Star. — London, England, 1806-04-21 00:00:00

DURLIN CASTLE, APRIL t 6. His Majefiy has been pleafed, by his Royal Letters I Parent under the Great Seal of Ireland, to coollitute and appoint the Right Hon. WIS. WINDHAM, Bantu Gasavnts. the Right Hon. Sir Jolla Nil/POUT ' Ban. Chancellor of his Majefly's Exchequer in Ire land for the time being ; the Right Hon, WILLIAM Etador, Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, or the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieute nanrof Ireland for the time being, or in the abfenee of the Paid Chief Secretary, the under Secretary for the time being for the Civil Department of the Paid Chief Secretary's office ; the Right Hon. Manatee FITZOIRALLI I the Right Hon. Sir Lauattica PAR SONS ; WILLIAM BURTON, HINRY P , and C O'Hmia. Efqrs. to be Commiffioners for f executing the office of Treafurer of his Majefly's Ex chequer in Ireland. 1)u•: a, APRIL 17...—Mr. JOSIN BALL, it is laid, .ii be appointed to the office of King's Seujeant, , vacant by the death of Sir Janie CHATTRILTON. A general removal has taken place in the Ord :lance Department: Mr. M'Maaox is appointed Counfel. and Mr. T. ILIMMIS. A gent to the Board, in the room of Mr. VICARS and Mr. L. H. TI1014•8 ; Major Ar.stm retires from the Office of Treafurer b i auntie fuceeeded by sew Amuses, Efil. Mr. C. Oansar, whole office of Counfel to the Commiffioners of the Revenue is to be filled by Mr. P. Butte:owes, goes out to India as Chief 'lattice of Fab-Penang (or Prince of Wales's Med) with a falary of 40001. per annum. - A. number of forgeries of Twenty Shilling and Thirty Shilling Notes on the Lurgan Beek have lately snade their appearance, which feem to be very well executed, and a let of women are indufirioufly cir culating them. On Thurfday morning, between the hours of two find three o'clock, a moil alarming fire broke out in the "Concerns of Mars. Timothy and Daniel Egan, oaf lames's fireet, brewers, which raged with great trio ence ; the flames were confined to the malt houfe stud itores, which were entirely confumed. The fire *as prevettted fpreading to the adjacent buildings. OLD adair. Saturday 47.4, Rieitard Waller Cbrigoper Dodd:, Timmy Rorbefirr, and ROA:fa frafier, were capitally ' indicted in leveret counts, charging them with Forging and ,PablifhingaWill, purporting to be that of Major Ric main Hawaii's, of the Royal Corps of Engineers, arils intnnt to defraud the legal Heirs of the deceafed. , The Prifoners.had been brought up for trial lad Seffions ; but, on petitioning the Court for delay, on, the ground that their principal witneffes, having to come from the Viands of Guernfey and Jerfey, had not yet arrived in town, their trial was poftponed till theft Salons. Mr, Goalies , , on the part of the profecution, opted the cafe in a fpecch of great length and ability. Itiajeir Hankin,. he dated to have been a Gentleman of great reflaadabiiity in the army, who in the courfe of his profeffson, had lived tome time in the Ifland of sernrey, where the prifoner, G. R.Walker, had alto refided as a Merchant, and was confidered as a man of tome property and refpeetability. On the Sib if April, tdoe. the Major had left London for Trini aid, and In October following, accounts had been brcrugist Irene of his death ; and no will having been (mind *tong his papers his brother had ap peared to be feint' m heir to his property. This ad tnindlratioo, however, had been impeded by the will mrdion, prodpeed on the part of the prifoner, George R. Walker, of which he pretended to be iesecutor ; and a fuit had been commenced at Doc tor's Commons for the purpofe of having the will probated, accompanied with an affidavit by the laid George Walker, and afterwards followed up by the depofitions of the other prifoners at the bar, wisofe names appeared as witneffes to the laid will. From the names of the legatee and executor of this will, the relatives of Major Hawkins were convinced that it mull be a forgery, being completely ignorant of day tonnedion having fubfided between the Major and the raid perfons. On this ground, in conjundlion with other thong circumflances, he hoped to make good the charge to the Jury. Major Hawkins having lived on the ifland of Guernfey, might have been ac quainted with the prifoner Walker; bu t he woul d prove from depofitions of perfons of the firft refpellability, who