THE FRAUDULENT DOCTOR OF DIVINITY.

Evening Star, Issue 8716, 7 January 1892, Page 2

THE FRAUDULENT DOCTOR OF DIVINITY.

WHERE THE MONEY WENT.

[PBOM OCR SPEOI4X CoBBB3FONDENT.]

London, November 13. The revelations in connection with the Very Venerable and Reverend Dr CMterbnok oame to an end on Saturday last, when his depredations were totalled up to the respectable sum of L 16.050. A brother parson—the Rev. H. H. Pace—ls the severest sufferer, having been robbed in all of L 6.650. The dootor appears in every case to have selected a* victims comparatively poor folk, anxious to make the most Of their savings, but averse to speculation. The idea of doubting Dr Clutterbnok's friend.sbip with Mr Goschen on the mythioal loan never entered their simple heads. Mr Pace said he should as soon have thought of suspecting the Archbishop of Canterbury as Dr Olutterbuok. The latter told him the arrangement must be a matter of implioit oonfidenoe and inviolable secrecy. He assented.

The victims having told their sad stories, Mr Mathews (acting for the Crown) showed where the money went. The next witness, Darnley Roland Dam* ley, a stockbroker, oarrying on business at 37 Walbrook, London, stated that in December, 1887, he was in the habit of advertising in the newspapers, and at the olose of that year the prisoner oame to him and proposed to deposit some money with him, npon which he was to pay him interest. At that time he deposited LSOO, and the proposed arrangement was that 20 per cent, per annum should be paid as interest, and 5 per cent, commission on all sums brought to him. He aocepted the deposit of Lsfo. Nothing was said as to what should be done with the money, and no seourity was required beyond his signature for the amount. Prisoner offered to bring farther sums on the same terms, and witness consented to accept them.

Mr Me thews: Did not this arrangement strike you as singular T—No, it did not. Mr Mathewß: That's all. I only wanted your impression. Witness (continuing) said that from December 15 to April 9 Dr Clutterbuok brought him different sums of money, amounting in all to L 7.040. Theee sums, witness oontinued, were used by him in the business he was carrying on. The business, however, was carried on at a loss, and the investments in which these moneys were placed were unaucoee&fnl, and in September, 1889, he was unable to meet his engagements. The loss of the money entrusted to him by Dr Clutterbuck fell entirely on the prisoner. According to the arrangement he paid the prisoner Interest up to June, 1889. Mr Mathews: How were these different Bumß paid to you by Dr Clutterbuck from time to time ? —ln cash and notes.

Did that not strike you as singular ?—No. Mr Mathews : Some people are diffioolt to surprise.

By the Banch: He was not in the habit of receiving suoh large sums in bank notes, bnt he desired to explain that the commission was to be paid when the deposits were made in cash, otherwise it would be delayed for a period owing to the time necessary to realise securities. Continuing, witness said he recommenced business in Jane, 1690, with , LI,OOO, whioh he borrowed from the Reliant e Assurance Company, King William street, London. Prisoner became one of the sureties for the repayment of this sum. Prisoner never informed him of the representations he made to his friends for the purpose c" getting this money. Witness was not a member of the Stock Exchange. Edwin Bliss was next called, and stated that he was a dealer in stocks and shares, carrying on business at 10 Wellington street, Chelsea. . About the end of 1888 be advertised in' The Times,' the * Daily News,' and occasionally the 'Daily Telegraph.' Subsequently Dr Clutterbuck wrote to him, and he called on prisoner at the Local Government Board, Whitehall, where an arrangement was arrived at that he was to speculate for Dr Clutterbuck with money whioh he banded to him, either in his own name or an assumed name, but this latter was not mentioned to Dr Clutterbuck. There was a reason for this adopted name. Mr Mathews: Oh, yes ; there is always a good reason for that.—(Laughter.) Witness, continuing, stated that the first sum prisoner entrusted to him was L 25, but from 29th December, 1888, to the 9th August, 1691, he received from him different sums amounting in the aggregate to L 18.495 0s lid. He gave prisoner an idea as to the interest he could make for him, which was 100 per cent. Mr Mathews: Did you persuade him that you would be able to pay him interest at the rate of 100 per cent. ? Witness remarked that he often made that return, and had seoured the interest upon money invested by Dr Clutterbuck, although there were losses upon other accounts. He had paid this rate of interest to prisoner by monthly cheques. Witness was cross-examined as to his banking arrangements, and he stated that he had an account at a branch of the City Bank under the name of Blair, and in drawing cheques upon that bank he would sign them with the name of Blair. He also had an account at the South Western Bank, and here also the name of Blair was used. Bnt there was also an aocount in the name jf his wife and in his own name, E. L. Bliss, at the Allianoe and at the Birkbeck Bank. In his speculations with Dr Clutterbuck he used both names, of whioh the prisoner was aware. In reply to further questions, witness stated that the result of these dealings by the end of August, 1891, was a loss of L 7.40& Mr Mathews: Did yon not receive, in July, 1891, the sum of L 2.100 from Dr Clutterbuck, which does not appear in tbat account ?—Witness replied that this must have been turned over to a broker in the City. These, with other sums, were plaoed in the hands of a broker of Leadenhall street.

Mr Mathews: Then the lOQper cent, was not successful as far as Dr Clutterbuck was concerned ? No.—Witness, continuing, said his losses commenced in the autumn of 1889. He informed prisoner of his losses, but in November, after that revelation, he entrueted him with LBOO.

Mr Mathews: In fact, L 15.000 of this money was handed to you, by Dt Clutter-: buck after you had declared to him the condition of insolvency ?—Yes, I should say fully that. Then after this suspension in 1889, was there another monetary difficulty in 1890 ? -Yes.

farther during the Baring crisis.

