The Express.
London, England, 1864-11-24 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

(Before Mr. Justin ByhL)
TES MALTS TS Tag was TIUDI.

Charles Eaton Dc Witt, described in the ealeodar am being
• merchant, 50 years oleo, sad Duncan M^Ciossi
59. agent. were indicted far feloniously forging mad
uttering • bill of exchange for the paymens of the sum of
2981. 2a. 6d., with Intent to defmnd Manuel Garcia &Abet
and others. To this iedietramit the prisooers pleaded not
guilty ; bat there were two other indictments against them
—the one charging coespirsay to defraud, sod the other
with actual fraud, but it will be seen these indictments
were not proceeded with.

Mr. Sl4,b, Mr. F. H. Lewis, and Mr. Warner Sleigh
(inetructsd by Mr. J. R. Chid*, solicitor, of P 2, Old
Jeers, assisted by Mr. Thomas Wavell, manager of the
Uoiversal Mercantile Aosociatios, Limited), appeared for
the prosecution ; Mr. Daly appeared sa counsel for the
primer De Witt, the other prisoner, Wright, thing unde-
fended by counsel.
The case, which has already been fully communicated to
the public in the police reports, occupied the court and jury
for a cosaidsrable time. From the miming statement of
Mr. Sleigh itappeared that the two prioritises had far some con-
siderable time been acquainted with each tithe, and were on
terms of the closest intimacy. They were companions and
associates, sad bad been men together in the town of Liver.
pool at the 00021:110008111•Gi of the praeest year endeavouring
to make an extensive purchaire of Ealield rifles, as they
alleged, for @hippest stood. In the mooch of May in the
present year the two prisoners appeared together in Loadoe,
sad went to Mark-lane, where they took au °Leo, of bon.
nese from Mr. Leech, a watchmaker, residing at No. 63 is
that locality. An agreement was formally executed
between Mr. Leach and the prisoners, the terms being MI.
per annum, payable quarterly, and the tenancy to be deter-
mined by a quarter's notice. The agreement was sigaed by
the prisoner Wright, under the name of John Stuart, of
Manchester. The firm of John Stuart and Co., of
Manchester, was peeved to be of the highest WASS SI
merchants tad bankers connected with the American trade,
and, by the cadersol the prisoner Wright, the names of John
Stuart sod Co. were painted up on the door posts of the
offices so taken from Mr. Leach, in Mult•lane. There •the
prisoners remainedoosdactiog their basisese until the mouth
of July, when it seemed that they migrated together to
other offices fa Crutchedfriars where again the thole of
John Stuart and Co. was painted up Oa the door-pat. At
that time they brought into their service a pigeon of the
name of Welling, bat whom the prisosers chose to call Taylor,
and he would be an important thanes in the case- While
the offices were kept up I. Mark•hum, the pethoser De Witt
made the acquaintance of a Mr. Ramage, a wine reaper, car-
rying on an so:ethane lithium. in Oollsgethrest, Donato-
, bill. He told Ramage that he was in as athellest positioe,
that he wee the accredited agent of John Stuart and Co.,
of Mthohester, cad that he was desirous, on their behalf,
of purchasing wince for shipment to India. Ramsge.helieving
' in the truth of these slated:mote, Jet/educed De Witt to a
gentleman named Lopes, who was the Loodoa sputa the
trio of Garcia Rubel and oo.' with growers, at Cadiz ; sad on
the faith that the prisoner De With was the representative
of the firm of John Stuart and Co., of Manchester, a tease-
maim took place and was consummated on the 2thl of
September, by which the prisoners, obtainizied sundry
bopheada, butts, and casks of therry, to the
amount of 2,1071., In payment of thee. purchases
the bill of exchange, on which the prosiest indictment was
hued, was, amongst others, forwarded to Mr. Melchor
Lo the agent for the prosecutors. This bill purported
O tTdrawn by Wm. Smith, Son, sod Co.. on Messrs. R.
W. Dalglish and Co., merchants, Liverpool, and to
he aosepted by the latter firm, payable at Means.
Harnett, Haps, and Co's., bankers. Lombard-street. From
the 'video*, of Taylor, otherwise Welling, it was proved
that the acceptance wu in the handwriusg of the pri-
soner De Witt, and the names of the alleged drawers and
their endorsenthat were in the handwriting of the
prisoner Wright. Mader the postgame that the primroses
were connected with the firm of Jobs Stuart sod Co., a
Manchester, a referees.e was gives to Messrs. Smith, Payee,
and Smiths, the bankers of the firm, who, of ooune, gave
a high opinion of the firm, sod hence a thoood transaction'
for the purchase of wines to the amount of 2,6001. odd wee
effected. The dock warrants for the wines were found to
be pledged by the prisoners, and enotually they were
taken into eustody, charged with the forgeries sad fraud.
The forgeries included the lames of Mews. Breathy-
Moore, Messrs. Atkinson, Messrs. Mongoll, Mr. Helton,
and other !leaf-rate houses in Liverpool. To show the
poverty and ooroplieity of the prisoners, several letters
were read, ogre of which, addressed to the cleat Taylor, was is
these words " You must immediately on receipt hereof go
in search of lodgings somewhere away from where
we are at present, sa I shall not return to
Lambeth. You can get a room for Is. a week
that will do for both of as.—Tothealtam-oourt-
road, or somewhere that way ; bat Mr. De Witt will instruct
you my money is nearly done, so that the utmost economy
must be used. I do not are • single d—n about the
people at the public-house, so make Do apologies on my
account. The name of Wright is sot to be mootionecL
nothing but Stuart." Another letter of the tame character
was reed and put in evidence, sad the handwriting of the
prisoners to the bill in question was fully proved.
The prisoner Wright, when called up= for his defence,
read a long written document. He commenced by stating
that, to the charge of obtaining goods and paying for them
by false bills, he pleaded guilty. bat be denied that he had
ever been party to anything like a conspiracy.
Mr. Justice Bytes— I think it right I should remind you
that the charge you have sow to answer is that of forging
the same of Messrs. !thigh& sad Co. to the acceptance in
questica.
The prisoner Wright went into the narration of a lows
history of the transactions. It was true that he bad ripped
an soonest with the London and Westminster Bank in the
same of John Stuart, but at that time he hail so idea there
was such a firm either in Manchester or Liverpool. He
sever knew that the prisoner De Witt intended taking the
, aloes is Crateheariars, and in that respect be hest bees

