Statement of Henry Webster late Governor of H.M. Prison Hull, England, 1 April 1892

Statement of Henry Webster late Governor
of H.M.Prison - Hull - England

I have been Governor of H.M.Prison Hull for
twenty four years and resigned my appointment
through failing health on the 30th Sept last

Sometime in August or early in Sept 1890 a man
named Harry Lawson was committed to my custody
on a charge of obtaining a diamond necklace & rings
from a jeweller named Reynoldson in Hull. He
absconded immediately on obtaining the jewellery
and a detective officer was sent from Hull to Monte
Video and Lawson was apprehended there and brought
back to Hull under the Extradition laws. Some letters
addressed for Lawson were handed to the officer and
these proved to be from his wife who was living at
Liverpool - this was the first intimation that Lawson
was a married man before coming to Hull. He
first appeared at Beverley in the East Riding of
Yorkshire, a small town about eight miles from
Hull and succeeded in persuading a Widow with
two daughters, to take him into her house as a lodger -
representing himself as the wealthy and just returned
from the Cape. - During the time he was in Beverley
he made a great show driving a hired conveyance
into Hull generally instead of going by train.
He made love to one of the daughters (Miss Matheson)
and got the mother's consent to be married, although her
friends, who are highly respectable, suggested she
should wait until inquiries were made as to
Lawson's statements. They were married and
he made a great stir in the town at the time.
He had made Miss Matheson several presents
of jewellery, which he had bought at Reynoldson's

shop always paying for them by cheque drawn upon
the Yorkshire Bank where he had opened an account.
On the day he absconded from Hull he called at the
Bank and closed his account there taking out a
few pounds balance, and then after the Bank was
closed he went to the jewellers to buy a toothpick, inquiring
about the necklace which he had looked at several times
before;- he bought the necklace paying for it with a cheque
on the same Bank - the amount being I think about
£130. - He then further purchased two or three diamond
rings for which he gave another cheque saying that
only the first cheque was to be presented on Monday
but by Tuesday there would be a remittance to his
account.- On enquiring at the Bank on the Monday
it was found there was nothing to meet it & his
account closed. - Lawson was tried for this
fraud on the 17th October 1890 at the Hull Quarter Sessions
at which I was present, when it was proved that
he left Hull by train within an hour or two of
obtaining the jewellery and having arranged some
weeks previously for his baggage to be ready on
that day, he booked his passage to Buenos Aires,
and although the vessel was full, he pressed for
a passage, stating it was important he should
go. When arrested he had a quantity of diamonds
upon him, 72 of one sort and I think 18 of another,
and it was proved that the necklace contained
72 diamonds exactly similar to those found on
him and 24 similar to the 18.

When in the prison at Hull Lawson was visited
by his wife Mrs Deeming. - she at first
told me she was his cousin, but after the visit
I questioned her when she said she was his Wife
& had four children - they were living near Liverpool

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I have seen her photograph in the hands of the Police
and although it is not a good one I recognise it as
her likeness.

I read all his letters, which were numerous and
lengthy while he was awaiting trial and I know
his writing well. - I saw a letter in the hands
of the Detective department at Melbourne and
at once recognised it as Lawsons handwriting.
During the time he was in prison he several times
feigned illness - such as fainting, having fits, losing
his sight &c and was continually applying to the
medical officer to be out of his cell, or as to some
ailment but nothing was found to be the matter
with him.

He is very sharp & cunning,
always has his wits about him and there is nothing
at all to indicate any trace of insanity - he
is thoroughly untruthful and up to every kind
of scheme and dodge

He refused to be photographed but I had him taken
by a detection camera - we however failed
to trace him in any of the English prisons,
though I was quite sure that he was an old
'prison bird' & this was the opinion of all my
officers.-

He commenced an action against the Chief
Constable of Hull for refusing to give up his
property which had been detained pending
inquires as to the contents.

Shortly before his discharge on the 16th July of
last year he wrote a letter to Miss Matheson stating
that there was no truth in the report that he was
married and that he would be able to prove that
he had neither Wife or Family very shortly after
got out of prison.

A gentleman from Bedford called to see him before
his trial and Lawson declared all through the interview
that he had never seen him before & did not know him
- that he was entirely mistaken and when shown a
letter in his own handwriting, he denied that it
was his & knew nothing about it.

He told Lawson
that he had robbed him out of thousands of pounds
& that when he got him to Johannesburg, it would
be many a year before he got away as he
would prosecute him - when Lawson replied
if I get you there you'll never get away again.
Notwithstanding his protestations that he did
not know the gentleman the following morning
he asked me to allow him to write to him as he
had remembered that this gentleman owed
him several thousands pounds and in the letter
he said if the money was not remitted within
a few days he should issue a writ.

I have this day visited the man Frederick
Deeming alias Williams in the Gaol at
Melbourne and at once identified him
as the man Harry Lawson who served
the nine months in H. M. Prison. Hull. He
stated he did not know me and intended
to answer no questions.

Henry Webster
late Governor
HM Prison
Hull

[Annotations: bottom left-hand corner]

1st April 1892
Melbourne