had beets long acquainted with the Major, and (erred in the corps with him, that the fignature of this pretended will was not the hand writing of Major Hawkins, though it bore fume diftant refem blance to it. Another circutoftance that ought to have g reat weight with the Jury, was, that the ter tator in this will was defignated Major of his Ma jetty's Royal Corps of Engineers, whereas that corps was only defignated the Royal Corps of Engineers. and there was betides no Officer in that corps of fuch defeription. Major Hawkins had been uniformly a correct man, particularly in writing, and it was by no means probable that he would either himfelf have committed fuch an error, Cr have allowed it in others, in a matter of fo much importance. He had been We in the habit of writing much liimfelf, and did not even admit an amanuenfis where it was ufual for gentlemen in his fituation to do fo, and it was there fore extremely improbable, that in a matter of fuch confequence as his will, be would refort while in good health to any other perfon for this purpofe. He had lived alto on the heft terms with his brother and Isis family, which confided of two Cons and a daughter, and was fo much attached to one of the font, that be bad taken particular intereft in his education and eftablilliment in life. 'The perfons, betides, to whom this will had been entruned, he would not only ;stove to have been unknown to the Major., but even to have had no evidence except in the per fons of the prifoner and his wife who had a (fumed a feigned name for the purpofe. Nor had any perfon ever been found of the name of the pre ended legatee , except the mother of the prifuner, wiik had, notwith. handing, never yet alledged that the was the objets of the Major's bounty. In cafes of this kind the ter timony of an accomplice, he admitted, was to be cap tinaly admitted, but he had a witnefs to produce of rlii. defctiption, who had been partly involved in the roof - piracy, but whore evidence, corroborated by other eircumflances, was fo &nog that it could not fail, t.e was confident, to make a ftrong irnpteuion on the Jury. Should the Jury be convinced ef the guilt of the prifoners, he had no doubt that _Office would ,area (kW to a proper verdict. Thc crime was of the firfl magnitude, as one of the greed bleffingst. civil.zed fociety, was the fecurity and confidence with which we were enabled to tranfmit our property to thofe who were allied to us by blood or affetlion He had no need to point out the dangerous tendency of a pradice calculated , to deftroy this feeurity of the value, of which every man Dula be fenfible front the feelings of his own bofom. Several witneffes from the Prerogative Office were examined, who proved that they received the will in queßion from the houfe of Melts. Kerr and Vanhe thuyfon, Solicitors, and had received ioftrudions from Mr. Burton refpeding it. Mr. Burton depofed, that he lira faw the will is September when he received it from Mr. Van hethuyfon—has feen Dodds, and thinks he has feen Richard Walker, as fubfcribers to the will—had re received a letter from G. R. Walker to prepare elle , gationein fupport of the will, from infirudions afford ed by the Paid G. R. Walker. Some of thofe intiruc tions 'were written, but others were verbal.. Of the written initruitions one was by Dodds, another G. R. Walker, and another by Rochetler. He had &ears the allegations when prepared to G. R. Walket, who approved of them. Mr. Vanhethuyfon depofed, that the will hid been left at their office by Mr. Walker, and had remained there a confiderable time under cover ; had met with Mr. Walker by appointment, but recollected no es marks having been made on the will at they did bufinefs for Walker, who when not in,towek refided in Guernfey ; be had always looked on Mr. Walker as an hone& man. Mr. Kerr knew Mr. Walker, but had never cone verfed with 'him on the fubjedi of the will t he was in the country at the time, and did not fee Walker till after the will had been taken to the Prerogative Office. Mr. H. Stevens, of Do ton' Conmpons, faw the prifoners on the I 7th of June, I 805, in rapport of the will, all except R. Walker, whom he did not recoi led having feen. Mr. Jennings, Prodor and Examiner in the Pre rogative Court, being examined refpeding the depo. fawns taken at Dodors' Commons, hefitated to an. fwer, as the queßion in