ATTEMPT TO EXTORT MONEY OR PLACE FROM MR. GLADSTONE.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 771, 3 September 1853, Page 3

ATTEMPT TO EXTORT MONEY OR PLACE FROM MR. GLADSTONE.

We are authorised to sta f e that as Mr. Gladstone was returning home from the Opera at Convent Garden, on Tuesday night (10th Way), be was addressed by an unfortunate woman, who earnestly begged his attention to her story. While Mr. Gladstone, as lie walked on, was listening with his accustomed benei volence to the appeal, the woman suddenly perceived i some person approaching, and clung to Mr. Gladstone, | apparently fur protection. The scene then ensued j which will be found detailed in another column, which ! was also inserted in the evening papers. Daily j News. MARr.BonoucH-STnnrT, Wednesday.— -William Wilson, 24, Belvedere-ioad, commercial traveller, was placed at the bar before Mr. Bingham, charged with following and attempting to extort money and place Rom the R ght Hon. W. E. Gladstone, the Chancellor of the Exc equer, by threatening the hon. gentleman with immoral conduct. The hon. gentleman, on being swor i, sai l: —The defendant seeing me in conversation with a young woman, who was walking by my side, just below-Coventry-street and Oxenden street, last night about twenty minutes past twelve o’clock, came up and began to use words which I could not understand, upon which this girl expressed alarm, and laid hold of my left arm. 1 told her she need not be afraid, nothing would occur to her. She had already told me where she lived, and I advised her to go home, and I walked along with her. The prisoner then addressed me by name, saying he would expose me. I proceeded on ward, and he followed me—the young woman still expressing great alarm. When we came to a door which she said was her door (I believe it was in King-street, Soho, but was not certain), she then ran in, and I desired the prisoner So leave me which he refused to do. I walked on, and turned one way and another to get free of him, but he kepi close to me, stating that he admired my public character much, and had long observed me ; that ha must now expose me, that he would do this in the Morning Herald this day, and among the whole of the Conservative party. With these threats he mingled- a statement tb.-.t he did not wish to do me any harm, and tint if I would make it right with him, or give him a good appointment at Somerset House or elsewhere, his lips should be closed. In answer to this—being, X fear, angry,— I charged him with being a liar, and I used more than once the expression, that he should not have from me either a sixpence or a situation, and that if he did not leave me I must appeal to the police lor protection. Tie prisoner stated he would not do that, and that he would give me in charge of the police. Tie then said he would be contented if I would allow hi u to write me a letter, to which X answered, “ Sir, do exactly ns you please,” repeating my former words about not giving him either a sixpence or a situation. All this, with more similar matter, was repeated again and again for some time, while I was walking, and in the In p• cf seeing a police-constable. I saw none till, having tried Reg-ent-street, I came into Sack* ville-street, when I saw 187Cand to him stated my desire lobe rid of ihe prisoner, and the constable told me to go lo ihe station. I did so, and made the charge. On the way to the station he repeated the suggestion that I had better accede to what he had offered for my own sake. I told him that any act of mine I l.ud no wish to conceal, and that he was not jurtified in imputing to me the intention on which he Lad founded his claim ; an intention which, bi-ing upon my oaih, I most solemnly deny.^ Inspector Parkes, C. division, after proving receiving the charge, stated that the prisoner, in reply thereto, made a statement, which he took down in writing, and now produced, and of which the subjoined is a copy. William Wilson, 24, Belvedere-road, Lambeth, commercial traveller, states that about half-past twelve on the 11th instant, he saw Mr. Gladstone addressing a lady of his acquaintance in Panton-street, Haymarlcet, and they immediately turned down Panton-street, and walked about fifty yards down the first turning in Pan-ton-street, and then made their way across Coventrystreet and Princes-street, w here he charged Mr. Gladstone with being in company with the lady above alluded to. He then said he had no desire to make an exposure of one ho so muc'i admired, and whose character was known to he so unspotted and pure, and that he might take it as a moral proof from one so humble us Mr. Wilson ; and further said, if Mr. Gladstone would procure him a situation that he would not expose him, and if not, lie would communicate Mr. Gladstone’s conduct to the Morning Herald newspaper, and also charged Mr. Gladstone with being with the lady in question, upon which Mr. Gladstone called him a liar, and ultimately Air. Gladstone granted him permission to write him a letter about a situation. To this statement the prisoner attached his signa* t .re. Inspector Parkes further stated that the prisoner said it did not matter to him what would be the result, if it were even transportation, so long as his name was associated with a person so great as Mr. Gladstone, who was one of the greatest men of the day. The defendant, in reply to the charge, had no dedre to put any questions, and would endorse the paper read by the inspector. His character would bear the strictest investigation, and he was sorry for what he had done. Mr. Bingham—ls the defendant known to the police 1 Does he live at the address he gave? Inspector—Yes ; we have enquired at his address, and find it correct; he is not known to the police. Mr. Bingham thought further inquiries ought to be m de into the prisoner's character, and remanded him till Friday lor that purpose.

On Friday he was again brought up, and committed for trial.