, a place whbh he says he has never been to m his life. 1., this case, as m the first, five women swore be was the man to whom they had pa>d money for drapery which had not been supplied. For the defence, a number ol witnesses were called to prove an alibi, but the jury found him guilty, aad the Recorder passed sentence of twelve months' hard labour. On the Beok case coming before the public, a friend wrote the Home Secretary appealing for enquiry into Underwood's cast?. On January 26bb, after he had been m prison six months, Mr Angus Lewi?, the Home Office, began au enquiry at West Bromwich. It lasted three week?, and over 50 witnesses were examined. Tho result was that -n Saturday morning, Unco:wood was relnns- d. No reusoa was given except, he sayt--, the governor of the jail stated another umn hal admitted the frauds. Underwood intends ola'mmsr compensation, as his health is ruined, and hessys his iucaicera iuu nearly drove him mad.