Doctors' Commons was yet pending. Mr. Garatow, on the part of the prifoners, here interfered, and a long converfation 'enfued refpeding the propriety of producing the depofitirns taken at Dodoes' Commons, as the queßion there was yet no. determined, and the whole evidence of courfe taken there being as yet imperfcd, declarations might be withdrawn, and new allegations fubmitted in theft room. The obj eaion, however, was over-ruled by the Court, and the witnefs Rated that he had the 'WI and had taken the evidence, which, with the affidavit and allegations, together with the ;lineations of Dodds, R. Walker, and Rochefier, were delivered to the Court. Major Rowley was then called, who was a Major in the fame corps of engineers with the deceafed. He was well acquainted with the deceafed, who, though a Major by Brevet in the armyewas like himfelf only a Captain in that Corps. The deceafed quitted Eng land for Trinidad in April 1803. He had died at Trinidad on the t of July of the fame year. Having received the official report of his death early in oao ber, he had fearched his papers in the bottle of Mrs. Bethnel, where the Major had lodged previoufly to his going abroad, but found no Will. in Anna he received a letter from Walker the prifoner, by which he was informed for the firli time that the Major had left a will previoutly to his going abroad. He had been acquainted with the deceafed fince 1787 —knew bit brother and two nephews, with whom he always underftocd the deceafed to have been on good terms. The deceafed had interefted himfelf lady in behalf of one of his nephews, who was a Lien. tenant in the army, and he had reafon to believe his affedlion continued unabated, when the Major left England for Trinidad. The Major was art accurate man to a great degree, and he had never lien a paper figned by him that was not written alto by himfelf, whether official or other wife. There was no fuch rank as Major in the Corps of Engineers. He was well ac quainted with the deceafed's ltand.writing. (Here the will was handed to the witnefs, of which having examined the fignature, he declared that he did not believe it to be that of Major Hawkins.) He did not know any fuch perfon as Elizabeth Hinde, the legatee in this will, and never had heard the Major (peak of any loch perfon. He did not know him to have been acquainted with any body of the name of Browning, nor did he know that he was acquainted with G. R. Walker. The Major, hosiever, had been in Guernfey from 93 to 98, and might have met with Walker there. _ _ General Mofs corroborated the foregoing tellimo try ; and farther flared, that an application had been made to him by Robert Eddington and R. Walker, for the purpofe of difelofing to him the bufinefs re floating the will. Little, however, had been Paid on the firbjeft in prefence of Walker, whom Eddington had brought to him to make the difclofure. He had made a fecond appointment, but it was not kept. General Twift bore teftimony to the punctuality of the decestfed, and did not believe the fignature to the will to he hit. _ _ _ _ _ _ Sir W. Green, and W. Ten, E. of the Ordnance Office in the Tower, gave evidence to the fame effeet, from a long and intimate acquaintance with the de ceafed. Mr. R. Hawkins, nephew of the deceafed, Rated the family of his uncle confined of a woman with whom he lived, who had a child to him ; of a bro ther, father to the witnefs ; a nephew and a niece, betides himfclf. He never knew a perfon of the name of Elizabeth Hinde, and never heard his uncle mention the Malt of the executor in this will. The affidavit was here read, and the fignature proved to be the hand writing of G. It. Walker by the teftimony of Robert Eddington, who had often fern him write. The innrunions figned by the other three pa*. ners were alto produced, when the hand writing of Dodds and Roche fter were fworn to by the fame witnefs ; butt he csuuld not fwear to R. Walker's hand writing, having never feen him write but once. The envelope was alto produced that contained the will, and was proved to be the hand writing of the prifoner George R. Walker. • • The will was then read, leaving an annuity of 301. to Mrs. Bethnel, with whom the Major had lived, and a legacy of wool. to her natural daughter by the de ceafed, bequeathing all hit other property, perfonal . • • or real; td Elizabeth Hinde. Tbc affidavit