The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-22 00:00:00

A WOOL BROKER CHARGED WITH FORGERY.

At the Mansion-house toolice-court, yesterday
aftereom, Wil!laut Whi sy, wool broker, aged 22, residing
at 118, Oulford-rsail. De Beauvoirtown, wan brought
before the Lord Mayor and Alderman Sir Robert Carden
on the shags forging and uttering an acoeptanse to a
bill of esebange ter 2,000 i., purporting to be drawn by
William Whitey and Co., and accepted by Menus. Jaeousb,
Son ud. n and Co.. No. 33, Moorgate-atreet, with intent to
Si

Mr. Van Sandia, stolkitor, King-street, said he appeared
to prefer this charge ea behalf of Mean. Jewish, Son, and
Co., wool brokers, Moorgate-street. The prisoner had re-
cently set up in business as a wool broker, and in the be-
ginnieg of the year ha sent to Messrs. Jaconth two India
of wool, and received from them a cheque for the net pro-
ceeds, amounting to 25/. odd. He (Mr. Van Banditti) men-
tioned this as showing the document from which the pri-
soner probably copied the signature. A short time ago be
called on Messrs. Jscomb, and requested the loan of 1,5001.,
which they, after consideration, refused. On Wednesday
they were waited upon by the manager of the New Con-
solidated Discount Company, who told them that a
toil of theirs for 2,0001. had been presented for the purpose
of being discounted, and that he was perfectly ready to
discount it, but on looking at it he found it to be drawn st
six months after date, which was out of the usual course,
and he therefore thought it was a matter that should lv:
inquired into. Mr. Charles Jacomb, on looking at the
bill, declared that the signature was so cloee an imitation
of his own handwriting that bad be seen the acceptance
alone he could not have said it was • forgery, but that
be bad net signed any bill at ril months. Ile (Mr. Van
Snadatt) was then consulted, and he suggested that the
Discount Company should be the prosecutors, as they
were more likely to be the parties to be defrauded, but
the chairman of the company declined to prosecute. It
appeared that the bill had been tendered to the Discount
Company by ?Jolters. Hobson and Smith, bill broken., and
on Mr. Hobson being told that the signature was a torgery
he stated that he had received the bill from a respectable per-
son, Mr. Lome Brown, wine merchant. The lattergentleman
was sent for, and his statement wan that be bad received
it from the prittoaer, to whom he had been introduced a
few days before by his clerk. In consequence of this in-
formation Le (Mr. Van Sandati) went to the pri•oner's
house, and charged him with forging the acceptance to
the bilL At first the prisoner paid he was not await it
was a forgery, but he afterwards stated that no one would
have been defrauded because he would have been pet-
pared to meet the bill before it becatne due, and prayed for

mercy.
The prisoner said he was entirely innocent of the charge,
end muds a statement to the effect that he bad got the
hill accepted through a gentleman in Mr. Jacomb's °nice.
to whom ho mentioned that be was in want of inoni-y, and
that if he had 2,0001. ho could lay it out to advantage.
This person told him that if he (she prisoner) would
draw out a hill, be would get it accepted byhim, ro him, on h
Hgrocing to let him have 501., and arras ging that it .hould
not be discounted a second time. Ho accordingly wrote
nut the first bill alluded to by Mr. Brown, which WWI not
fisted, but finding that Mr. Brown weald not take it, he
returned to the person and told him it was of no
use. He (the prisoner) was then told by him to
draw out another bill, which he did, and re-
ceived it in the course of half an hour with
Messrs. Jecomb's acceptanoe added to it, but he was
not altogether pervaded that the acceptance was genuine,
as the person told him he did not want his fellow-clerks
to know anything of the matter, or the bankers of the firm
to see the bIU, and he therefore compared it with the con-
tract he had received from Messrs. Jaoomb in regard to the
sale of the wooL .

The Lord Mayor—lt is due to yourself that you should
disclose the name of the clerk.
Prisoner—l took a solemn declaration that I would not
tell who did it. lie slid the matter would be genuine, but
that it must not ho known, and that ,f the bill was taken
to their bankers it would be suspected as being an accom-
modation bill, and would ruin the credit of the house,
because they never drew such bills.
The Lord Mayor-- You admit it is a forgery.
I'risoner I do. . .

.—„..-. -
The Lord Mayor—And yet you refuse to disclose the
name. I can therefore come to no other ooncluaion than
that you aro the party yourself.
Sir Robert Carden remarked that be made a serious im-
putation against somebody in Messrs. Jacomb's
Charles Jacomb, wool broker, 3.3, Moorgate-street, de-
posed that the acceptance of the bill was not in his hand-
writing. He saw it on Wednesday for the first time, and
had the signature been shown to him without the Lill, he
would have taken it to bo his own. It was a wonderful
counterfeit. He had known the prisoner as being a clerk
in the office of Messrs. Balms and Co., wool brokers. In
March has sent two hales of wool to witness for dale, and
they were disposed of and accounted for ; but be (Mr.
Jacomli) never spoke to the prisoner until he called on him
on Friday lest, and telling him that he was a young man
starting business, inquired whether he would be
inclined to lend bim 1.500 f. Witness called in
his partner, and ultimately they declined to lend
him the money. At half.paat ten on Wednesday
witness called upon Mr. Thomas Richardson, one of the
directors of the New Consolidated Discount 'Company,
who expressed surprise at receiving a hill bearing the ac-
oeptance of witness's firm for six months. Witness said
they had accepted no such bill, tut Mr. Richardson
showed him the bill now produced, and he saw at once
that it was a forgery. He then sent for his 'elicitor, and
inquiries having been made, the result was that the pri-
soner was given into custody. His late employer, Mr. '
Balms, was in court, and would state that he was a
young man in whom he bad placed implicit confidence.
The Lord Mayer asked the prisoner ii he still per
listed in charging Mr. Jaeomb's clerks.
Prisoner- -1 ea, I do ; one of them. I was never more
astonished in my life than when I was told it was a for-
gery, for I fully believed it was genuine.
At this stage the prisoner was remanded until Friday,
the 29th inst. •