How do you do? We've dealt in this series with many kinds of criminals. Murderers, blackmailers, confidence men, but never so far as I can recollect have we considered a case of forgery. That's why we've chosen as the subject of today's program the career of one of the most notorious of British criminals. Pioneers of some new discovery in any professional art invariably gained fame. In the case of today's subject notoriety would be a better word, for there must be few who have not at some time heard the name of Jim the Penman. Our story takes place almost a hundred years ago. Scotland Yard as we know it today did not exist, but the predecessors of those scientific and relentless crime fighters that we know today fought in their own way with their own weapons the war against Jim the Penman. Here was one of the most cunning and elusive of all criminals when his true identity was revealed as one of the greatest sensations of the age. How'd you get on last night? Oh not so good. Cracked the crib, opened up the safe and there wasn't more than ten pound in gold. Ten pound for three months worth. Well didn't you get anything else? Only some blank checks on Barclays Bank and a few old cancel checks. Well what can I do with that? Listen Charlie, have you ever heard of Jim the Penman? Of course I have, but how's it going to help me? You just leave it to me. So he's got two checks and these cancelled ones. Here, I borrowed them, take a look. Yes, we might do something. All these are on the account of Mr. Charles Eaton of Brick Lane Spittlefields. Who's Mr. Eaton? Well he's an ironmonger. Got a nice little business I should say. Plenty of money in the bank, eh? Yes, but how much money? I think we'll go and take a look at Mr. Eaton's premises. Come along my friend, I always believe in making sure. There, first shop on the right. Let's take a closer look. And that gives you some idea of the care with which Jim the Penman would handle every little job he undertook. But that was only the beginning in this particular case. Having inspected the premises, Jim the Penman then extended a little bait. He took one of the two blank checks and made it out for the small sum of twenty pounds. The other he made out for a much larger sum. And then went and cashed them. Oh no, Master Jim was no fool. This is what he did. Now Charlie, I want you to get a hold of somebody you can trust. Somebody who doesn't know me and who can be relied upon. All right Jim, what do I have to tell him? Simply this. He's got to go to the bank and cash this check. The first check for twenty pounds. Do I go with him? No, you just follow him. You needn't even let him know he's being followed. Keep an eye on him. Collect the money, give him a guinea for his trouble and come back to me. Suppose he doesn't get away with it? Come to me as quickly as possible. Warn me and then disappear. You're a sharp one Jim. But suppose I collect the money and then disappear. It would be rather a shame wouldn't it? Particularly as I have the larger check to cash all for myself. You're certainly a sharp one Jim. A real sharp one. Everything went perfectly to plan. The first check was cashed successfully and Charlie went back to Jim. Good work. Well now I think we'd be safe to try the large check. I'll get hold of my pal again. No, no you don't. This time we've got to be really careful. You mean I'll have to find somebody new? Maybe I could cash it myself. Maybe you could, but you won't. I'm going to pick somebody this time. What about me? You follow him and see that everything goes all right. I don't see why you can't trust me. But this was typical of Jim the peddler's caution. Not only did he plant a fresh confederate to cash the large check, not only did he put Charlie to watch this man, but to make thoroughly sure he put someone else on to watch Charlie. Thus Jim the peddler applied his trade. How would you imagine he was finally caught? Careless forgery? Oh no. As so often happens in crime, the ultimate step which cost him his freedom had nothing whatever to do with his actual forging. It was all due to a faulty memory. Let me show you what happened. The scene is the office of Barclay's Bank in Yarmouth. A well-dressed middle-aged man has entered the bank and is talking to one of the clerks. Good morning. Good morning, sir. I've come to collect some money which has been remitted here. Oh yes, sir. What is the name? Ralph. James Ralph. It's a draft for 250 pounds. It was lodged with the oil ombudsman Brunches. It was arranged that it could be withdrawn here. Very good, sir. I'll just make inquiries. Would you wait a moment? Oh, sure. I shan't be long. I'll just look through the file. Perhaps you'll take a seat, sir. Well, sir, it's quite true that a sum of 250 pounds has been transferred to the bank and we are instructed to pay it out. That's right. It was lodged by Mr. Whitney in London. Yes, that's true. And