THE AMERICAN BEGGINGLETTER SWINDLE EXTRAORDINARY.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2121, 22 February 1870, Page 2

THE AMERICAN BEGGINGLETTER SWINDLE EXTRAORDINARY.

Letters have frequently appeared in the public journals from persons victimised, or intended to he victimised, by an extensive system of hogging-letter imposture, carried on by one or more scoundrels who wrote from America to the addresses of some people recently deceased in England, appealing to them for sums of money under the varied guises of charity, caution money, and other modes of extortion. These applications, falling into the hands of mourning relatives, have in too many in-tances been largely successful. We have now the satisfaction of informing the public that one of the most accomplished swindlers of modern times is in custody at Philadelphia, after pursuing a course of s stematised crime probably unequalled in the history of post-office affairs. His capture was brought about in this way. On July 2 last, Mr Edward Hooper, an architect and surveyor, residing at Portswood Lawn, Southampton, died, and a day or two afterwards his death was advertised in the Times, as having occurred at the above address. About August, 6 a letter was received from America, directed to the deceased gentleman, which was placed in the hand of his brother-in-law, Mr Richard W estlake, a merchant, residing at No. 24 East Park Terrace, as Mr Hooper’s executor. The letter is dated, Hospital, .fuly 22, gives a graphic description of the writer's feelings in reference to the deceased gentleman, and depicts, in language the most distressing, the terrible position to which the writer—who hints at the chance of enjoying an independent inheritance some day—has been brought by his own misdeeds. Hero is a specimen of the style :—“Kind, honored, good benefactor, — It is some time since I wrote last, nor should I do so now, but I am very ill, and the money you sent me last is all gone, and I am at this moment, when I require it most, without a penny. Kindest, noblest benefactor, you told me to he sure and wiite to you again, the very moment I had further need of your assistance. . . . Little does my loving mother dream her carefully nurtured darling boy is dying in this dreadful prison, unknown and uncarcd for among strangers. . . . Yet I cannot dare to whisper disgrace to them. No, rather let me die as I am than that the blush of shame should mantle their proud checks. May God bless you for your honored promise of secrecy. Pray / honored, kind, benefactor, send me another LlO. Send a Bank of England note, it is the very best enclosure as 1 am situated, and direct it to the doctor.” The doctor was not a confederate, but neither more nor less than the swindler himself. Mr Westlake was not to be swindled, and so he took steps to ascertain the real position of the writer, and with this view he had a consultation with Mr William Thomson, the United States Consul at Southampton, and that gentleman , promptly undertook to assist in an invest! - 1 gatiou of the affair. Believing that the letters savoured strongly of fraud, he put himself in communication with a gentleman at Washington, and sent him copies of all the correspondence, which were submitted to Postmaster General C'resswcll. After their sal, the Postmaster immediately detailed Special Agent Edward E. Petherbridge to work up the case, and this he did with such success that the infamous imposter was ultimately captured. The fellow’s name is Sprague, but among other aliases he has assumed the names of Robert Springs, Robert Emerson, and Dr Samuel Hawley. It is supposed that the swindler has obtained in two years about lo.OOOdola by his rascalities. He is described as a very intelligent person, about fifty years old, an Englishman, and one who has seen better days. Sprague has lived for years, and lived well, oa the credulity of the public. He has undergone many transformations ’ has been of both sexes, and of all sort of ages. Some years back he was a forlorn Virginia widow, with two orphan children. Her little paradise had been destroyed by the Eederals during the war, her dear husband, an officer in the Confederate service, had died in England of his wounds, and had left her nothing but two pledges of his affection and a lot of “relics”—autographs of Washington —which latter she offered for sale. More than one of our kindly-hearted citizens i invested in from ten to twenty dollars in these spurious autographs, and there is one of the same sort, duly framed and glazed, in Independence Hall, Philadelphia, in which the people of that city have, until recently, taken great pride. After the forlorn widow and the spurious autograph dodge had been exposed, there appeared at Montrea 1 , Canada, a Miss Minnie Pury, an Englishwoman of noble birth, whose wings, as she delicately phrased it, “ had been scorched Continent.” Reduced to great distress, she commenced to write a multitude of letters to her “lordly cousin” in England, recalling the incidents of her carreer, recounting her sorrows, and soliciting assistance until she came of age, and touching the fortune of which she would then come into possession. By some mysterious mental obfuscation all these letters were misdirected. Instead of reaching the “lordlycousin, ” they found their way into the hands of sundry American citizens, some of whom enclosed money to the distressed damsel, and not a few of them gallantly invited her to “rest on this bosom.” This quite lucrative and half amatory correspondence was carried on for several months. But, finally, inquiries were made, and the grasp of a policeman, like the touch of Ithuriel’s spear, transformed the “soiled dove” of smeet seventeen into a portly, grey-haired man, clad in the costume of the country, and sporting a felt hat and briarwood pipe. This occurred at the close of 18G7. Since the Eorlnrn Widow and Minnie Pury business he has been playing the role. of an illegitimate son, and in this guise has levied an unfold number of contributions from the widows, executors, and friends of deceased persons in England. The evidence against him was so overwhelming that, when taken before the Recorder, he admitted his guilt. Croat credit is due to all parties concerned for the share they have taken in unearthing this accomplished scoundrel, including Mr Westlake, Consul Thomson, Postmaster-General Cresswell, and especially Mr Petherbridge. The latter’s labors were indefatigable, and conducted with persistent address, following up from post office to post office, through different .'states, obtaining clues and material, until ho finally tracked the offender to his lair in Philadelphia, where he secured his arrest.