JONES THE PENMAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10413, 10 April 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

JONES THE PENMAN.

WHOLESALE FOkGERIES. Considerable sensation lias been caused in Scarborough by tho arrest o' * well-known American pentleraan on the ohargu o( orgery. Four years ago .Mr. Latimer Ridley Jones built ft large establishment at Scalby, Scarborough, and since has become famed for a special breed of Americnn horses tlut be bred and drove with much state in Scarborough, when he was always accompanied by a fashionably attired lady. He named his farm Eakdale Stud, and employed so many men that he was regarded as king of Scalby. The Scarborough police received a description of an American gentleman wanted on an extradition ivnrrant for a big forgery in New York three years ago. Aβ A result they arrested Jones near Scarborough while he and Ilia wife were driving home from a social visit In a rteigh drawn by two high-stepping and spirited American horses. The arrest was effected by Inspector Beswick and two constables, who, acting on instructions received by teleeram from Assistant-chief-commissioner Anderson, of Scotland Yard, stopped the sleigh, the inspector at the same time telling Jones that ho was. wanted on a charge of forgery at New York. Jones wished to drive home and then return with the police, and he oventually had to be removed from the vehicle, and was conveyed to the police station. The ohargo against Jones is one of lorgory, involving a sum of £20,000. AT BOW-STREET. Jones came up at Bow-atreeb bofore Mr. Lushington. He stepped jauntily into the dock, and bad evidently taken considerable pains to have himself well groomed lor the occasion. He wore a long brown overcoat with astrachan collar and sleeves. His slight auburn moustache was carefully waxed, and his hair, wearing thin on the top, was parted with precision. Leaning nonchalantly on the dock rail, with brown gloves in one hand and a brown hat in the other, his pose suggested the horsey man watching a race from the paddock. The expression of his face remained steadfastly vacanb even while Chief-inspector Jarvis, of Scotland Yard, narrated the ciroumstanoes of the arrest. Inspector Jarvis said: On tho 26th iust. I received a warrant for the arrest of Aatimer E. Jones, accused of forgery in the United States of America. About 10.15 p.m. next day I saw prisoner at Fowleer.ine PoliceStation, whore he was under detention. I said, " You are Mr. Latimer E. Jones, I believe, formerly of New York t" He replied, " Yea, that is §o." I then said, " I am Chief-inspector Jarris, of London, and have a warrant to arrest you for forgery in the United States. I showed him the warrant, and read it over to him." He said," What is the alleged amount of the forgery? , I said, " Tho official cablegram from the American Continent states lOO.OOOdols." He replied," Well, whatever it in I am quite ready to face it." Prisoner's counsel urged that he would endeavour to prove that Jones had paid half of the earn involved at tho time, and had for the past) three or four years made repeated remittances towards making good the other half. Mr. Lushington interposed to say, " You must not, Mr. Gill, make those statements at present." Prisoner wa» remanded. joses' hkcohd. A Router's dispatch from New York lays:—Jonea is said to be the most daring and successful penman of the age. There are no fewer than 17 oharges of forgery against him. The auus alleged to have been obtained by him are believed to have amounted altogether to 1,000,000d015. Jonea is said to have wcure.l 300,000d0k from one series of forgeries mentioned in the indictment. For three yean ho has been tracked by the Continental and Scotland Yard police, The prisoner was previously charged with having forged the name of Mr. Ludington, a lawyer of Brooklyn, to the extent of 300.000d0k, and he "jumped" bis ball of 150,000dbls. and went to South Amtrica, and subsequently to Australia. In 1891 ht left Sheffield *nd came to the United States. Ho tuccceded in eluding the police officers, and teluraed toEoglani