CONVICTION AND PUNISHMENT OF A VILLAIN.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 5, Issue 267, 19 May 1865, Page 3

CONVICTION AND PUNISHMENT OF A VILLAIN.

Some days ago a person of respectable appearance, who described himself as a physician, and gave the name of Henry Charles Smethwick, was committed from Lambeth Police Court to take his trial on a charge of obtaining a dashing wed-ding-suit and other valuable goods from tradesmen for the use of a youug lady he had taken from her mother, with the avowed intention of marrying her, but got apprehended for the fraud. The publicity given to the case has been the means of bring forth some fresh information respecting this individual. A letter was subsequently received from a gentleman in Dorset, addressed to the sitting magistrate, which stated that a man calling himself Vicertto committed exactly a similar fraud on the writer and a woman with whom he lodged in 1863; that the pretences of his serving in the Crimea, having a ball in his tide, nine wounds, a large insurance to pay up in Paris, being similar to the case reported—were used by him, when he also nearly induced his landlady’s daughter to marry liiin. The’writer thought it was the same man, and, if so, his real name is Charles Bomaneo, and he had been imprisened'for bigamy and other crimes at Dartmoor.

This letter was placed in the hands of Sergeant O’Dell, 18L; and some curious facts have been brought to light. In the first place O’Dell fomid that on the 13th of May, 1851, Alexander Borromeo, alias Doctor Tucker, but who described himself as an Italian Count, was apprehended at Reading while delivering a lecture at the theatre on electro-biology, on a warrant charging him with obtaining money from the proprietors of the Morning Star by false pretences, and on the following day was charged at Bow-street with that offence. The charge of fraud created a very great sensation at the time, At the period of the Bernard and Omni trials, on a charge of conspiring to murder the Emperor of the French, the prisoner who described himself as an Italian count, and assumed the name of Borromeo, furnished a detailed, able, and, ample report to some of the morning papers of a meeting of an Italian conference held in London, and the Times published leading articles upon it. A few days, however, sufficed to show that the report, from beginning to end, was a most impudent fabrication. The prisoner was tried for the fraud, and was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment, with hard labor. Fortunately for the ends of public justice, the procedings on his trial were published, and this brought to light three charges of a more serious and heartless character--that of marrvino' no less than three ladies, and committing an act of bigamy in each case. He was tried at the Old Baily, and from the evidence adduced it appeared that in the year 1842 the prisoner paid his addresses to a young lady named- Sadler,- Chelsea. Ho lived with his wife about four years, when he

deserted her, and married, at Gretna Green, Miss Anna Maria Froggett. They lived together as man and wife until 1851, and she had one child" by him—a little girl, then living. He left he in that year, and she had not seen him again until in custody. lie married her in tiie name of “ Marco Emile do St. Hilarie.” On this charge the prisoner was found guilty, and was again given in charge to the jury for unlawfully intermarry! ig with Miss Margaret Murray, his former wife being still living. _ The young lady said she became acquainted with the prisoner in 1851, in Sligo, Ireland, and, they were married in about tea months after. At this time the prisoner practised as a doctor, and gave lectures, and was known as Dr. Tucker, lie represented himself as a single man, and one child was the result of their union. The prisoner married her in the name of Borromeo, and he was known by that name at Sligo as well as Tucker. On this charge the prisoner was also found guilty of bigamy, and Miss Murray, in reply to questions from the Recorder, said the prisonder had got hold of £250 of her money, and while he lived with her he did not treat her well. The Recorder sentenced him to be kept in penal servitude for four years. The prisoner had been very fond of saying that he had been in the Crimea, and had been wounded there, but Sergeant O’Dell docs not believe he was there, lie has learned, however, that while playing at cards with a party at Florence one of the gentlemen charged him with cheating, and he was then obliged to go out with the geuleman and got wounded in the ankle.

The following is a copy of the letter handed by the prisoner to the Bench -

“Sir, —I beg leave respectfully to plead guilty to the charge for which 1 am arraigned, and to throw myself on the merciful consideration of the Court. All I can utter in extenuation of the charges would be but asertions without proofs, and therefore 1 abstain from making any, simply reminding the Court of what cannot be denied—for the testimony of the medical officer of the prison in which 1 am confined will fully bear out my words—that my health is exceedingly precarious, and my body is covered with wounds received in military actions. I will solemnly promise the Court that the moment I am released I will have England for ever. Again praying for the merciful consideration of tho Court, 1 remain, sir, wilii respect, your penitent servant, H. C. Smethwick. P.S.—l have been confined to my bed ever since the I2th of last month.” Deputy-Chairman told the prisoner that, notwithstanding his letter respecting bis penitence for the heartless and wicked crimes had been guilty of, it was the duly of the Court to punish him with some severity. After full consideration, they could not pass a less sentence than five years’ penal sevitude. The prisoner was about to address the Court, but lie was removed by Mr. Reeve, tbe governor, to the cells below.