he's given instructions that we have to pay it to him. Well, that's all right. But you don't understand, sir. Of course I understand. I paid the money in myself. But you are Mr. Ralph. Oh, there's been some mistake. I'll get in touch with London. I'll come in to see you later. Very good, Mr. Ralph. The traffic bar to his bank called it over. I'm feeling there was something suspicious. I spoke to the manager. The manager made inquiries and found that in Yarmouth and its vicinity there had been several cases of the passing of forged checks. The police were informed and Mr. Ralph, alias Mr. Whitney, whose real name was actually Hardwick, was arrested. And the joke of it all was that Hardwick, call him Whitney or Ralph or what you will, had actually lodged 250 pounds with Barclays Bank in London. Yes, it had been another of the astute ideas of Jim the Penman. The plan was that the money should be put to the credit of Hardwick in Yarmouth so as to build up an appearance of prosperity. In other words, to draw away suspicion from Hardwick. Hardwick himself, posing as Whitney, had lodged the money in London with the intention of drawing it at Yarmouth. Unfortunately, during his career in crime, Hardwick had used so many aliases that he'd forgotten the right name. Such is fate. And now the hunt was on. In the lodgings of Hardwick at Yarmouth, the police came across a letter. It was in a strange handwriting and read as follows. My dear friend, I did not write on Saturday because I expected today to have been able to have rectified your unfortunate mistake. Mr. Roberts attended again this morning at Barclays to have their determination under the circumstances. It is this. The letter was written on Saturday. The letter was written on Saturday. The letter was written on Saturday. The letter was written on Saturday. And we have to have our determination under the circumstances. It is this, that Mr. Whitney must attend himself at Barclays and explain the matter and sign a fresh note with his name, the same as he signed the paying note. They will then send the fresh note as instructions to pay James wealth. May you not move further in other matters until this is arranged. I beg of you not to do so. I can see through a brick wall sometimes. I see through one now. Be guided by me if I am generally secure by caution. London make no other move your faithful friend Jay signed with the letter J J Jim the letter which had been discovered by the police in hardwick's lodgings revealed something of the character of Jim the penman if he was the mysterious J I'm pretty sure it is Jim the penman it's an educated letter for the letter of a man who's learned to be careful and is clever enough to take precautions the sort of precautions which we know the penman is in the habit of taking and the thing is it probably Jim the penman is a perfectly ordinary life prosperous well-to-do with nobody's inspecting his real identity I wonder what he's doing now nothing but you look one is it one of your cases in a way I think it's a sad profession being a lawyer not only have your own worries but all the worries of your clients as well which one is it this time Jim so it's a friend of mine he's down at the armor what's the matter with that's just the trouble I don't know I wrote him last week and I've not heard from him perhaps he's ill he could have sent word I know why don't you go down to your machine the fresh air would do you good and you could see your friend and find out what the matter that's quite a good idea police so far had only this one letter no address no contact nothing and hardwick believed in the thieves honor refused to talk at the armistice the inspector in charge of the case had reached a dead end let's look at the case from a different angle we can't find Jim the penman and we're worried about it but surely he must be worried too no word from hardwick no news what would he do he'd be cautious of course he'd try and make contact with somebody who knew hardly who does know hard wicking yarmouth I mean oh I don't really know that anyone knows him sir just a stranger wait a bit though after he was arrested a lady come to see him at the police station cousin I think it was some relative anyway where does she live I don't know but she come again and brought some food maybe she'll come again to see him tomorrow well if she does I'd like a word with her and sure enough the lady came on the morrow the inspector had her brought into his room I don't get worried I'm not going to eat you I hope you're not sir I don't think I haven't seen my poor cousin for 10 years until he came to yarmouth last week and why do you think he came to see you then sure I don't know not a cousin's love I wanted that maybe he wanted to use me for something that's what I was thinking but I'm not give evidence against him he's my cousin after all yes of course have you any other relatives yes