EXTRAORDINARY FRAUDS.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 523, 29 June 1869, Page 2

EXTRAORDINARY FRAUDS.

(From tlio Home News.') A scries of extraordinary frauds on the Great Central Gas Company have been committed by a man named Benjamin Higgs, a book-keeper in their employ. The amount hns been stated at £BO,OOO, but it is now feared that £150,000 will hardly cover the full extent of his depredations. Not only have large sums received for coke never found their way to the company's bankers, but forced debentures to a considerable amount, it is said, are afloat, upon which Higgs regularly paid the dividends as they fell due, in order to keep their issue from the company's knowledge. These debenture bonds, it is affirmed, although issued fraudulently, bear the bona fide signatures of the directors and the common seal of ihe company, so that detection by the holders was simply a matter of impossibility. It is believed that Higgs has sought refuge in Spain, with which country England has no extradition treaty. The Twickenham Observer has published the following interesting narrative of some portions of this swindler's career : His salary at the time of his disappearance was under £IOO per annum. His establishment at Tcddington, however, was of almost princely character. Mr Higgs' habits were luxurious and extravagant in the extreme. The house, which contained, about thirty rooms, was fitted and furnished in the most sumptuous style. A large plea-sure-ground ran down to the river Thames, where he had built a massive river wall. lie had also a large kitchen-garden, and a model farm. Ho Avas building extensive stabling, fitted with all modern appliances, kept two pair of carriages, nine horses, and several ponies, and his family carriage and brougham were the most substantialandelegant intheneighborhood. The domestic arrangements were in keeping with thcgeneral character of the establishment. There were eight female servants, five gardeners, one groom, a coachman, and under coachman, the household expenses requiring not less than £2,000 a-ycar. The furniture, the sale of which took place on JMouday and Tuesday, "March 20 and SO, was of remarkable style and quality, as may be judged from the fact that a pianoforte sold for 155 guineas, which originally cost 300 guineas, but which was regarded as the ..greatest bargain of the sale. Mr Higgs' personal tastes and habits were not less extravagant. His gold watch and diamond rings were the envy of the connoisseurs. He was musical too, and his weekly musical parties were graced by the presence of our most celebrated artistes, who were sumptuously entertained and sent to London by special train. Mr Higgs' benevolent instincts were as large as his expenditure was liberal, not to say

extravagant. On three occasions he he gave concerts at the Clarence Hotel, Teddiugton; the celebrated professional singers were engaged, the programmes were marvels of artistic beauty, the expenses were paid by Mr Iliggs, aud the entire proceeds were devoted to the building of new schools. On one occasion an insolvent received a cheque for £IBO, with which he effected a composition with his creditors. On another- occasion an unfortunate man, who was seriously injured by an explosion of the kitchen-boiler while at his house, was established in business with £3OO. The Eree Church of England, at Teddingtou, which, however, Mr Higgs never attended, received anew organ at a cost of £3OO, and the same congregation now meeting in an iron church recently rejoiced iu the promise of £2,000 towards a new and more substantial structure, which, however, "like the baseless fabric of vision," has vanished with Mr Higgs. On the morning of his ''departure," there were eighty men employed upon a new mansion which was in course of erection upon land he was to have purchased at a cost of £GOO per acre —the purchase, however, was never completed, although the buildings were in progress. The mansion was estimated to cost £50,000. There is one side to this extraordinary story which is indescribably painful. Mr Higgs has left behind him a wife and eight children (probably by this time nine) who until now were "ignorant of the source whence all the comforts and luxuries of their home were derived, aud therefore innocent of all participation in the fraud, and, we are sorry to add, are rendered absolutely destitute and dependent upon others.