was alto read, with, the initrullions figned by the prifoners, Dodds, Rncheller, and Walker. They an agreed in the fame Retry, that having met , aceidentally at the honfe of a William Browning, in Darti 4 .outh•ltreet, Wellminfter, they bad there feen the• Major, and had been requened by him to be witneffes to his fignature of hi. will along with Mrs: Browning. The affidavit further Hated, that the will was deli*ered to Mrs. Browning, with a charge not to produce it, till be (the Major) fhould return, or till the fhould hear an account of his death. Mrs. Elizabeth Scudder depofed, that the lived in Dartmnuth•llreet, Wellmintler. In July, 1803, the prifoner, G. Walker, with his wife, came to lodge in her hr•ufe, and continued fix or (even weeks, going by the names of Mr. and Mrs. Browning. Mr. Browning was deaf, and ufed a trumpet. Mrs. Woodford .lived is Brook-fireet, Fitzroy fquare, in 5804 A woman then lived with her of the name of Browning, and a percent who was deaf, whom the believed to be the. prifoner, afterwards joined this woman, when they appeared to live toge ther as man and wife. Mr. Hines lodged in the fame houfe, and corrobo rated the ilatement. The next *knee, Eddington, who had been privy to all the tranfaaions of the prifoner, and was a mo lt material witnef. in this cafe, bad known the prifoner many years. He was employed by Government at Guernfey, to fupply the different garrifons with coals, tke..and witnefs was then his (errant. In July rgos., he received a letter (the prifoner Rochefter being then out of Walker's employ) to call On him (Rochetter) in Wellclofe fquare, at his houfe. Witnefs did fa. He was not at home, but a letter was left for him, with one inclofed for G. Walker, for him to convey to hissild mailer, in which he was not to fail. Witnefs delivered the letter to the woman who lived with Walker as his wife, who called herfelf Mrs. Brown ing. He was informed by Rochefter, on his return to hie honfe in Wellclnfe-fquare, that an old intimate friend of Walker's had died at Trinidad, and there was only one fubfcribing witnefs to the will, a Mrs. Browning, who had left the country, in confequence of an altercation refpeting family matters. Two more vritneffes were aeceffary. and Mr. Walker had known him long, and he of courfe would have no ebjeaion to become a fubfcribing witnefs. The will was a good one, G. Walker was executor, and no evil could an from his fignature. An appointment was made for a meeting between G. Walker and witnefs, at the Circus Coffee houfe, St. George's Fields, where witnefs found Walker and a man o( the name of Godfon in waiting, who was one of Walker's clerks. Walker was deaf, and they com municated together on flips of paper, which were burned ; Walker affured witnefs there was no danger in figning, and they agreed to meet and dine the next day at the houfe of Rochafter. After dinner, Ro chefter beckoned wieners up (lairs, and placed a paper in his hand, which was the will in queftion. Wit nefs failed, and obferved, the ink was not yet dry. Rochefier advifed him to film under the name of browning, Paying, he bad been promifed soot. to do fn. and Walker would give him, the witnefs, tool. and five guineas to do the fame. Wirnefs palitively re• laid. He law Rochefter again the next day, who informed him the will he had leen was only a copy of the original. Saw Dodds, who was an attorney's clerk, the following day, and acquainted him with what hid happened. Dodds begged to be introduced to the parties, for he had teen many good wills. and was a complete judge of them. It was difficult to prove a will at Dodoes Commons for want of wit neffes. Witnefs apprifed Rochefter of what had pallid, and an interview was the confequence be tween him and the prifoner Dodds. Richard Walker, the other prifoner, was heard of, and introduced to the parties by Dodds. at the Saracen's Head, Snow hill. Dodds was hired to get another fubfcribing witnefs to the will, by Rochefter. Rochefter accufed witnefs with having grange ideas refpeEling the will, and danger of figning it. which he again obferved was only a copy. Mrs. Browning contended that fhe was she widow of a Captain. The will was again produced in the pretence of witnefs, and Dodd. took It to the window, and looked at the water mark ; he Paid that a man fhould not have to do with fuck things without having had experience. The water mark appeared to him to be plaufible. Ann Eddington.