Frauds by a Clergyman.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 16, 20 January 1892, Page 5

Frauds by a Clergyman.

A MISUNDERSTOOD MARTYR.

[FROM OUK SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

London, November 28. Four years' ponal servitude seems ab iirsto sight very inadequate punishment for such a colossal case of utterly heartless and long-continued swindling as thab of bhe Venerable and Right Reverend Dr. Claspar Clutterbuck. It may console those who think so to reflect that this fallen toucher and preacher is (according to his frionds) of " a sensitive and fastidious temperament," and may be relied on to " surfer keenly every hour of his sentence." In the dock at Bath, on Saturday, the miserable man, unshaven and unkempt, with lurid angry eyes, and a sullen hangdog expression, certainly looked far more like the convict than the clergyman. Seeing him thus, his numerous dupes must more than 6ver have wondered ab their fatuity. Clutterbuck pleaded guilty to obtaining; money under false pretonces, bub urged that he had no intention of defrauding anyone. The judge very properly "poohpoohed " the latter plea. Mr Matthews, for the Crown, said that though the prisoner was only charged to the amount of £16,000. thoy had information of transactions up to fully £35,000. Many of the duped parties had nob cared to come forward. The worst feature of the case in my eyes (Mr Matthews dwelb far too lightly on it) was the utterly heartless and conscienceless way in which Clutterbuck stripped his victims of every penny they would part with. Two are ruined utterly, and the others seriously crippled, Had the wretch shown oven a touch of compunction when robbing the poor work-house master of the money which he knew tho man had laboriously saved for his children's education, ona would feel differently to him. Bub be seems to havo been utterly callous and wholly selfish. Defending himself from the charge of imbecility, one of Clutterbuck's victims has declared that though the story of Mr Goschen and tho loan sounded silly enough as told by the Crown counsel in Court, the prisoner gavo it quito a different semblance. Witness was a clergyman and certainly knew little of business, but he .did know Clutterback was a Government officer, and constantly summoned to Whitehall. Ho had seen letters which seemed corroborative evidence of the accused's acquaintance with Mr Goschen, and after all on the surface there was nothing wildly improbable in a Doctor of Divinity knowing a Cabinet Minister. Moreover Clutterbuck'ssocial standing and local prestige were considerable. Ib never occurred to witness to doubt his word personally, and the pledge of " inviolable secrecy" prevented his mentioning fcha matter, as ho would otherwise have done, to business friends. The utterly childish way in which the money fraudulently acquired was thrown away is another amazing feature of this extraordinary case. The outside brokers "had" Clutterbuck just as he "had" his neighbours. Ia return for thousands they tendered him fairy stories. I must say I deeply regret these gentlemen were not accommodated with seats in the dock instead of tho witness-box. It could nob bo absolutely {proved they knew that Clutterbuck's I money was wrongly come by, or thoy would have been.

Since penning tho foregoing, " One Who Knows" has made an important statement in the "Financial Times." This person alleges thab Clutterbuck was under the influence of tho broker Bliss. Even. since he has been in prison tho wretched old man has written to his wife begging her ta scrapo together what, money sho can, and to "send it to Bliss for investment." " Ono Who Knows" thinks in common fairness ib should be made public thab amongst bha dupe 3 who trusted the Doctor with their all were his wife, three daughters and a son. These lose amongst them over „0,000. The fact I hat the reverend gentleman borrowod from even his own kith and kin looks as if his plea that he did not intend to defraud might bo true. His friends of course declare it is true, and vow tbe old. fellow acted the fool rather than the knave. One could believe this more easily if he had not told such a heap of lies to everybody. Still, you know, tho "heart h deceitful and desperately wicked," and we may yet havo to fathom "the depths to which self-decep-tion can bo carried. "Tis oven conceivable Clutterbuck views himself in the light of a " misunderstood martyr."