AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF SWINDIING.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1052, 16 June 1882, Page 4

AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF SWINDIING.

At tlie Leeds Borough Quarter Ses sioi son Monday—before Mr J. E. Burlier (recorder) William Darant( n. aged sixty years, described as a ga doner, was indicted for Veivi 2 obtained various sums of rmmev, union t in 2 altogether to itbmr £3O. l.y means of fraud. Mr f.awrence Gune pro eeuted. In the ingenuity of their conception and the audaci'y with which the frauds hd been carried out the case rival’ed the celebrated Furneanx fraud. My means of forged letters, tided by undoubted bodily infirmity, the prisoner succeeded in Imposing upon many of the charitably-disposed persona in Leeds, as he bad done in London, where he bad raised o\ or £|!io. These letters described the prisoner as “ the bravest man in England,” and detailed how he had rescued a captain, his wife, and two ehi dren from a sinking ship, saved the crew of a lifeboat Irom d’owning, i i which act it was said he had both his legs and three ribs broken, and that in many otter i istances he had rescued per-ons from watery graves. The prisoner produced three medals, which, he said, had teen given to him as rewards for saving lives. So successfully was the fraud carried out that he got letters inserted in Scarborough and Whitby newspapers drawin" attention to his case, and asking assistance Prisoner forged a letter in the name of a Captain Godfry, who, he said, he had saved ; and when letters were sent to the captain i quiring whether the statements were true, replies were received which were proved to be in the prisoner’s own handwriting. Among other names the prisoner forged that of Mr John Barren, M.F. for Leeds. Prisoner pended guilty, and admitted three previous convictions for felony. The learned judge sentenced him to eighteen calendar months’ hard labour.