linguist of this or any age, was born at Pesth on the 14th October,
1840. At the early age of fifteen he obtained a chief-interpretership,
with the rank of colonel, in Her Majesty's commissariat during the
Russian War in 1855; was Professor of Arabic with Mohammedan Law at
King's College, London, where he founded the Oriental Section in 1861;
has founded eighty-one institutions, including the Punjab University
and the Oriental University Institute, Mosque, and Museum (containing
unique collections) at Woking; discovered the countries, languages, and
races of Dardistan (between Kabul, Badakhshan, and Kashmir) in 1866;
excavated and named "Græco-Buddhistic" sculptures in 1870; originated
and popularized Her Majesty's title of "Kaisar-i-Hind"; has written
works on education, ethnography, etc., in many languages; is commander
of several high foreign orders, etc. He retired from the Indian service
in 1886; held a brilliant International Oriental congress in London
in 1891, and is now engaged in elaborating his Central Asian material
and in editing the numerous publications of the Oriental University
Institute.
MADAME CANZIANI
(MISS LOUISA STARR).
[Illustration: AGE 8.
_From a Photograph._]
[Illustration: AGE 20.
_From a Photo by M. Bowness, Ambleside._]
[Illustration: AGE 27.
_From a Photo by Elliott & Fry._]
[Illustration: PRESENT DAY.
_From a Photo by Elliott & Fry._]
MADAME CANZIANI, better known in the early days of her career as Miss
Louisa Starr, became a student of the Academy at an unusually early
age, and, making quick progress, she took, first, the silver medal for
the best copy of Murillo's "Beggar Boys." This was the first time any
woman had taken a medal of the Royal Academy. The following year she
took the highest honour possible for an Academy student, namely, the
gold medal for historical painting, it being awarded to her, together
with a scholarship of £50. Since this date, works by Madame Canziani
have been seen every year on the walls of the Royal Academy, this
year's being "Roses" and "Dorothy Belleville."
A. E. STODDART.
BORN 1864.
[Illustration: AGE 3.
_From a Photo by J. H. Haggitt, South Shields._]
[Illustration: AGE 13.
_From a Photo by R. L. Graham, Leamington._]
[Illustration: AGE 21.
_From a Photo by Geo. F. Dew, Coventry._]
[Illustration: PRESENT DAY.
_From a Photo by Bradshaw, Newgate Street._]
MR. ANDREW ERNEST STODDART is a native of Durham. His cricket career,
which is most brilliant, practically commenced when he joined the
Hampstead Club in 1885. He made no fewer than five centuries for that
club in July and August of that year. In the following year he hit up
the highest individual innings (485) for Hampstead _v._ Stoics, and
three days later made 207 for the same club. As a batsman he has great
strength, and plays very hard. He is also a fair change bowler, and
an excellent field anywhere. He has gained the highest honours on the
football field, and made his first appearance in International football
in the season of 1884-85. Mr. Stoddart went to Australia with Lord
Sheffield's cricketers 1891-92, for whom he did brilliant work. Last
year he became one of the holders of the rare record of two hundreds in
a match.
SIR JOHN ASTLEY.
BORN 1823.
[Illustration: AGE 6.
_From a Water-Colour by Lady Astley._]
[Illustration: AGE 10.
_From a Water-Colour by Lady Astley._]
[Illustration: AGE 30.
_From a Miniature._]
[Illustration: AGE 50.
_From a Photo by Dickinson, New Bond Street._]
[Illustration: PRESENT DAY.
_From a Photo by Elliot & Fry._]
SIR JOHN DUGDALE ASTLEY, BART., is the son of the late Sir Francis
Dugdale. He was educated at Eton and Oxford. As a boy, he developed
the first genius that in after years made him famous, and, as far as
athletics are concerned, there is no better authority than "Jolly
Sir John." He served through the Crimean Campaign, and was awarded
the medal with two clasps--Alma and Sebastopol--and the Order of the
Medjidieh. Even during the campaign Sir John encouraged athletics,
not only in his regiment--the Scots Fusilier Guards--but in the
whole English Army. His men adored him, and would go anywhere and do
anything for him. On his retirement from the Army, he was elected
member for North Lincolnshire in the Conservative interest, and sat
in the House till 1880. On the Turf, of which Sir John was for a long
time a well-known and generous supporter, his success was anything but
encouraging, but he bore his losses like a gentleman and a sportsman.
Sir John is issuing "Fifty Years of My Life," which is to be a record
of the principal events in his interesting career.
