REMARKABLE CHARGE OF CONSPIRACY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 276, 18 November 1905, Page 13

REMARKABLE CHARGE OF CONSPIRACY.

CONVICT'S SENSATIONAL EVIDENCE,

At Westminster Police Court there was a farther hearing of the charges of forgery and conspiracy which have been preferred against three men and a, woman, on information communicated to the police by a convict undergoing a long term of penal servitude. The prisoners are Talbot Bri_gew_ter, of New Oxford-street, described as a medical specialist; Lional Peyton Holmes (53), doctor's assistant: William Edward Shackell (49), of Buck-ingham-street, Portland Place, described as a Eun —syor; and Elizabeth Foster, a welldressed woman, of Seaford, Sussex, described as a boardinghouse keeper.

The charge against the font prisoners concerns an alleged forged cheque for £810, which was drawn on the account of Mr Edwin Marshall Fox. The cheque, it Is stated, was presented at the Victoria-street Branch of the London Joint Stock Bank _ few minutes before closing time on the afternoon of the 22n_ of September, 1904, and was cashed. Two or three minutes after the man who presented the cheque departed it was recognised as a forgery, but the man had made good his escape. Three months later the prisoner Holmes was arrested on the charge of uttering the cheque Twice he was tried at the Old BeHey. and on each occasion the Jury disagreed. His defence was an alibi, the chief witness supporting it being Bridgewater. After the second trial no further action was taken against him until he was arrested with the other prisoners s_ weeks ago. The Treasury announced then that the man bad been arrested on information supplied by a convict named Fisher or Dean. He (Fisher) la alleged to ha—■ stolen the cheque forms, and the cheque for £S_v Is alleged, to have been forged by Shackelford, and cashed by Holmes, while Bridgewater organised the whole affair. THE CONVICTS STORY. Fisher's story was directly he came out of prison on June 4th of last year, he went to Bridge—-ater to get some money, and see if his servlc-. were required for any job on hand. He was satisfied in both particulars. (Laughter.) He was given "two quil," and told that he must devote himself to a job that had been on hand for a year. This was the job as described by Fisher. A _tr Marshall Fox, an American millionaire had a lady secretary named Toovey, who had at various times or other consulted Dr. Bridgewater. From her Dr. Bridge-—iter obtained information that Mr Fox sometimes had as much as £40,000 qi £-0,000 standing to hia credit, and that the safe in the office contained a large quantity of Jewellery. Ii was due to Miss Toovey to say that this information was really obtained from her unconsciously. Dr, Bridgewater made love to Miss Toovey, and at the same time got into communication with Billy Migram, a well known ban* thief. Advantage was taken of theLf friendship with Miss Toovey to obtain access to a satchel in which she carried duplicate keys of Mr Fox's safe. With some was, such as is always, carried by professional thieves, an impression was taken of these keys, and later Migram, effecting an entrance into the office, endeavoured to unlock tbe safe, but broke the key to the lock. Shortly after this Migram was arrested at Glasgow, and sentenced to a term of imprisonment It was a striking confirmation of Fisher's statement that a piece of broken key was recovered from the safe only a few days ago by Detectiveinspector Arrow, with the assistance of a k>cksnirti>. After the departure of Migram Iron the scene Kish?r took up the work. In order to facilitate operations Fisher took lodgings ia _ias Toovey's house in Saiforuroad, StT'Tatham Hili. He ingratiated nj—ii»el£ with her, and obtained possession of her satchel, a nil took a second impression of the keys. The ruse he adopted to keep __sa Toovey out of the way at the time was an ingenious one. He pulled up a plant in the garden, and directed Miss Toovey's attention to it, and* whilst she busied herself in re-planting it (thinking it the work of a cat) he was able to take the impression with the duplicate keys. Fisher tried his band at opening the safe, and ie, too, broke a key. Another set of keys was made, and keys of the office were obtained. Bridgewater, annoyed at the failure of the previous attempt, hi—lself accompanied Fisher on his second visit to the oSice, but on this occasion they were disturbed by soneone in charge of the premises, who wanted to know their business when th»y appeared at the office They made some excuse and departed. A week later Fisher visited the office and this time got the safe open, bnt in his own words, "all he found was a quantity of books and papers, among them an old cheque book." A specimen of Mr Marshall Fox's signature was required, and it was artfully obtained by Fisher. Going into the office 0n.2 evening, and talking with Miss Toovey, Fisher led the conversation np to photographs, then to scrap books, and- finally to testimonials. At last Miss Toovey showed Fisher two testimoniala which she had received from Mr Fax. These testimonial-, were a_—_■—_ds abstracted from the books surreptitiously,, and they supplied the copy for the signature. After—sxds, it was decided that the cheque book in their poa_es_tan was tea old, and farther visits were paid to the office of Mr Fox by the confederates. One visit was ] paid In the early morning, before Miss Too- i ■rey arrived, and while Fisher was operat tng in the office Bridgewater was ___H«f§jl ea outside to hold up Miss Toovey if she arrived too soon. A recent cheque book was acquired, and from this, two cheques were -re*_eve<_. The services of Shackell were f_e_ called In, and he forged a cheque for £813. A few rot-rates before dosing time <n the afternoon of September 22nd

street branch of the London Joint Stock Bank by Holmes. Fiaher during these inquiries learned for the first time that thecheque which had fceea cashed was for £Sl9. R- appeared that he had been informed that the cheque -pat down" wafer £600 only. He considered that an attempt bad been made to rob him of hia share, and there were-some high wordbetween Fisher and Brtdgewater. It seemed t_tat Bridgewater was anticipating arrest, for he told Fisher that he Bad prepared an alibi for himself. To his doubtless, it was Hoimes who was arrested, however, and thereupon he supportei an alibi which was set up by Holmes. The prisoners were further remanded.