AN OLD CRIMINAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3554, 5 July 1890, Page 2

AN OLD CRIMINAL.

Extraordinary OaroirAuckland, July 8.. Fuller particulars of the remark' able revelations in oonneotion with the man F. P. Williams are as followsHo recently stated to the police, while under the influenoe of drink,- that ho had been guilty of a number of audacious thefts and embezzlements committed in. Eng. land, Amerioal and the colonies at different periodß of Ins life, and that' ho had in 1885, in the early days of Ballarato while employed by Joshua Vines,, of "the firm of Vines and , M'Phee, ooaoh proprietors, robbed that gentleman of £2OOO when he waß carrying on the business of a gold broker, The polioe authorities at Auckland have communicated with tbe police at Melbourne' to ascertain, if possible, whether suoh robbery took place, and it has been found from official records. that such wob tiie case. Vines, it appears, flrai beoame acquainted with Williams when purchasing gold, from him. \ ines stated that on one occasion bo ■ gavo Williamsa £lO note iu mistake. for £l, and Williams afterwards returned the money. This aot of honesty led to hie being employed by Mr Vines in his gold business. Oo Saturday Mr Vines intended to deposit £2OOO in the bank, but learning that one of his ooaoben, running between Ballarat and Oreswick, had. run over a. woman, ho went to the scene of the accident,, entrusting tho money, as lie states, with, bis clerk, Williams, who left for the purpose of goingtotho bank,but Williams didnoL do, bo, and Vines heard nothing fur* ther respecting him, although ft <jj i stated that a large reward was for his apprehension at thg time. Williams, who is 64 years of age, has stated that he began hiaevil praotios in 1818, when ho was employed as junior collector in a cotton house ia Manchester. : He cleared, out from Manchester with £BOO of his em» ployer's money, and proceeded to New Orleans, (where Jio was employed by ong Massey.whom he afterwards, so he states, robbed of 500 dollars. Ha subsequently joined the lGthLancerg, deserted, and revisited the United States, and obtained the position of bank manager in Nevada City. He subsequently absconded with 20,000 " dollars, and was lucky enough to get back to England,. He afterwards i visited Oape Colony, and then came to Victoria, where the robbery, when employed by Vinos, took place. The police now find, when tbey have the confirmation of Williams' confession, that Williams cleared out for Sydney t by the Wairarapa on Tuesday. % • iim; •' Williams, whoso confessions of extraordinary robberies were telegraphed, has been through the South, :