ALLEGED FORGERY ON THE BANK OF ENGLAND.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2917, 21 June 1878, Page 3

ALLEGED FORGERY ON THE BANK OF ENGLAND.

On March 27, at the Mansion Hotise, before the Lord Mayor, three foreigners^ Paul Dubois, Cornelius John D. de Jongh, were charged with having in their possession a plate engraved with the name of "F. May," also four brass blocks cut with letters and figures, with intent to forge Bank of England notes ; and Achille Roi was charged with being concerned . with the above. In opening the case for the prosecution Mr Poland said that before the evidence was completed he should show that a regular scheme had been prepared by the prisoners for tho purpose of forging £5 Bank of England <, notes on a largo scale. He (Mr Poknd) 'need scarcely say that persons engaged in a scheme of this sort were obliged to resort to all kinds of devicos^to induce engravers to do their woric and also to deceive them. In this case they r resorted to the device of a coupon. Ihis coupon, they represented, was for use in Paris by a firm who presented such of ' their customers as did business with them 1 to the extent of IOOOfr. with a bonus of * 125fr. This coupon was headed " Old LEngland," and was to be printed in Karts, the bottom part being an exact Tcopy of a £if Bank of JEngland note. ' The prisoner Dubois, who. gave the order, i further said that ho did not waut the sig[f nature "F. May." This, for the moment [disarmed suspicion, but after a short time /Mr Fimbell, a lithographer, ot iiedtordf row, to whom he gave this order, thinking I-the order he had received was not altogether a straightforward transaction, did what all honest men would have done under the circumstances, and commumcated with the Bank of England. Therefore, what he had done subsequently he did under the direction of the .Bank authorities, who, being informed of a matter of this kind, considered it right that they should see who the persons I were engaged in the forgery. Having I thus succeeded in obtaining a printer of I the notes, their next course was to get the Isignature of the chief cashier to the bank, I Mr F. May, and this they did from Mr Ide Leon, of 24, Eathbone-place. This gentleman was entrusted to furnish the signature, and to blind him they gave him the word "Pimlico," winch.was to be Engraved upon the same plate. Mr Leon at first thought it was the name of the the Dutch' Consul, but becoming aware that the signature was that of the cashier to the Bank he also communicated with ■ the authorities, and finished the work, as •also the figures appearing upon the bank I notes which the prisoners next ordered, I under the direction of the directors of the ■ Bank of England. How skihully these had Rbeen done would be seen the impressions ■which had been taken from the plates. ■Whether these notes were to be usted in Ithis country or at the time of the Pans ■Exhibition was immaterial. ■ Mr David Fimbell, lithographer of ■Bedford row, said, he knew the prisoner ■Roi as a fancy basket maker; last year Be introduced a man named Martin who Kventually occupied a portion of his (witBess's) shop as an improver. On the 7th Kit. Eoi brought the prisoner Dubois, who Baid he could give him an order worth BjCOOfr or 4000fr. They produced a£s BBank of England note, and a-sketch Bras made of a coupon headed " Old ■England." The writing in the coupon Eras to be a facsimile of the bank note Bxcepting the signature. Witness told Him the work could not be done, but B)ubois assured him that it could, pointing But that he did not require the figures B A-40" and signature. The "coupons Ha he called then:, were to be printed with Counterfoils, and were, he said, for the Bse of a firm in Paris. At another interBiew Dubois asked him to get specimens Bf paper, and also be wanted to knovtif Baper with "wavy" waterlines and the Bords "Old England" " Franco-English" Hould be obtained. Witness said it could By ordering it from the maker. He Kbubois) suggested that the water-lines Blight be made in the paper in the printHg operations. Witness said it might Hossibly be done, and Dubois then Msquested him to obtain an estimate from Hi engraver for plates. Dubois further Mformed him that Martin had told him Hat he could do the work, but that he H)ubois) wanted it" skilfully done, and giving him the first order. The England," he stated, was to be H>ened in Paris on Feb. 15, and it, was to obtain some of the coupons at Hce. They, he added, would require ■1,000 copies of them. Witness gave an estimate for the plates, and then prisoner Dubois took him to Maclure's, Queen Victoria street, but they hapto be closed. Dubois said that were doing the printing for " Old England," and witness would the paper for the coupons from them.' Feb. 10 witness communicated with authorities of the Bank of England, them the work he had done the order of the prisoners. They witness to continue negotiations the prisoners, and he obtained sampaper from Messrs Waterlow. Dvselected one, but thought it should be a thicker. He also stated that he was pleased that witness was going to water marks himself. On another Dubois gave him an order for imvresati&ns,. and deposited with a £5 note to'copy. Roi was present several of the interviews witness had Dubois, who said Eoi had come from to buy goods and push on this affair. at an interview o^ March 18, witness two gunieas as a deposit. prisoners were then remanded.