ALLEGED FRAUD BY A CLERGYMAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6255, 3 December 1881, Page 7

ALLEGED FRAUD BY A CLERGYMAN.

On October 7 Charles Edward Clark, attired as a clergyman, was brought up at the Mansion-house, London, charged with having obtained money from Mr. M'Dougall, Mr. Bevan, and other gentlemen, by falsely pretending that he had the sole management and support of a cottage home for 16 destitute children, and another for fallen women at Botany Bay, Enfield. When inquiries were made into the truth of the prisoner's statements, it was found that he had no cottage homes, or any destitute children under his care. Living with him in lodgings in Ormside-street, Hatcham, were two women, each with a baby, one of whom said she was his wife and the other his sister-in-law ; and it appeared that they all slept together in one bed. Mr. J. Leaver, a goldsmith, of Clerkenwell, said he had known the prisoner for three or four years. At first he lived in a cottage of two roomß in the Cattle-gate road, Enfield, and described himself as an agent for a working man's insurance provident society. At present he and his family and mother occupied a wooden structure of two rooms near his (witness's) stables at Enfield, and the rent of which was about 3s a week. He had no destitute children there, except his own, and they were often badly off. He had never seen fallen women at Clark's house. In answer to the prisoner, Mr. Leaver said that he did not remember a fallen woman named Elizabeth Smith residing in his cottage. Mr. S. Edwards, of Windmill-hill, Enfield, the landlord of the cottage, corroborated. Mrs. Black said the prisoner had rooms in Astey's ' road, Islington. He had the Redemption Army there, and held tea-meetings and a school for little children on Sundays. De-tective-sergeant Osborn, in searching the acciised, found 114 counterfoils of receipts for money paid, principally for a " Gospel Mission and Cottage Home," and a portion of a filthy and blasphemous book. Prisoner asked to look at the book, and said he had never seen it before. Alderman Sir Thomas White committed the accused for trial.