ARDLAMONT MONSON AGAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 88, 15 April 1899, Page 1 (Supplement)

ARDLAMONT MONSON AGAIN.

VICTOR HONOR'S EXPERIENCES

AS A MONEY-LENDER.

SOME CURIOUS CONFESSIONS,

Those who fancied that when A. J. Monson, of Ardlamont notoriety, vanished into well-merited penal servitude no more would be heard of him, vastly miscalculated the number and variety of his human (or rather inhuman) spider webs. His name and that of his fool and accomplice, Honor, have cropped up either four or five times since their imprisonment in' connection with shocking tales of ruined lives and blasted reputations. There must have been something strangely suasive about Monson judging from the way he seems to have morally hypnotised almost every wealthy young scamp, he came across. The victim of the Ardlamont tragedy was only one of a long string. And yet such an effect has a cropped head on the appearance that when folks saw Alfred Monson seated between two warders in the Queen's Bench on Monday they remarked with one accord" 'What a repulsive looking blackguard.' Monson was brought up to give evidence in the action which his confederate Honor is bringing against Mrs Charles Frances Clarke, a yoimg married lady, to recover £900 on a bill of exchange, and £500 on a promissory note. Mrs Clarke denied liability, and set tip several issues of alleged fraud. Honor, unlike Monson, never had the smallest pretensions to gentlemanly bearing. But he was a sleek, full-fed foreign Jew, Prison has cowed him into cringing servility, and he constantly cast, frightened, pleading glances at the warders alongside him. Mr Jelf, Q.C. (appearing for Honor), explained that the transactions were of an extraordinary character, and involved closely another convict,1 namely, A. J. Monson, who with Honor was now undergoing a term of imprisonment in connection with frauds which they had committed on the Norwich Union Assurance Co. Mrs Clarke .was a married lady of considerable present means, and- with greater expectations in the future. Mrs Clarke had raised this money in order to help an impecunious cousin. The promissory note was dated March 2, 1898, and the main issue for the jury to decide was whether the signatures were those of Mrs Clarke or not. He did not think he would have any diffi-\ culty ih satisfying the jury that they were in fact in the handwriting of the defendant. Then came an issue .of great gravity. It was alleged that the money which did pass both with regard to the note and with regard to the bill from Honor to Monson was passed back to Honor, and that, therefore, there was no real transaction at allVictor Honor went into the box and gave evidence in support, of his case. Prior to his convicion he carried on

business in. Jermyn-street as a money lender and bill discounter. He became acquainted -.with Monppn, .wJilo introduced customers ito Mm, • and Monson looked to those clients for 'his profit. Among those introductions was that of the defendant in this case. Witness then detailed the transactions as opened by counsel, anit further said that when he first met Monson, Monson asked for a loan to form a bank in a gambling room in which he had an interest. His (witness') wife had a separate estate of £12,000 to £15,000 invested in , Government stock. He sold the stock and had speculated it away. He had also speculated away the money of Miss Urbanowski, who resided with him and his wife. With regard to the defendant in this action. Monson spoke to him about insuring Mrs Clarke for £150,000, and stated that Mrs Clarke was a hunting lady and might fall off her horse and get killed. He (plaintiff), however, refused to have anything to do with it. ' Cross-examined by Mr Bray: He had traded as a money lender under several names. He had traded under the names of Henry Milton, Dante, and Shakespeare. • Mr Justice Mathew: William Shakespeare? (Laughter.) Why did you trade under these different names? When I came to the country I could not speak a word of English, and I took the name of Honor. I never.intended to be a money lender. I did not understand it, and I wish I never touched it. I started in the business, and I thought that in five years I should be a millionaire, and able to chuck it up. (Laughter.) The people to whom I lent money did not pay and I was advised that if I started business in another name in the city my, old customers would be sure to come to me, and I would be able to discover their whereabouts. nt . nnnn Did you fail in Moscow for 250,000 roubles? ~ • Yes. It was due to the persecution of the Jews. - We say that the giving of these cheques was for the purpose of making it appear that you had really discounted the bill and promissory note that these cheques were cashed by your clerks, that the gold was paid into your wife's account, and that the notes were paid into Monson's account, and came back to you from Monson in gold or some other way. That is untrue so .far as I know. I suggest you have practised this kind of fraud in other cases? It is not true. ' On Tuesday, in the course of a severe cross-examination by Mr Bray, Honor was questioned regarding a number.of transactions with the Hon. John Tyrrwhit, wttom he alleges did him out of considerable sums. Mr Bray: Why did you have any transactions with him? Honor: I suppose I wanted to save the money in which he was indebted to me. Monson brought him to me, and Mdnson is very clever. (Loud Laughter.) He would induce anybody fo do anything. (Kenewed Laughter.) Witness said he had put no proof of debt in Tyrrwhit's bankruptcy because 'my word how is no word at all. What is the good of actions? Leave it alone.' Mr Bray: How much do you say Tyrrwhit had? Honor: I don't, know. Monson had a lot of money from me. Sometimes men are making a mistake, sometimes men are driven to mistakes, sometimes men are ,bad, sometimes they nre made bad. I have been1 driven to a mistake. In the meantime, all my money is gone. Yesterday (to the jury) Mr Bray told you all about me.

He knows more about me than I do. (Laughter.) "" - , Mr Bray: Did you believe Monson to be honest?

Honor: How can I tell you this? Sometimes I have been really thinking he was not so bad, but I have come to the conclusion in the end that he ■is very bad. ( Laughter.) Mr Bray: But you had heard all about him —you had read in the papers?

Mr' Bray: Did you not know his story?

Honor: He used to tell me that he did not murder. (Laughter.)

Alfred John Monson, dressed in a handsome fur-lined coat, gave the history of the transactions concerning which the present action arose. He received certain" moneys in commission from Honor, which sums were entered in the cash memorandum book, which Honor said was lost. Honor told him that he would give £1200 for the bills,, and when he had gone through the form of discounting them he would make a temporary advance. Honor wanted to discount the bills so that he could sue on them as an 'vnnoeent holder.'

Mr Justice Mathew: Did he use that expression ?

Yes, my lord, he did. The witness continuing stated that the money he received from Honor on these trans- ,; actions was paid back to Honor. Victor Honor told the witness that if he (Monson) would let him sue on the bills he,would divide the proceeds. Monson would not agree, and he did not see Honor till after his arrest. After the quarrel the witness went on three occasions with Mr Septimus Clarke to Vine-street Police Station to see Inspector Arrow. He did not see Inspector Arrow, because he discovered afterwards that that officer was engaged in working up a prosecution against him (Monson). The witness said that altogether Septimus Clarke had about £120 out of the transactions, and that that money waS advanced by him. Clarke knew that he (Monson) held the bills, and if Honor had not given him, £90 commission he would have been unable to. advance the money to Septimus Clarke. ,

Verdict for defendant.