Faking evidence for the Russian lieutenant

Two detectives sued their client for unpaid fees - but the subsequent court case exposed their dodgy work

The 'doings' of private detectives was an issue that was often mentioned in the 19th century press. Detectives could get a bad rap; they were often not trusted because of the necessity of them trampling over people's lives, finding out personal information and - in many cases - evidence of adultery. They were also accused of faking information in order to get paid. One such case in 1878 proved, according to the press, that private detectives were shifty individuals.

Image from the Wellcome Collection

The case had really started a couple of years earlier, when former Russian army lieutenant Frederick Von Meyern had divorced his English wife, Mary Ann Ellen (nee Willis). Von Meyern had, on leaving the army, got a good job as chief clerk at the Russian Bank, but his personal life was more problematic than his career. Frederick's first wife had died in childbirth only two years after their marriage, leaving him a widower with a young daughter, Elizabeth. When Elizabeth was just one, he married Mary Ann, and the couple had several more children, born between 1850 and 1871.

However, by the middle of the decade, Frederick, who lived with his family in Lambeth, believed his 44-year-old wife had been having an affair with Joseph Myers, a former contractor. When he petitioned for divorce in 1875, he was believed. The divorce was granted, and Von Meyern won custody of his youngest son, John Joseph (the other children all being adults by this point).

As part of the divorce, Von Meyern had to pay Mary Ann £2,000 a year in maintenance. However, if it was proved that she had since slept with another man, he would be allowed to stop paying her.  Von Meyern, entirely coincidentally, had since decided he had suspicions about her 'mode of life', and so his solicitor commissioned Thomas Death and another detective named Forrester to watch Mary Ann, and find that evidence.

The 1871 census entry for Thomas Death, private detective, who was lodging at 73 Grafton Street in Mile End (TNA/TheGenealogist)

Thomas Death watched Mrs Meyern for a few days before sub-contracting the watching to a man named William Robinson. Part of the money spent was on cabs for Robinson to be able to follow Mrs Meyern; but he also had the plan of seducing her lady's maid as he regarded her as being 'easily accessible'. She needed to be bought things, such as cloaks, to be shown that he was genuine, and these things cost money. In addition, Death had to pay Robinson between five shillings and 7s 6d a day, out of the daily guinea Von Meyern was paying him.

Spending this money necessitated filing reports with valuable information back to their client. Therefore, Von Meyern received information from the detectives about his wife's movements, which included Robinson saying he had seen her and a gentleman going to a property in Camden, and into another on the Harrow Road.

He had already paid the detectives over £40, but they then claimed that they were owed another £43 for services rendered. Von Meyern insisted that the information they had passed onto him 'consisted wholly of fabrications', and had refused to pay them the £43 - in fact, he believed he was entitled to be paid back the £40 he had already given them. Death and Forrester disagreed, and took Von Meyern to court - an action that they would regret.

The 1881 census entry for 57 Westbourne Park Road, Paddington, shows Von Meyern’s ex-wife Mary Ann living there with one of their daughters, and her mother (TNA/TheGenealogist)

In court, the housekeeper at the address on Harrow Road  - the headquarters of a charity - said nobody matching Mrs Meyern had ever gone there, and it was shown that even if she had, William Robinson would have been unable to see her from where he was hiding.

Other witnesses, including Mrs Meyern's brother, George Willis, proved that she hadn't been to any of the places where Robinson claimed to have spotted her on 26 December 1877.

The jury duly stated that they believed Robinson's reports were all lies, and found in favour of Frederick Meyern. He may have got out of paying the private detectives their money, but he had to continue paying his ex-wife.