The Daily Cincinnati Republican, And Commercial Register

The details of a most curious charge of extortion and outrage on the person of a solicitor, are given in the late English papers.

It appears that a Mr. Gee had been retained by the executors of a widow lady named Canning, for the transacting of her professional business, and the safe investment of her property; it appears he had invested all of the sum lodged in his hands with the exception of 800, which were still at his disposal.

About that time he received a letter from an individual, who wished to consult with him respecting some business, and specified a certain hotel, or porter house, as the place of meeting. The solicitor repaired, at the appointed hour, to the spot, when he met a young man who handed him a letter, stating the inability of the gentleman to come, from indisposition; but the attendance of Mr. Gee at his house was earnestly desired, sending a coach at the same time.

The gentleman, unconscious of any design, seated himself in the coach, and was driven to a house in Commercial road, where he was ushered in by the young man who had attended him. On entering, he met a second person, who stated the gentleman was in the kitchen, at breakfast, where he hoped he would have no objection to enter. By this time the door was closed, and the coach discharged, when the gentleman was unceremoniously seized, and dragged by the three persons into a back kitchen, and from thence to a kind of den, where he was chained to a seat, and his feet to the floor.

When in this situation, they demanded a check for £800, and all the invested property of the widow. Seeing it useless to oppose their desires, and fearful that they would murder him, he complied—one of them representing himself as the brother of the widow.

After this, Mr. Gee was left alone, when, by dint of exertions, and continued efforts, he succeeded in releasing himself, and made his escape, after jumping several garden walls, when he repaired to the police, and lodged a complaint. At the time of his escape, he saw two of the men in the front parlor at dinner.

Two officers were despatched, and on arriving there, they discovered the house entirely forsaken, and divested of furniture, and were obliged to force an entrance. On going into the back kitchen they discovered a place of about five feet long, partitioned off with boards of uncommon strength with a seat resembling that of a water-closet, and about a foot from this seat was a strong piece of timber, extending from side to side, and in the centre of this was a large and heavy piece of chain, made fast at one side by a strong swivel, and the other by a large bolt and padlock. There was also made fast to the floor at the bottom of the seat, a strong bar of wood, through two swivels, in which two long pieces of sash line passed, for fastening the feet.

It was also found that this place, which had evidently been fitted up for the purpose, as there was a water-closet on the premises, was covered up with an immense quantity of earth, carried from the garden, for the purpose of preventing the cries for assistance being heard by the neighbors; and, in fact, it would be as likely to hear the voice of a person in a covered grave, as to hear it from this most extraordinary dungeon.

It was no doubt their intention to have let him end his existence by starvation, fearful of the punishment which would be the result of their crime. It appears the house had been hired but a few days before the occurrence, and they must have been untiring in their efforts to finish the cell.

The most extraordinary part was that of the persons who were afterwards arrested and recognised as the individuals, the principal, who planned the affair, was perfectly blind. It appears he had married the widow some weeks previously, and had adopted this method to gain possession of the property, in consequence of a clause in the will, by which the property was inherited from her husband, which only granted her a life interest.

She is represented as a well-educated and well-dressed woman. She fainted during her examination. The prisoners were all remanded. The affair had created considerable excitement, a fact of the kind never having been known but in one instance, which had taken place about thirty years ago.