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| Alleged Stamp Forgeries | ||
| reprinted from Philatelic Journal of Great Britain Jan 1, 1892 | ||
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BENJAMIN, SARPY, AND JEFFRYES CHARGED WITH CONSPIRING TO DEFRAUD. At the Thames Police Court on Friday; January 1, Alfred Benjamin, 29, a stamp dealer, of 46, Oval-road, Lambeth; Julian Hippolite Sarpy, 32, a stamp dealer, of the same address; and George Kirke Jeffryes, 24, a clerk, of 80, Grove-road, Bow, were charged on remand with conspiring and confederating with other persons by means of false pretences and subtle devices, to defraud a number of persons. Mr. Muir prosecuted ; Mr. E. C. Jones, barrister, appeared for Jeffryes ; and Mr. E. S. Purcell represented Sarpy and Benjamin, and Detective Serjeants S. White and Cumner represented the Criminal Investigation Department. On the last occasion only evidence of arrest was taken. Detective Serjeant S. White, H Division, recalled, said that on the 29th ult. he got a warrant to search the house, 80, Grove-road. On the 30th he made his search. In a coal cellar lie found two printing presses, and a number of lithographic stones, one of which bore impressions of Victoria 1s. stamps. On the 24th he searched the other prisoner's rooms at 46, Oval-road, and found a number of stamps and documents. On the 31st ult. he obtained a warrant at the Mansion House to search 1, Cullum-street, City, which is a shop, occupied by Benjamin and Sarpy. He found there a quantity of stamps and documents. Besides these, he found three perforating machines and perforating tools. He also found a number of bottles containing acid, some paint colour, and printers' ink. By Mr. Purcell. - He did not see a notice that no stamps were warranted unless asked for. Such a notice might have escaped his attention. The things he found were not concealed. He should say there were millions of stamps in the shop. By Mr. Jones. - He had only brought one of the stones from Jeffryes' house. He found a large quantity of Victoria 1s. stamps. Henry Thomas Pauncefort, a printer and engraver, of 16, Little New-street, said in August, 1886, a person named Jeffryes came to his shop, and gave him an order to engrave two steel plates from designs given to him by Jeffryes. He engraved the stamp produced. The two plates were the same except as to the number. He printed 1000 from each plate. One was in blue and the other in carmine. There was now what purported to be a post-office obliterating mark on the stamps. They were not there when he executed the order. He was paid £3 15s. for the plates, and £1 9s. for the 2000 impressions. He did not know for what purpose the stamps were intended. By Mr. Purcell. - His business was established in 1816 by his father. He had never before or since printed facsimiles of stamps. He thought it was for something ecclesiastical (laughter). By Mr. Jones. - He would not swear the two stamps produced were two of those he printed. He printed them separately, and had nothing to do with the perforating. Both were Sandwich Islands stamps. George Frederick Clayton, a postman, in the service of the Postmaster General, said he resided at 25, Hazelwood Crescent, Westbourne Park. He had known Jeffryes since 1881 or 1882. Witness had sold stamps for him, but could not remember the names. He had sold "Columbian transfers," but could not recollect if he had sold "Bermudas" for Jeffryes. He had sold Sandwich Islands stamps for him. Those he sold were marked with a postmark, and others were marked with a surcharge. Witness did not remember selling some of the Sandwich Islands stamps to Mr. Bull, a dealer in the City. The witness on being confronted with Mr. Bull, admitted that he had sold that gentleman two stamps, which were unmarked. He agreed to pay back some money to Mr. Bull because the stamps were not genuine ones. Jeffryes told him to sell the stamps and get as much as he could. He had something out of the proceeds of selling. He had sold fiscal stamps with postal surcharges for Jeffryes. He had also sold fiscal stamps with postmarks on them. These were not genuine postmarks. He had been to Jeffryes' house and had seen him at work cutting out postmarks on wood. He had also seen Jeffryes print stamps of " Universal Postal Union" with surcharges on them. That would increase the value from the collectors' point of view. He had seen Jeffryes use a small printing press. He saw the prisoner perforate the stamps after they came from Pauncefort's. He also postmarked them. Witness also knew Benjamin and Sarpy, whom he met in the City. He had seen Jeffryes with them. On one occasion Jeffryes showed him some Tasmanian stamps which he said were "the latest." Witness knew he meant they were the latest forgery or fake." Jeffreys told him he had got a good machine which cost a large sum. About two years ago Sarpy showed him how he put surcharges on stamps, and Benjamin looked on. Witness knew the yellow and green stamps of Grenada, and had seen Sarpy put postmarks on them. He did it with a small die made of metal. Witness had sold Benjamin and Sarpy a small printing press. Some stamps became more valuable by being perforated. Sarpy had told him they had an instrument for perforating stamps, Stephen White, Serjeant H Division, who apprehended Benjamin, said that the prisoner remarked: "I expected this for some time. This is trade jealousy. I have an answer to the charge." Other evidence having been given the prisoners were remanded. continued....... | ||
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