--I am the wife of the laft witnefs. I knew all the four prifnners. lam acquainted with Mr. George Richard Walker, and have been fome years. With Mr. Dodds, but lately. I lived with my hufband in the year 1804, in. Pitt-greet. Tottenham Court Road. I remember Mr. George Richard Walker calling on my hufband. I never heard Mr. Walker (peaking of the will. My firtt becoming acquainted ' with the prifoner Dodds, was not until then. I heard Mr. Dodds (peaking to my hufband about the I Mr. Dodds always thought it was a good will, and was very lorry Mr. Eddington had reprefented it to be any thing elle. I heard Dick Walker fay, he wanted very much to call on General Mots. He felt himfelf uneafy ; it was what Mr. Eddington repre fented of him, which he was uneafy about. He made an engagement to go to General Mors. Dodds Paid, he wifked he had been informed of their going to General Mors, that he might have a (hereof tt, mean ing the money he might get from General Mors for difclofing, for that he might have made every man of them by at. It was a very good will. I think Mr. Dodds mentioned fome money, add he Paid he could have made them all, had they taken him by the hand. Crnfs-examined by Mr. GARROW—She laid Dodd. and Dick Walker always confidered the will good, and upbraided her hufband for having reprefented the contrary. " I remember Dick Walker Paid, if he had , any doubt of it, he would not have figned it for a elsouland pounds, and he felt himfelf very unhappy that it had been fpread abroad that a doubt was en tertained of it. I have heard my buflund talk a great deal of the meeting before the Magittrates, and 1 believe of their giving him leave to go and fetch his papers. He had a valt number of papers, but what they contained I cannot tell He had not them all with him at the firtt time he was at the poi cc office, and he came home for fomething more than he had then. He came home for hi, papas more than once or twice. Mr. Lambert Wocd--'• I live at No. 6, Pitt-flreet, Totter.hain.court-road, and lived there in the year tBc4.; in the fummer or ;mom° of that year, Ed. tlington and his wife came to lodge in my bottle.— They lodged to the belt ofrny recollation till the sd • of January, tScs. Mr. Dodds I have a perfea raw collettion of ; the other Gentleman it Mr. George ti Ricard Walker. r think he had much darker hair then, but I believe his features to be the fame. lam not clear at to him. One perfon came once in the name of Walker, I am not lure it was that perfon, Dick Walker, they both came, but only one of them left ft memorandum in writing ; they enquired for Eddington, and I !hewed them up !lairs. ThotnasGatfon—l was formerly clerk to Ms. Wa lker, in the ifland of Guer nfey. I remember, ill Sep tember, 1804, being with Mr. Walk-r, at the Circus Cnffee•huufe in St. George's•fields, and I remember Mr. Eddington- fitting with Mr. Walker there; thfli eonverfed together nn paper, the paper, I believe. was torn afterwards. In the fpring of 1805, 1 was em ployed by Mr. Walker to coiled evidence refpeCting this will. In March t Bos, I received direftions from him to gn to Dartmouth ftreet, Weffini»lter, to en., quire for a perfon of the name of Browning. I have not the papers which he gave me ; this is his writing I believe—,(looking at a paper put into his hand)— , Mr. and Mrs. Browning lodged at No. 28, Dart mouth-fired, Wefiminfter, March 28, 1803. This was given to me in March. iflor, though dated in :803. I received from Mr. Walker this letter.—Mr. Gurney laid, that the feeond poftfeript of it only ap plied to this tranfaaion. It was this : '4 Yon will elk Mr. Barton, Proftor, in Doftors' Commons. whether the papers are ready for Mrs. Browning to be called for, as I am to write if they are ready to be fent to Ireland ;" 'finding to the neceffary 'papers in fupport of the will in Donors' Commons, adding, 11 you will mot fail to inform Mr. Walker, when Richard Walker has been finally examined —Mr. Burton will inform you of it;' alluding to the depofitions of Dick Walker, in fupport of the due execution of the will.