AN AUSTRALIAN ABSCONDER.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1694, 24 October 1887, Page 3

AN AUSTRALIAN ABSCONDER.

The " Aha California" (Sun Franc'eco) Bays:— *• On July 9th last John H. StairengLi arrived m thin ciiy from Australia, on the steamer Mariposa On July 18th the Britibh Consul here, Mr Donahue, received a cablegram from lifeibourne requesting the arrest of Stsireßghi, if he was still m t*an Francisco, for forgeries aggregating 75,000d01, on tbe Union Bank of Melbourne. The matter was reported by the Consul to the police, and btatrenghi was soon located by the detectives and put uuder a close watch pending farther developments As a dispatch was received that a constable with the necessary papers would arrive by the steamer Al arced a to take Stairenghi back with him to Australia, it was thought best to make things Eure, so Captain Lees arrested StaireDgbi and locked him up m tbe tanks. It seems from what is so far ktown about the case that PtaireDghi is a member of the firm of George Synr>ot and Co., wool brokers, at Geelong. Staireughi was manager of tbe firm, which is one of the oldest m the count i y, Bnd rated very high m business circles. This standing enabled him to make overdrafts m the firm'p name at the Union Bank, Melbourne, to tbe extent of abont J812.0C0. He is also alleged to have negotiated forged notes on other firms to the amount of £3000. When the bank demanded a settlement, Stairenghi, to make such settlement, is stated to have given the bank's notes, purporting to have been signed by local cottiers Tand farmers. These notes were discounted and the amounts credited to tbe firm to ofieet tho overdraft!. When the first of these nosea was presented it was repudiated as a forgery b> Alexander Thompson of Exford, Melton, by whcm it was purported to have been drawn. Adverse speculations plnnged Stairenghi deeper and deeper, and at the end of the las June be found the game was nearly up, j and resolved to leave the country. Sending telegrams to the finns who were pressing him the closest to meet him »t a point sb far away from bydney »s possible, he left for that port and took ftofttner for Ssn Francisco, leaving there on Jate 16. He lived a very retired Ufa In San Francisco with his wife. On the day of his arrest bis furniture had been removed to an suotion room, preparatory to his departure for the East. StaireDgti acknowledged that he was m some trouble with his creditors m Australia, but stated that it could be arranged on his return there. What money he had secured from his transactions m Australia must evidently have been engulfed there, for when arrested he bad but a few dollars m his possession. He Btated that he only brought come 600dol here wl'h him "