The Express.
London, England, 1852-10-14 00:00:00

Mr. Heary—l sat surprised to here you say so. Have
yet read the prisoner's letters ?
Mr. Giffsrd did not wish to state his reasons for the mu.
Minims to which they bad come, in the prevent stage of the
proceedings. Ile had emriainly sot read the letters referred
to, but he was acqualotod with the evidence in the case.
Mr. Henry—Then you are hardly qualified to give that
opinion.
Mr. Giffard—The opinion la sot conclusive. We shall
be in some measure guided by the pirecreedinp of to-day.
The examination being then resumed, Mr. Henry banded
to Mr. Warta*, some letters which he had received from
the Chamber of Merchants at Glasgow, containing receipts,
1 purporting to bear the signature of Mrs. Wood, for several
payments of 61. each, which had been forwarded to the pri-
lima! on her behalf.

Mrs. Catherine Wood, the prosemstris, residing at 19,
amrgestreet, Blackfriars-road, after deposing to the death
of her husband, and the other circumstances stated above,
proved that seven cheques upon the Commercial Bank
(now produced), and the receipts lent from Scotland—
all purpoi to have been signed by her—were forgeries,
and appeared to be is the handwriting of the prisoner.
Mr. Little, the cashier of the Commercial Bank of Lon-
don, Henrietta-street, Covent-gardeepdeposed that the sum
of 210/. was paid into the bank in the joint names of Wallace
Harvey and Catherine Wood, on the 26th of July, 1851.
Subsequently, on the same day, a cheque for 25/., purport-
ing to bear their joint signatures, was presented and
cashed ; oa the 28th, another cheque for 841. was paid ; on
the 31st, another for 661.; on the Bth of August, another
for 301. • and on the llth, 16th, and 24th of the same
month, others for 61. each, respectively—being the
whole amount plated in the hank.
Robert Madden, of 9, Clement'einn, messenger, proved
that he was eecamonally employed by the prisoner, and re-
membered taking some of the cheques produced to the bank,
and getting them cashed for him. He identified the cheques
for 851. and 651., and recollected receiving them from the
prisoner.
(Merge lighterman, the landlord of the proisecu-
Min and her late husband, deposed to the prisoner's constant
visits to his house upon the business of Mrs. Wood, and to
the useless endeavours made by both the widow and him-
self to bring him to account. He stated, as an cram{ le,
that the prisoner made an appointment with him at his
chambers, on the 25th of August, 1851, promising on that
day to make some arrangement respecting the 2101. in the
bank ; the last farthing of which, it now appears, had been
taken out by him the previous day. He saw the prisoner
on this occasion in Fleet-street, and be said, " Everything'
is now in readiness to draw out the money. I only want Mrs.
Wood's joint signature to the cheque." Witness also iden-
tified the prisoner's handwriting in several of the documents
and letters produced. Several of the latter were read in
court, and were to the following effect:—August 6. Dear
Mrs. Wood,— I enclose you 2s. in ease you should have run
out." " August 16. I send you Re., &c.
Sergeant Pocock, of the F division, stated that he traced
the prisoner's lodgings to Apollo-court, Fleet-street, where
he found some papers and letters, and a receipt for 991.
purporting to be :signed by Catherine Wood (also a for-
gery); and Brown, another oMeer, deposed to having ap-
prehended the prisoner at the Chancellor's (lead public-
house, in Carey-street. Ile searched the prisoner and found
28 pawnbrokers' duplicates upon him, relating chiefly to
wearing apparel belonging to his own female servants.
The ofilcen stated that the apartment occupied by him was
very scantily furnished, and the two women who lived there
appeared in mach distress.
The prisoner read a long statement in his defence, which
occupied Mr. Burnaby nearly two hours to commit to paper,
although 131:01* than two-thirds of it was wholly foreign to
the charges under consideration. He began by denying
that he had ever received so much as 6001. on behalf of Mrs.
Wood. He described a series of transactiots which took
place between the late Dr. Wood and himself between the
9th of Hey, 1849, and Dec. 14, 1851, during which
time be was constantly lending him sums of money
to relieve him of difficulties ;into which he was
brought by habits of dissipation; and with respect to
all that transpired after the death of Dr. Wood, he
(the prisoner) affirmed, that he had acted constantly
under the advice of the widow's brother, the Rev. J. J.
Wood, of Dumfries. He reminded the court that Mrs.
Wood had complained of his conduct in the matter,
which showed that he had her entire concurrence in all that
he did for her.

Mr. Henry said he should commit the prisoner for trial
for the forgery of the seven cheques upon the Commercial
Bank; but he should direct him to be brought up again to
answer the charge of having also forged the receipts sent to
the Gla►gow Chamber of Merchants, in acknowledgment of
money received by him fur Mrs. Wood, but never paid to I
her. It was also stated, when the ease was opened, that the
,irisoner had negotiated some cheques upon the bank, which
were dishonoured.

Mr. Wontner maid that witnewes to support this sharp
were now in attendant*.

It was then proved that the prisoner had ordered some
books of • tradesman in Fleet-street, and tendered one of
the cheques in question in payment for the same. It was
returned, there being " no effects."
Mr. Henry said that the prisoner moat alto be committed
on this charge, for it was altogether distinct from the others,
and could not be affected by anything which the prisoner
had said respecting the Woods. His worship hoped that
the managers of the bank would now consider it their duty
to take up the prosecution for the cheques, as they were
the parties who had been defrauded.
Mr. Gifford—We are not certain of that. It is one of the
questions which is under consideration.
Mr. Henry—Oh, there can be no doubt about that, I
think.

Some gentlemen present, who represented the managen,
promised to give the subject every consideration.
The prisoner wu then fully committed for trial.
One of the duplicates found in prisoner's possession was
the pawnbroker's acknowledgment for the receipt of a eat
iron.

CLERKENWELL.
Mary L.gAI, the woman charged with keeping her child-
mu without food, while she spent the club allowance of her
sick husband in drink, was again placed at the bur.
Her son proved that on Saturday morning last she left
her four children in bed with only a penny loaf for the
food of the day.
Another witness proved that on the same day she was
out drinking.
Mr. Corns said it was a shocking cue, and sentenced
her to three months' imprisonment, with bard labour.
Prisoner was led from the bar, eluting her son.