_Crimes and Criminals._
No. IV.--FORGERS AND BEGGING-LETTER WRITERS.
The doings of forgers, if properly chronicled, would fill sufficient
volumes to stock the library of any average mansion with as sensational
a series of works as could be found--indeed, so would the operations
of begging-letter writers, for the matter of that. The previous
papers under the heading of "Crimes and Criminals" have particularly
dealt with the relics at New Scotland Yard, and although it must be
admitted that the mementos here of this particular branch of punishable
professions are not peculiarly extensive, yet they are unquestionably
highly instructive and interesting, and it is not proposed to deviate
from the pivot round which our previous observations have been made.
One glass case is practically given up to them. It is a "creepy" case.
It contains the last clothes worn by a famous forger, whose action
set the whole world talking for weeks--his silk hat, travelling cap
with ear laps, pocket-handkerchief, collar, etc. It is not considered
politic to mention his name. Close by is a poisoner's pill case,
whose nefarious deeds in a neighbourhood "over the water," and in the
immediate vicinity of Waterloo Bridge, made one shudder only a year or
so ago. Then we come to the relics which call for more minute attention.
[Illustration: PLATE USED FOR PRINTING FORGED RUSSIAN ROUBLE NOTES.]
Here are the plates for printing, gelatine moulds, and specimens of
notes, which form the relics of the case known as the "Forged Russian
Rouble Notes," which had a run between the years 1868 and 1876. A
glance at a frame containing samples of notes purporting to be for
one, three, ten, twenty-five roubles, etc., will at once convince the
observer that the Russian Consulate spoke truly when, at the hearing of
the persons arrested, at the police-court, he said: "They are really
splendid specimens of forgeries of the actual legitimate notes." In
company with these are treasures associated with what is known as the
"Ti Kroner Case." They consist of a cigar-box converted into what is
generally believed to be a photographic camera, a negative--broken
fortunately--of a Ti Kroner note, a note photographed on a piece of
substantial box-wood, several specimens of forged notes, and a note
pasted on to a piece of paper with three circles cut out of it. This
is peculiarly interesting, for "the operator" has pencilled in the
centre disc, "£10 clock here," in the left-hand disc, "£10 watch here,"
and in the right-hand circular space, "watch here." The excuse of the
person on whose premises these were found was that he intended to use
the Ti Kroner notes as a novel form of advertisement for clock and
watch makers!--to distribute these notes, drop one or two carelessly
in the streets, or leave them on the cushions of railway carriages;
and when the thinkingly lucky finder hastily picked one up, popped it
in his pocket, and waited until he got home to examine it, he found it
was only, after all, an advertisement for Brown, the watchmaker, or
Tompkins, the clock manufacturer!
Strangely enough, these relics were never brought as silent witnesses
against the person who at one time owned them. He was voted by a
thoughtful judge a perfectly fit and proper individual to partake of
Her Majesty's hospitality for the comfortable period of twenty years
for quite a different offence. He used to send notes--not forged ones,
but nice, delicate little note-paper notes--to old ladies, threatening
them that if they did not send him money he would, at the earliest
opportunity, place dynamite on their door-mats, so that the first time
they rubbed their boots or goloshes on the cocoa-nut fibre, they would
be--well, he wouldn't venture to say where they would be blown to! Our
Ti Kroner forger must have been a very versatile genius.
The simplicity which is characteristic of not a few of the inhabitants
of Britain and the readiness with which some people are taken in are
well illustrated by New Scotland Yard's collection of flash notes.
Flash notes are generally carried by the members of that fraternity who
delight in showing you what is known as the three-card trick, or by
persons who wish, for some particular reasons of their own, to inspire
your confidence in them, and lead you to trust in their keeping for
half an hour or so your money, watch, or what not.
[Illustration: MOULD USED FOR FORGED RUSSIAN ROUBLE NOTES.]
There are several hundreds of these notes at New Scotland Yard. It is
not a punishable offence, by-the-bye, to have them in your possession,
or even to print them, but it would go badly with you should you try to
pass one as a real note. Now, it is a certain fact that in the case of
many of these notes, they were never intended for any wrong purpose,
but were merely brought out as a novel and attractive advertisement. It
is to be hoped that the writer does not convey the smallest impression
to the reader that these notes were in the first place originally
issued for anything but a proper and legitimate cause. But your
confidence-man, your cardsharper, should any perchance happen to fall
in his hands, uses them to suit his own game. They are crisp--just
like real bank-notes, and when rustled in the palm of the hand make
that delicious sound which cheers the heart and wreathes the face in
smiles: they are very nearly the same size, too, of a real "fiver." So
they are used for a purpose for which they were never intended, and the
confidence-man pulls out of his trousers pocket a handful of--what?