—The witnefs proved his having received another letter alfo from Mr. Walker, alfo dated the Bth of May, the former being the 6th, from Guernfey, alluring him there was (Itch a rank es Major of his Majefty's Royal Engineers at Guern fey, and that thofe who doubted it were under a mis take, although it was a brevet rank. This was to do away tome filfpicions which began to be enter tained of the senuinenefi of the will on account of the miftlefeription of Major Hawkins, becaufe his rank as an Officer of Engineers was incorreitly Rated, there being in reality no fuch title as his Majefly's Royal Engineers, but Royal Engineers. In the next place, his title of Major was only brevet rank; his real defcription in the corps was that of Captain only. The Letter then contained an allufion as to what Mrs. Browning was, he finding that it began to be fufpe&- ed that She was Mrs. Walker in reality. " Should any one afk of Mrs. Walker, you had heft not fay any thing refpeftins my (mind marriage, as I have ftrong reafons for it; it is not neeeffary to anfwer any queftions of that kind, to fatisfy the curioSity of im pertinent people." Mr. William Vafey.—l know Mr. , Walker, of Guernfey, Mr. Rochefter, and Mr. Dodds. I law them at the Saracen's Head, Snow-hill, in the year 1804, together—the place where Eddington had Paid they converted together on the fubjed of the will, Mr. Eddington was in company with them. On the iv!' of Auguft I law Eddington, Walker, and Rochefter together; they conveifed, but in what manner I do not know. Crofs-examinecl by Mr. Geeanw,—The witne& .laid—" I have known Mr. George Richard Walker many years, he was perfeftly refpeftable in every tranfaftion which I have had with him, and all the concerns I have known him in arc perfealy corata and honourable." • Sir Brooke Watfon, Bart. proved that a letter which had been fent as a copy of another, purporting to come from his o ffi ce as Commi ff ary eneral, re fpeaing a demand for the fupply of coals, ke. was never written by him or by his orders; that if hebad had any occafion for fuch a fupply, he Ihould have fent to tie Tranfport Board for that purpofe. This letter was to give an apparent authenticity to the eorrefpondence of the prifimer, George Richard Wal. ker, with his agents, etc. from Guewfey. John Trott, a Bow.fireet officer, proved, that at 'the time this will was attened, Dick Walker, the pri. loner, who is one of the attefling witneffes to it, kept a penny bather's !hop on Snow-hill. Mr. Gallon—l was in Mr. Walker's employment at Guernfey. There was a female there of the name of Elizabeth Hinde ; that was the name, I believe, of Mr. George Richard Walker's mother. (She is the refiduary legatee, and takes the whole of Major Haw. king's property, after a thoufand ponnds legacy to his illegitimate daughter, and 301. a year to her mother, under this will, of which Mr. George Richard Wal. ker is the executor.) This was the cafe on the part of the profecotion, which concluded twelve minutes before fix o'clock in the evening. DEFENCE. The prifoner, George Richard Walker, having read Tome words written to him by his Connie', Mr. Gamow Paid, that a► he had not been able to hear one word—(all the evidence flitted hint to be deaf)—it was impolEble for him to make any anfwer to any thing that might have been Paid. Dodds and Rochetter left their defence to their Counfel. Dick Walker Paid that he thought every thing done by Mr.Dodds as a proteffional man, was regular, and that he had followed his direftion, and thought every 1 thing was tight. (Here the Learned Judges on the Bench, Lord ELLemaottouom, Mr. Baron THOMSON, and Mr. Juilice Rooce, confulted for a conliderable time.) Lieutenant Hawkins, who had been examined early in the profecution, was then examined again by Mr. GURPillf as to the property of his uncle Major Haw. alas, whole will this purported to be. He laid that the property which his uncle lett was sic:el. in the 3 per cent. confols flock, and that be left no other property whatever. (Here the Judges confultc d again for a while, after which the Prtfonere Counfel proceeded to call wit. nc:Tes.) Mr. Saint Croix was called, but did not anfwer ; he was Rated to be a witnefs who would contraditt tome material flatements made by Eddington Ida. tine to his expretlions of refentment againft Mr. Geo. Richard Walker and others. Mr. Crawford, examined by Mr. CAttOW. O I am in the coal trade. lam furry fe fay that lam acquainted with Mr. Eddington, who has been CLI. =bud as a witnefs here to-slap I have been ac. ' [Tara over. Fc f .1 ,~ ,~ El I► I ~~ f f ~I i 1 r --~