Mr. Hill had kept a list of his notes in Chandler’s handwriting, which Chandler was anxious to recover when he got back, in order, as he said, to stop payment of them at the banks. His real object was to alter the numbers of three notes of Hoare’s, all of which he wished to cash and use, and he effected this by having a fresh list made out in which these notes were given new and false numbers. Thus the notes with the real numbers would not be stopped on presentation. He did it cleverly, changing 102 to 112, 195 to 159, 196 to 190, variations so slight as to pass unnoticed by Mr. Hill when the list as copied was returned to him. These three notes were cashed and eventually traced back to Chandler. Further, it was clearly proved that he had got those notes at Hoare’s in exchange for the £200 note, for that note presently came back to Hoare’s through a gentleman who had received it in part payment for a captain’s commission of dragoons, and it was then seen that it had been originally received from Chandler.
While Mr. Wise was engaged in these inquiries the trial of Chandler’s case against the Hundred came on at Abingdon assizes in June, and a verdict was given in his favour for £975, chiefly because Mr. Hill was associated with the mortgage, and he was held a person of good repute. But a point of law was reserved, for Chandler had omitted to give a full description of the notes, as required by statute, when advertising his loss.
But now Chandler disappeared. He thought the point of law would go against him; that the mortgagee would press for the return of the £500 which he had recovered from the Hundred; that his master, Mr. Hill, had now strong doubts of his good faith. The first of these fears was verified; on argument of the point of law the Abingdon verdict was set aside. There was good cause for Chandler’s other fears also. News now came of the great bulk of the other notes; they reached the bank from Amsterdam through brokers named Solomons, who had bought them from one “John Smith,” a person answering to the description of Chandler, who in signing the receipt “wrote his name as if it had been wrote with a skewer.” The indefatigable Mr. Wise presently found that Chandler had been in Holland with a trader named Casson, and then unearthed Casson himself.
All this time Mr. Hill was in indirect communication with Chandler, writing letters to him by name “at Easton in Suffolk, to be left for him at the Crown at Ardley, near Colchester, in Essex.” Thither Mr. Wise followed him, accompanied by the mortgagee, Mr. Winter, and the “Holland trader,” Mr. Casson, who was ready to identify Chandler. They reached the Crown at Ardley, and actually saw a letter “stuck behind the plates of the dresser,” awaiting Chandler, who rode in once a fortnight, from a distance, for “his mare seemed always to be very hard rid.” There was nothing known of a place called Easton; but Aston and Assington were both suggested to the eastward, and in search of them Mr. Wise with his friends rode through Ipswich as far as Southwold, and there found Easton, “a place washed by the sea,” where he halted, “being thus pretty sure of going no farther eastward.” But the scent was false, and although they ran down a young man whom they proposed to arrest with the assistance of “three
fellows from the Keys, who appeared to be smugglers, for they were pretty much maimed and scarred,” the person was clearly not Chandler. So, finding they had been “running the wrong hare,” they “trailed very coolly all the way back to Ipswich.”
Travelling homeward, they halted a night at Colchester, and called at an inn, the Three Crowns, or the Three Cups, where Chandler had been seen a few months before. Here, as a fact, after overrunning their game near fourscore miles, “they got back to the very form,” yet even now they lost their hare. This inn was kept by Chandler himself, in partnership with his brother-in-law, who naturally would not betray him, and carefully concealed the fact that Chandler was at that very time in the house.
After this Chandler thought Colchester “a very improper place for him to continue long in.” There were writs out against him in Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk, so he sold off his goods and moved to another inn at Coventry, where he set up at the sign of the Golden Dragon under the name of John Smith. Now, still fearing arrest, he thought to buy off Winter, the mortgagee, by repaying him something, and sent him £130. But Winter was bitter against him, and writs were taken out for Warwickshire. Chandler had in some way secured the protection of Lord Willoughby de Broke; he had also made friends with the constables of Coventry, and it was not easy to compass his arrest. But at last he was taken and lodged in the town gaol. Two years had been occupied in this pertinacious pursuit, prolonged by trials, arguments, journeyings to and fro, and Mr. Wise was greatly complimented upon his zeal and presented with a handsome testimonial.
Chandler, who was supposed to have planned the whole affair with the idea of becoming possessed of a considerable sum in ready money, was found guilty of perjury, and was sentenced to be put in the pillory next market day at Reading from twelve to one, and afterwards to be transported for seven years.