Bank-notes? Nothing of the kind. But they look like them. Of course
they do. But if you get hold of them yourself you would see that this
crisp piece of paper with a big TEN in the left-hand corner was only:
"Bank of Engraving. I Promise to Engrave and Print in Letter-press,
etc., on Demand for the Sum of Ten Pounds in the First Style of the Art
or forfeit the above sum. London, 29 April, 1840. For Self & Co., Bank
of Engraving, J. Duck, Fitzroy Square. £ _Ten_."
[Illustration: FORGED RUSSIAN ROUBLE NOTE--FRONT AND BACK.]
Another of these is in reality a capital advertisement for a well-known
circus, stating that it has been "Entirely redecorated and renovated at
the cost of One Thousand Pounds"--a big One Thousand Pounds appearing
in the left hand corner. Indeed, your cardsharper and confidence-man
knows how easily gulled some folk are, that he has even included in
his stock-in-trade a note-advertisement emanating from a Parisian firm
of dentists, stating that they will gladly supply you with a new false
tooth for the modest sum of five francs!
These and many more are in a frame at New Scotland Yard--a good supply
of American notes being noticeable. Amongst them is one which, at the
moment of writing, is peculiarly interesting. It has, at some time or
the other, formed part of the "monetary" luggage of somebody engaged in
the confidence trick. Kossuth, the great Hungarian patriot, gave orders
to a firm of lithographic printers for the printing of several million
notes, which he intended for circulation in Hungary. The Austrian
Government, however, objected to this, went to law, and the case was
decided in their favour. The notes were to be destroyed, and so great
was their number that several waggons were loaded with them. One of
these identical notes is to be found framed at New Scotland Yard!
Whilst on this subject, a good story may be told, which will well
illustrate the ingenuity of some to take advantage and make profit of a
"forgery" scare.
Some time ago considerable consternation was created in France owing to
the circulation of forged 500 franc notes. An individual--always on the
look-out for the adaptation of his genius to circumstances--exhibited
one of these sham notes and netted a neat little sum by charging a
franc a head.
"Beautiful imitation," said one, "but not good enough to take me in."
"Very clever," remarked another, "but not quite clever enough to catch
me."
"Ha! Ha!" exclaimed a third, "I should have known it as a bad 'un at
once!"
The exhibitor smiled and said nothing. They had been looking at a
_real_ note all the time!
The particular glass case at New Scotland Yard to which we have
been devoting our attention also contains substantial mementos of a
gentleman who was closely associated with the great forged will and
next-of-kin swindle of 1885. Charles Howard was this worthy's name,
and he died within the walls of Holloway Prison, on the 25th November,
1893, whilst under remand.
[Illustration: TI KRONER NOTE PHOTOGRAPHED ON WOOD BLOCK.]
Old Howard--for he was over seventy years of age--was a colossal
swindler. He played for high stakes in the highest quarters.
No twopenny-halfpenny swindles would appease his criminal
appetite--thousands, and nothing short, was his game, and more often
than not he bagged them. His operations extended all over the civilized
world. His portrait has followed him all round Europe. On the Continent
he posed as the Count Von Howard and Count Hovardi. The writer has had
an opportunity of looking at his picture--a more benevolent-looking old
fellow never faced a camera. His plausibility was simply delicious--his
impudence at facing a thing out, in spite of immense odds against him,
was undeniably tremendous. He had received a good education--indeed,
it is believed at an important public school--and furthermore, came
of good family. In order to give some idea of his monumental "cheek,"
almost his last exploit was to pose as the friend of a mythical
Australian heiress, to whom he was prepared--subject, of course, to
some monetary consideration--to introduce such gentlemen as were
matrimonially inclined. When one of these sought to expose him, Howard
immediately wrote to a number of leading journals in a feigned name,
stating that he was a retired Indian officer, and that he was prepared
to vouch for the accuracy and _bona fides_ of the whole affair. This
letter was actually published.
[Illustration: CAMERA MADE OUT OF A CIGAR-BOX.]