Mr Mathews: Oh, yes; during the Baring crisis. (Laughter.) Did you tell Dr Clutterbuck this ?—Yes.

Bat he went on giving you money in this way, and in 1891, between May 23 and August % he advanced to yoo, or placed in Eour hands for investment, the sum of 3,700?-Yes. Did he draw any cheques with you in the name of Blair ?—Yes. Also in the name of Bliss ?—Yes. And Porter?—My impression is that he did not, bat I would not swear.

Did it not strike yoa as very strange that after yon bad advertised these continuous losses a reverend gentleman and an official of the Local Government Board should send yon these sums of money to be invested at these fabulous rates of interest ?'— He told" me that he had had heavy losses, and that he wished to recoup himself for these losses.

And yoa held oat these visions to him ? I tried to help him.—(Laughter.) I think it was at your house that the prisoner was arrested ?—lt was, Did he tell yoa a day or two before this time the aggregate amount of hit liability ? —I think he mentioned it as about L 20,000.

Was that before the arrest ?—Yes.

Robert James Laidlaw, aoooontant, Mansion House Chambers, Queen Victoria street, city, said he received a visit from the prisoner while he was examining the books of the last witness, and he inquired into the aotaal position of the accounts. Later in January they met again, and prisoner sng«ested that he should receive oertain moneys rom him for speculative purposes. He said he wanted as much interest as he could get, bat witness did not hold oat any hope for a speoW'sum.' He received, however; a sum of Ll4O then, and an agreement was drawn up between them by which J)e Clutterbuck was to bear all the liability if any. Jose,

bafciolhaoaMftf peroent. was to be paid to hint, sad the remaining 80 per cent to the pritoiar. Piom January 16 to October 20,1891, PrCtotterbook forwarded to him Boms ia the ajutegate aawnnting to l&fiOO. He emptoyST tfia in she manner that had been agreed apon. In all, he repaid to Dr Ciutterbnck L 3.718. the actual lost apon the transactionbeing LI 900. He did not know from where the money wu obtained.

Prisoner: Was not in foot days from an investment of LSOO » profit made of LSO ! Yes.

Prisoner: And if oertain money was not withdrawn on particular dates a very large profit would have been made instead of the loss?

Witness said that was so. If she stock alluded to had remained open, a profit might possibly have been made of LB.OOO. Witnesses were then called who produced the prisoner's banking accounts, and formal evidence of arrest was taken, after which the prisoner was committed to take his trial at the next Somersetshire assizes. November 28.

Four yearsJ-penal servitude seems at first sight very inadequate punishment for snob a colossal case of utterly heartless and longcontinued swindling as that of the Ven. and Right Rev. Dr Olaspar Ciutterbnck. It may console those who think so to refleot that this fallen teacher and preacher is, acoording to his friends, of " a sensitive and fastidious temperament," and may be relied on to " suffer 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 ever have wondered at their fatuity. Ciutterbnck pleaded guilty to obtaining money under false pretences, bnt urged (hat he had no intention of defrauding anyone. The Judge very properly poohpoohea the latter plea. Mr Matthews, for the Grown, said that though the prisoner was only oharged to the amount of L 16.000, they bad information of transactions up to fully L 35,000. Many of the duped parties bad not cared to come forward. The worst feature of the case, to my eyes —Mr Matthews dwelt far too lightly on it—was the utterly heartless and conscienceless way In which Ciutterbnck stripped his riotims of every penny they would part with. Two are ruined utterly, and the others seriously crippled. Had the wretch shown even a tonoh of oompunstion when robbing the poor workhouse master of the money wbtok be knew the man had laboriously saved for his children's education, one. would feel differently to him. Bat he seems to have been utterly callous and wholly selfish. Defending himself from the charge of imbeoility, one of Clutterbnok's victims has declared that, though the story of Mr Goschen and the loan sounded silly enough 88 told by the Crown coursel in oourt on Saturday, the prisoner gave it quite a different semblance. Witness was a clergyman, and certainly knew little of business ; but ho did know Ciutterbnck was a Government officer, and . constantly summoned to Whitehall, He 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 dootor of divinity knowing a Cabinet Minister. Moreover, Clutterbnok's social standing and looal prestige were considerable. It never occurred to witness to doubt his word personally, and the pledge of "inviolable secrecy" prevented his mentioning the matter, as he should otherwise have done, to business friends.

The utterly childish way in whioh the money fraudulently acquired was thrown away is another amazing feature of this extraordinary case. The outside brokers " had " Clutterbuck just as he " bad " his neighbors. In return for thousands they tendered him fairy stories. I mnst say I deeply regret these gentlemen were not accommodated with seats in the dock instead of the witness-box. It could not be absolutely proved they knew that Clutterbuok'e money was wrongly oome by, or they would have been.

Since penning the foregoing, " One Who Knows " has made an important statement in the ' Financial Times.' This person alleges that Clutterbuck was completely under the influence of the rascally broker Bliss. Even since he has been in prison the wretched old man has written to his wife begging her to scrape together what money she can and to "send it to Bliss for investment." "One Who Knows " thinks in common fairness it should be made public that amongst the dupes who trusted the doctor with their all were his wife, three daughters, and a son. These lose amongst them over L 5.000. The fact that the rev. gentleman borrowed from even his own kith and kin looks as if hia plea that he did not intend to defraud might be true. His friends of course declare it is true, and vow the old fellow acted tbe fool rather than the knave. One oould believe this more easily if he had not told snch a heap of lies to everybody. Still, yon know, tbe "heart is deceitful and desperately wicked," and we may yet have to fathom the depths to whioh self-deception can be carried. It is even oonceivable Clutterbuck views himself in the light of a " misunderstood martyr."