several more but no more on my cousin side did your cousin have many friends I don't think so he has one though he hasn't been to see him not in person I mean no he came to collect his things came all the way from London did you know he just came to pick up any letters and personal belongings you see my cousin had arranged to receive his letters through me it was just a convenience and this friend of his has he gone back to London yes I think so I don't know his address or anything well perhaps you could describe him to me an educated man he was no side about him though real nice he said call me Jim nothing else this was confirmation that J was Jim the penman but with his usual caution the penman had left no trail however there was one witness who could identify if the police could ever lay their hands on this elusive master criminal meantime the case against Hardwick was brought to judgment it was obvious that he was not the principal culprit for the forgeries which had taken place at Yarmouth but there was enough evidence to convict him and in those days the law was harsh to such men as he I am called upon to pass sentence upon you and for the reasons that I have assigned it is impossible for me to stop short of the utmost limits to which the law permits the punishments to proceed I therefore pass sentence upon you of transportation for life Hardwick was now in the position of serving the harshest sentence he knew that whatever else was revealed he could receive no stern a punishment and that by turning King's evidence he might conceivably receive a remission of part of his sentence the temptation was too great he gave way all right I'll tell you it's Jim the penman you want and I'm the man who can tell you the laugh is that all you policemen you lawyers and all the rest of you never knew that the reason that Jim is so clever is that he is a man of the law himself what do you mean Jim the penman he's a barrister why I'm telling you the truth and there are a few men who know it his real name is say what I found it out never mind how you can be sure he never told me you prepared to make a sworn statement it'll do any good I'm prepared to do anything James Townsend say word alias Jim the penman was a man of good birth and education the barrister who enjoyed some minor successes the police acted quickly what do you want I have here a warrant for the arrest of James Townsend say what he's not here a warrant what's he done never mind that now where is he and who are you I'm his wife where he is the Lord only knows he went away a week ago and I've not seen him since he's never done this before where can he be that's what we'd like to know man then man had disappeared with a cunning that was characteristic of him somewhere among the teeming multitudes of London he'd lost his identity and had gone into hiding but this time the penman was not so fortunate thieves like rats are the first to desert a sinking ship and soon the news went round the gym the penman no longer had the charm touch hello I think I'd see you here what do you mean who are you my name is not Jim Bill Hopkins that's my name be Lord Jim I know your face man come over here in the corner you can't fool me I've heard about our week and the police been after you man well what is it you want I want you to find a man to go and cash it let me see hey what it's a good one if it's your work I know it's good the question is how good what you mean I'm taking no risks the police are after you and if I get caught with this check they'd have me too but we've made money together you made money my share was never much this time mr. pendant you're on your own don't forget you're on your own that's right sir I seen him in a coffee house in John Street just off Oxford Street what name was he using Hopkins Bill Hopkins you come along with me have you seen a friend of mine Bill Hopkins recently well if you see him just tell him I'm looking for him with him what name shall I give no name just tell him a friend is looking for him but the police were no fools they didn't bow to trick from Jim the penman you remember how when he was cashing a force check he'd always plant a man to watch over his Confederate when the inspector had walked into the public house he knew that among the customers there was a police spy inspector had not been gone more than a few minutes and a barmaid was seen to go through to the back of the public house to enter a small room the spy gave a signal inspector rushed into the pub together with two other men first open the door mr. Hopkins I've been looking for you my name's not Hopkins I don't think it is it's say would you're all together right I think we're all together right do you know a man called Hardwick never heard of him only man searching let go of me here we are sir two chicks two blank chicks oh all right I suppose it's no use holding out any longer I am Jim Sayward you
