An Extraordinary Case.

Southland Times, Issue 90124, 25 January 1886, Page 2

An Extraordinary Case.

The arrest in Melbourne of William Holding,by Detective officer Walsh, of the Criminal Investigation Department, for having inltbe year 1880, at Sydney, ob^ tamed from the Rev. Alexand«r Dowilt now so well kriown as the pastor of the Christian Tabernacle, Johnston street, Collingwbod, the' stinf of L3OO by rneane S': of false pretences, brings to light (says the Melbourne Telegraph) some, of the most skilfully planned and extraordinary frauds, that have ever been ..perpetrated in these colonies, and which have never before been published. To exp'aiuthem at "length would necessitate much spaca; and it is also desirable for other reasons that only brief reference should be made at present. In 1880, whilst Mr Dowiej who: had just relinquished "the pastorate of the Congregational Church, Newton; near Sydney, was preaching in one of the theatres, Holding arrived in Sydney from Adelaide, S.A., with letters of introduction to.Mr Do wie f rom his (Mr Dovv ies) father, who is a resident of South Australia — Holding having made the acquaintance of Mr Dowie, senior, through some other colonists. He became -Mr -Dowie'sguest at Darlingh'urst, and represented that bis father, a millionaire, had been drowned Jn New York harbour whilst en route to from England, and that be had consequently come into a fortune of about L 218,000. In support of this he produced letters and properly-prepared legal documents, and one day astonished Mr Dowie by presenting him with a deed of gift . for the sum of L 21 ,000 towards the erection ;of a tabernacle which Mr Dowie and some of his adherents proposed building. The astounded preacher corresponded with Adelaide by telegram and otherwise, and . received replies (which he still has) from people who had been previously gulled by Holding, advising him that they, believed Holding was what^ he represented him-, self to be. Letters* bearing foreign postmarks, and the legacy papers received by Holding from (as his victims afterwards became convinced) confederates also dispelled suspicion, and when he announced bis intention of taking a trip to England, in conneciion with his " fortune," he obtained froai Mr Dowie and others, in soms way" not yet clearly explained, the sum of L2OO. This was in the latter part of 1880, and bis proceedings in England and elsewhere are alleged to have been singular indeed. Disappearing again, be was not heard of, and certainly was not seen by Mr Dowie until New Year's Day, just passed, when at the demonstration of the Salvation Army at the South Melbourne Cricket Giound he was recognised, wearing the uniform of the Army, and apparently engaged in the religious work with unqualified ardour. Mr Dowie at once communicated with Commissioner Howard. Holding was confronted with Mr Dowie, and made a full and startling confession, which took a long time to put I in writing in the presence of witn< sses. It j is now in. the poesession of Detectiveofficer Walsh, and when Holding h«s bet-n dealt with here be will, it in understood, be despatched to the detectives at Sootland "!i:ard. It was Holding^ wish, after he had made the confession, to surrender himself, so Detective Walsh placed him in the city watchhouse, on the charge namedj which was formally preferred against him by Mr Dowie.