His _modus operandi_ in the forged will case was both simple and
elaborate. Its simplicity lies in the fact that it merely took the form
of an advertisement in the newspapers, stating that a Mr. Clark had
died leaving many thousands. Applications from persons of that name
were invited. It was a taking bait, and hundreds nibbled at it, as is
proved by a perusal of the papers preserved as relics of this case at
"The Yard." Howard was magnificently artful. He did not choose the name
of Smith, Brown, or even Jones--but one almost as common. A person
would write in answer to the advertisement. Howard would reply, asking
for fifty shillings, prepaid, to cover inquiry fees, and holding
out further bait by stating that only the first thirty-five "Clarks"
would receive a share; that the money could not go to persons of
affluence, but to people of small means; that he could only correspond
with principals, and that "James Hill Cooper Clark" had left the
highly respectable sum of £105,000. Who would not be one of the happy
thirty-five for fifty shillings!
[Illustration: A "FLASH" NOTE.]
Howard and his works might be dilated on from cover to cover of this
Magazine, but to show how perfectly he played his "clients" we will
give two extracts from the scores of documentary proofs we have
examined. One is a death certificate, and it reads:--
"In memory of William Clark, of----, who departed this life, April----,
18----." Then follows: "I hereby declare that the above is a true copy
from the tombstone of W. Clark, of----."
The suggestion to copy the tombstone could not have been evolved
from any mind but that of the late Charles Howard. The other is from
a confiding person who writes--Howard has evidently asked for a
commission--"I am willing to have ten per cent. _reducted_," and the
bad-spelling simpleton plaintively adds: "_Please to get the thing
through as soon as possible_."
[Illustration: ADDRESS BOOKS, MEMORANDA, ETC., OF A PROFESSIONAL
BEGGING-LETTER WRITER.]
Your true begging-letter writer is certainly entitled to join the
family circle of forgers, though in most cases only as a distant
cousin. What a begging-letter writer Howard would have made! But there
are men and women whose talents in this peculiar art are just as fine
if not so varied. It is only when a man attains to position that he
becomes aware of what a number of boys used to play marbles with him at
school. Your begging-letter writer at once marks him for his own, he
has "got him on the list."
It would be quite impossible, in a short paper such as this, to place
on record anything more than a few of the methods of your modern
begging-letter writer; of the old soldier who sends a line to some Army
man at his club; of the ardent but hard-up politician who addresses
some M.P.; of the real truth regarding that hurriedly pencilled note
addressed to the City merchant and stating that "years ago" the
applicant was once "on the market himself," etc., and would you oblige
with five shillings, "which I faithfully promise, dear sir, to pay you
back in a fortnight's time." Have you ever met the good woman--perhaps
you have heard from her--who is a widow with two children, her husband
is lying dangerously ill at home, and she wants a few shillings to
purchase necessaries. As a proof of her honesty she incloses the
receipt for her last month's rent. A certain society can show you a
bundle of some forty of these letters, and every one of them contains
a receipt for that same month's rent. The common lodging-house is the
_depôt_ for every fraud under the sun, and there are scores of men
who frequent them who will write you the most touching appeal for
threepence or fourpence, and find the note-paper into the bargain.
[Illustration: A PROFESSIONAL BEGGING-LETTER WRITER--SPECIMEN OF
MEMORANDUM.]
The memory of the greatest genius the begging-letter world has ever
known is kept green at New Scotland Yard. He is believed to be
dead--for if he were out of prison London would soon hear of him. We
will hide his identity--for the sake of his friends and relations who
may have survived him--under the unassuming name of Brown. Brown was
an old fellow, with a glorious white head of hair, and always dressed
in black cloth. His great _forte_ was his ability to write in assumed
hands--he could write in a hundred different ways, for which purpose
he was aided by a variety of pen-nibs and various coloured inks. He
was so systematic. Just examine some of his books--usually those
familiar little red rent-books. Here is one--it contains the names
and addresses of peers, etc., M.P.'s, and widows in North and South
Wales. A second is devoted to peers and M.P.'s in England, another
to Scotland, and a third to those resident in Ireland. There are a
dozen books of this kind, and were the writer to publish some of the
"notes" in these begging volumes they would provide some interesting
reading. Then he would divide London--particularly the West-end--into
districts. So we have books given up to such happy hunting grounds for
the begging-letter writer as Belgravia, Knightsbridge, Onslow Square,
Queen's Gate, Portman Square, Berkeley Square, Grosvenor Square, etc.
