CHARGE OF FRAUD AGAINST A JOURNALIST.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 517, 24 December 1881, Page 1

CHARGE OF FRAUD AGAINST A JOURNALIST.

: At a London Police Court recently i Hedley Jones, 34, journalist, was 1 indicted for obtaining by false pretences from George Carr Glyn, Lord Wolverton, the sura of L2O, and for attempting to obtain by false pretences from the Earl Spencer the sum of Lio.—Mr F. H. Lewis prosecuted and the prisoner was undefended.— Lord Wolverton said he received a letter signed “ Wm. Rignold,” and. sent to the house in Pentonville a reply containing L2O, believing he was sending it to Mr William Rignold,the actor. He had received letters; from the prisoner in his own name; from the reporters’ gallery of the House; of Commons, and had sent hinaf money. Prisoner wrote a pamphlet, and sent him a copy, which he acknowledged.—The private secretary of Earl Spencer was called, and stated that his lordship had received a letter purporting to come from Mr Wm. Rignold, asking for money, but none' was forwarded.—Witnesses were called' to prove the changing of the notes, it being alleged by the prosecution that the prisoner cashed them. —In defence, prisoner, who had been engaged, as a correspondent in the gallery of, the House of Commons for several provincial papers, stated that he became acquainted with a man named Rignold, who said he was related tq . the actor, Mr Wm. Rignold, and that, being often away from London, he wished him (the prisoner) to receive his letters and forward them to him.. That he did. He had when in great; difficulty received from Lord Wolverton a sum of money. Lord Wolverton had received several letters from him in his own name, and had thanked him, as had nearly all the members of the Cabinet, for a pamphlet which he wrote and sent them, and for his services to the Liberal party. Prisoner called witnesses to prove that he was at home ill on the day on which the notes were said to have been changed; and that a man named Rignold on several occasions visited him at his lodgings in Gray’s Inn road. —The jury, after some consultation, found a verdict of not guilty.