The Express.
London, England, 1855-01-18 00:00:00

THE POLICE COUBTS.

MANSION-HOUSE.
Dwain Maclean Wridkt was brought before the Lord
Mayor, in the custody of a Liverpool police-officer, charged
with forgery upon the house of Overend, Gurney, and Co.,
the money dealers. Mr. Vanillin, the solicitor to the firm,
attended for the prosecution.
Mr. William Shipman, clerk to the proaecutors, said—
It is put of my duty to open the letters addressed to the
house. The following letter was received at our house on
the 4th of November, and contained a bill of exchange for
1671. 2s. 3d , purporting to be drawn by William Anderson
mad Co., and accepted, payable at Messrs. Glyn, Mills, and
Co., bankers in London, and not elsewhere.—John B.
Moore and Co., dated Manchester, 23rd October, 18E4.
" Moore, due 23 26 kik. 65. 1571. 21. 3d."
" 16, Dawber-street, Liverpool, Nov. 3, 1654.
" Messrs. Overend, Gurney, and Co., London.
"Gentlemen,—lf agreeable to discount the enclosed,
please send me the proceeds at • moderate rate in belt
notes, and oblige, respectfully, your most obedient servant,
" D. M. Weston."
In consequence of that letter we wrote & letter to the writer
of the lest letter, in which the bill of exchange was re-
turned, and it was stated to be contrary to the practice of
the house to discount an bills without an introduction.
Afterwards, on the 6th of November, I opened the following
letter, which was dated, I believe in error, the 4th of Oc-
tober instead of November
" 16, Dawber-street, Liverpool, 4th Oct., 1854.
"Messrs. Overend, Gurney, and Co.—Gentlemen,—ln
reply to yours of this date, although my discounts with you
have n been of much magnitude, they have been over
the space of twenty years or more. I thought I might have
been personally known in your offices, where I have fre-
quently done business.
"I might refer to introductions I have given to your
Arm in favour of others, such as Christian, Allhousen,
and Co., of Newcastle. Having been abroad for the
last four years, my correspondence, &c., naturally ceased. I
give an opportunity of calling me again to your recollection
by returning for discount the inclosed 1571. 2s. 3d., for
which send me, if quite agreeable, notes for 1601., and cheque
on Barclay's for the balance. I have lately opened a cor-
respondence with Messrs. Leonino, Brothers, for foreign
business. I presume their paper would at all tinsel -be
acceptable to you, and I am resputfully_your most obedient
servant, " D. M. WRIGHT.
" Need I revert to the year, 1825, and ten years after-
wards, when I was cashier to your old correspondent A. T,
at Glasgow r
That letter contained the same bill which had been re-
turned in the previous letter, in consequence of which our
house discounted the bill, and forwarded the sum of 1601. in
half Bark of England Doter, in two envelopes, and • draft
on a banker's for 41. lle. Id., the balance of the bill less the
discount, which were addressed to Mr. D. M. Wright,
16, Dawber-etreet, Liverpool. The draft produced is that
which was so sent. On the Bth of November I received •
letter, dated the Sth of November, and signed D. M. Wright,
acknowledging the receipt of the enclosures.
Mr. Joseph Henry Dickinson, merchant, at Liverpool,
said—l am a partner in the house oflehn B. Moore and Co.
The acceptances to the bills produced, for 1671.2 a. 3d., and
2941.165. 3d. (a second bill then produced), are not in my
handwriting, nor in that of my partner, nor was either
written by our authority. There is no other house in Liver-
pool which trades under the same name that I have ever
heard of. We make our bills payable at Messrs. Glyn and
Co.'s, in London. I know the prisoner, but have not had
any transaction with him on has own account that I know
of. I do not know such a firm as William Anderson and Co.,
at Manchester. When I knew the prisoner he was clerk
or agent to a mercantile house. I was before • magistrate in
Lives pool on the subject, and (as our reporter understood
the witness) gave evidence there.
John Sullivan, detective officer, of Liverpool, said I ap-
prehended the prisoner at No. 16, Dawber-street, Liverpool,
on the 10th inst., without • warrant, on a charge of forging
• bill for 2941. 161. 3d., which sum I mentioned to him. He
told me to ask him no questions and he would tell me ne
lies. I asked him his nun, and he said it was Duncan
Wright, and next day he was taken before one of the
borough magistrates, and another bill was they produced
before the magistrate by Mr. Dickinson, namely, for 1671.
2s. 3d., which n the bill produced here in the first instance.
The magistrate's clerk then asked the prisoner in my pre-
sence if he had anything to say to the charge, and the pri-
soner said that the bills were forgeries and that he had
forged them. This statement was not taken down in writing
at the time.
The Lord Mayor was about to remand the prisoner, when
Mr. Dickinson requested to be informed whether it would
be necessary for him to come again from Liverpool in order
to give evidence before his lordship.
the Lord Mayor said it was really difficult for him to
comprehend the course adopted by the magistrate before
whom the case was originally brought. That magistrate
either bad or had not jurisdiction in the matter. If the
magistrate had the power, which the forgery act seemed to
give him, the prisoner ought not to have been brought to
London, by which course considerable expense must be
incurred in the conduct of the prosecution. If, en the con-
,the case did not come within the jurisdiction of the
ate, the recent act of parliament laid down the course
W taken, and therefore Mr. Dickinson's attendaaes
would have been unnecessary, as his evidence should have
been taken at Liverpool and forwarded to London.
The Prisoner—lf it will save any trouble to any one, I
admit the guilt I am charged with.
The Lord Mayor then directed that the depositions I
should be made out, and said he would commit the prisoner
for trial to the Central Criminal Court.
The Lord Mayor requested that the press would acknow-
ledge his receipt of 101. from T. and Co. and 11. from John
Butterfield, for the poor-box.