He never addressed anybody without acquainting himself with their
history and particularly finding out their age, whether they have
reached those years when they are generally supposed to be sympathetic,
or if they were in the prime of life and inclined to be cynical. How
much is conveyed on a small slip of paper, bearing the name of the
Marchioness of Westminster and the words, "She is ninety-one years of
age and a widow nineteen years"!
Brown used to supply beggars with letters, and several samples of them
are preserved. His favourite theme was the poor widow, and the plea put
forth was the same in nearly all cases save that the names were altered
and the locality different. Here is one of these "appeals," accompanied
by a letter on black-edged paper purporting to be from a clergyman in
the same parish:--
"Parish of Streatham,
"County of Surrey.
"These are to certify that Mrs. Anne Clarke (widow) carried on business
as laundress in this parish for several years, and has hitherto
supported a large family in respectability.
"On the afternoon of Saturday, the 14th day of December instant, while
Mrs. Clarke was delivering clean linen with her horse and van near the
Streatham Railway Station, the horse took fright at the whistle of a
passing train and started off at a furious pace, and coming in contact
with a coal-waggon the horse was killed, the van dashed to pieces, and
her eldest son 16 years of age was thrown from the van, and received
such injury as caused compound fracture of the right thigh, and now
lies in St. Thomas's Hospital in a dangerous state, whereby Mrs. Clarke
has sustained a severe loss, estimated at £45.
"Knowing Mrs. Clarke, a respectable and industrious widow with a family
of five children depending on her for support, I beg to recommend her
case to the notice of a few benevolent neighbours, to enable her to
follow her occupation as heretofore, trusting it will come under their
notice with that eye of sympathy it so much merits.
"Vestry Hall, Streatham.
"This 17th day of December, 1889."
[Illustration: "BROWN'S" BEGGING-LETTERS.]
This would be presumably signed--of course in Brown's handwriting--by
the Vestry Clerk with "20s." against his name. This in itself is a
delightful composition--but it did not end here. Our estimable friend
Brown would follow on with a few more signatures giving various sums
of money, but one signature always headed the list--after that of
the Vestry Clerk. It was a coal-waggon which upset poor Mrs. Clarke,
killed her horse and dashed her van to pieces. Hence--written in red
ink--there appears on all these appeals the name of a well-known firm
of London coal merchants, who give Two Pounds.
_Beauties._
[Illustration: _Miss Louie Spencer._
_From a Photo by Walton Adams, Reading._
Mrs Glyndeur Foulkes.
_From a Photo by John Ingham, Sale, near Manchester._
_Miss Mabel Morphett._
_From a Photo by W. Edward Wright, Forest Gate._]
[Illustration: Miss Daisy Baldry
_From a Photo by James Bacon, Newcastle-on-Tyne._
_Miss Irene Vanbrugh._
_From a Photo by Russell & Sons, 17, Baker Street, W._
MISS FRANKS
_From a Photo by A. Weston, 84, Newgate Street, E.C._]
_Count Ferdinand de Lesseps._
BY HIS GOD-DAUGHTER.
The name of De Lesseps has been on the lips of many people, both French
and English, within the past two years; some speaking of him in terms
of reproach, others of admiration, for his past services to his country
and the world at large, and commiseration for his present sad position,
and the failure of his last great scheme, the cutting of the Isthmus
of Panama. This record of his life, therefore, by one who, from her
childhood, has known the "Grand Français," may be found interesting at
this moment.
Ferdinand de Lesseps was born at Versailles on the 19th November, 1805.
At first, and for many years, he was engaged in the French diplomatic
service at Lisbon, Barcelona, and the East. Count Ferdinand de Lesseps
was married, first in December, 1838, to Mlle. Delamalle, by whom he
had five sons. His three elder children died at an early age, and his
surviving sons by this marriage are Charles and Victor de Lesseps.
Charles, the former, of whom the world has heard so much lately, took
an active part in the works both at Suez and Panama, and was the able
assistant of his father.
When the events of 1851 and 1852 placed the third Napoleon on the
Imperial throne of France, and the Emperor, in January, 1853, married
Mlle. de Montijo, who was the cousin of De Lesseps, his influence at
the French Court was assured. It was in 1854, when in Egypt on a visit
to H.H. Mohamed Saïd Pasha, that the project of cutting the Isthmus
of Suez was first broached by him. He discussed the scheme with Saïd
Pasha, and as a result his "Percement de l'Isthme de Suez" was drawn
up. He obtained a concession in 1856 from the Viceroy Saïd Pasha, who
himself took a large share in the venture, and granted De Lesseps an
extraordinary privilege in the shape of forced labour.