=and completelyy. deceived. In conolusion, he threw
pea the merciful cosideration of the court, and
trusted that a merciful engem" would be pronounced upon
him.

Mr. Daly addressed to the jury • mid able and law-
vela epee& co behalf al the prisoner Lie Witt, contending
that be ins • saws tool in the hands of other parties. Yr. Juliet Dyke enanned up the was with the utmost
oare and perepicuit,.
The fury retired, and, after an abeneoe of exactly •
quarter of an boar, returned into court with • verdict al
Utility against both the prisoners.

The pampers were ties ebargml with halving been for-
merly minima of felony.
Mr. Jonathan Johnston, now • retired City detective
Aker, proved that the prisoner De Witt bed been tried
aad °obviated in this court on the 9th of Ma , 1863, under
the neme of Hewitt, sad had beat sec to 15 years'
penal servitude.
It was also proved that the prisoner Wright had been
convicted of felony in this nowt on the Ugh of January,
1366, and bad been sentenced to four yams' penal servitude.
Both the prisoners admitted that such was the fact.
Mr. Justice Bytes remarked that before peeling sentence
on the prisoners he would confer with Mr. Baron Bramwell,
who was presiding in the adjoining court.
The prisoners in the intenm were removed from the bar.
On the return of the leased judge into court the prisoners
were mated up for jodspneet, when
Mr. Justine Bytes sentenced both to be kept in penal ser-
vitude for the spans of 15 years.