The Express.
London, England, 1863-01-07 00:00:00

CENTI CRIMINAL COURT.
(THIS DAY.)

(Before Mr. Justice Blackburn.)
THE FORGERY ON ME BANK OF ENGLAND.
The trial of the wiz prieemere, George Busch, 40,
botcher: Robert Cummings, 60, electiro-gikler ; William
Bu ',lel, 31, labourer; Riehard Brewer, 34, mould-maker;
Jews Griffiits, 49, printer; and Henry Williams, 49,
engraver, for the offence of forging Bank of Eneland
notes, and having Bank of England mote paper
felocionaly in their posicerion, was died for this
morning, and the proceedings excited very great
interest. It will be remembered that two
eforof the
the
prisoners pleaded guilty on Tuesday evening. Be
of models, end • ground plan of
trial commenced a variety
the building from whence the paper was stolen, were phased
on the table in front of the counsel.
The counsel for the prosecution were Sir Fitzroy Kelly,
Q.C., sod Mr. Bovill, Q.C. (specially retained), Mr. Giffard,
and Mr. Mathews ; %demi Ballantine was specially re-
tained, with Mr. D. D. Keene and Mr. F. B. Lewis, to de-
fied Brewer; Mr. Pater and Mr. Oretemek appeared for
Boucher; and Mr. E. T. Smith for Cummins.
The prisoners Barber, Burnett, Brewer, and Griffiths
were then placed at the bar. The charge against them was
forging and uttering a U. Bank of England note.
Sir Fitzroy Kelly said he had the honour to prosecute on
behalf of the governors of the Bank of England. Etch of
the prisoners wee charged with taking particular parts in
the trainantione ; but the jury would be greatly relieved of any
difficulty by the statute law, which made all parties armory
who had anything to do with, or lout their aid
to say such transaction. It wan totally
oar-ro far him to dwell upon the importance of such • as
foreleg teak notes. The Bank of England felt it their duty
to come forward and prosecute for the benefit of the
public, as it was not only the Bank of England
who might suffer from the forgery of bank notes,
but the public in general. Sir Fitzroy Kelly said
that, in order to prevent as far as possible the forgery of
Inn notes, the raper oa wbioh they were printed had been
leer for the last century and a half exclusively at the mills
of a family named Portal, from wheece it was transferred
/r the Bank of England, and within the wells of that
Wang the notes were printed and perfected for circulation.
Bean much to the credit of the family that no amount of
skill or ingenuity had been succerful in manufacturing
the smallest portion of the piper which could serve to
deceive the most casual observer, the manufacture of the
paper being of such • peculiar description ; neither bed the
smallest portion ever at any period previous to the occur-
rence of the circumstances which would be brought before
them been abstracted from the mills. Sir Fitzroy
Kelly said be should be obliged to all an witnesses
two persons who had undoubtedly been engaged in the
cansactions, and he remarked that it was almost impossible
to detest such crimes unless the evidence of some one en-
gaged in the matter were taken, and the Bank of England,
in fulfilling to the best of their ability their duty to
the public, had taken those who, they thought, were the
lest impliceted in the affair, and upon whom the mod
' relents could be placed. He then proceeded to give an
outline of the principal facts connected with the case.
The charge, it will be remembered, mainly rested upon the
evidence of • man named Brown, who was, award-
ing to his evidence, an accomplice in the trans-
action. He was employed at the mills of Mears.
Portal and Co. to unlit his father, who was a
greater, sad it was his duty to attend to the locks, and
perform any work which came within the scope of his trade
which was required to be done in connexion with the mills
sad the machinery. The prisoner Burnett, it appeared, me-
lded at Lambeth, and some time in 1861 be was at Liver-
more, and while there Brown became acquainted with him.
A woman, who peened an the wife of Burnett, meggeeted
to Brown on one aeries that he should endeavour
to procure some of the bank paper from the mills of Messrs.
Portal, where he was employed; but be at first declined.
Os another occasion, however, when the same suggestion
was made to him, he consented to try if he could obtain
say, and accordingly, at some subsequent period, he
exteeded in abstrac=ds, few sheets of the paper 1
from • machine the size-drying machine,
through whah the paper passed in one of the stages
of its manufacture. This paper he delivered to Burnett.
After this he was again aubya Bonier to obtain some
more of the paper, and • 'sag to his persuasion he, upon
four or five occur's'.
paper from the size-drying machine,',
all of which he deli-
( versions:to Burnett or hie wife. Upon (one °waren,
whet Blown wee about to leave the mach' sa after having
retread several sheets of ,he was Placing them in ha
pocket when the prisoner Swwer happened to meet him
in theme= and told him be believed he had some of the
(urea his pocket, and hid lila to per it back. This,
ho terer, he did not set bisoksi as soombeeity, and be
aftimards communieude, el to Bawer while did with th
piper which he had abstsentedL He alwe told Burnett the:
Brewerled diesovered Wass be was taking the paper, nod
Bement emit him (Brewer) 114 which he at first refused to
annt,. but which he ulnimabny took. Sher* attar that
Brews left the mills, boll be still eomesiediabei wilt
Berne. Burnett at this thee came bask to Lends.,
sad Brown came to him and dually resided with him, mew
'really gobs( to Brewer, at laverstoke, at which time be
ceesred from him pansisoddek be afterwards aping sod
feud to contain a cientealp el hawk note . Be or
owed two parcels an era remeleme sod reaeiwi Who&
Mess from Brewer to dearer ree to swam in bleak whim
he would meet at the oaths sables obai at Lemolinkaa
the other he vas to tans to Da* Es MEM lbws
instruction emit Mine except the hat, VIM he WA NM
female ies had Denting her, ail to* busk limoi
Ito Brasett. The fro
proem, Odillis, it sypeetwrlieb
perty who bee for the last _...151a or eighteen yeah bra
empged in printing the fumed bank notes, end% was tad"
through the instrumentality of the other primness, the pew
)oared,
was
uhi a z:io=y and printed epos by blot to resew
notes for venom emu Hereber,it so-
redmas the party to whom the piper vies dellwered by
.prisoner Burnett, who took it to -btu em temening it
been the witness Brown, and the latter two
arrow went with him to Strutton.ground,mWeeteLiter,
where the prisoner Bundler resided.
The evidence was thee Ws, bat as the address of
Pies Fitzroy Kelly was not eoaladed until nearly one o'clock,
very little progress will beards in the cue today, and it is
likely eio occupy three or fret days.