The Express.
London, England, 1850-03-14 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT.—Liwzs, MARCH 13.
Guam atm—Boom Loan Caw Rim* WILDS.
TES FOROBILIER 131.0111 Ma BILIGIITON Betts.
JONA Hastened, 29, described as • scissors `tinder, wu
indicted for feloniously uttering, at Brightoa, a 61. note of
the Union Bank of that town, hemming the same to be
forged sad counterfeit, sad with Latest to defraud. The
pewees pleaded Guilt
Joust Gnat, 36, Iliny. suisander, also pleaded Guilty to a
seedier
c
lletityji=ksote. 36, labourer, was also charged with
utt • forged note of the seine bank
Mr. kiwi, who was iestruted to preiresie la all those
eases, is addrewios the jury, said that, frees this lasts which
want be dYdaeti is the eviler" there maid be no doubt
that Oh primmer sad the two mos who bed pleaded guilty
were part of a pee of mew who had said. it their dun
Moot Wean to some to Bristles ". on ildurday, the 23rd
of Fshrwery, kr the rupees at passing forged 61 notes, of
the OM U Beak la that tows, and who succeeded in
dens se, to essoldosable extent The learned cons-
ul
lies le Mee the circumstances eaglet which
thornier,* was mods aided the wiener • sad it appeared
that, epee the evening of dm day motioned, the proposer
matinee the shop of fdr. lam, a grocer, in North street,
and pardoned • email quantity of tea
rielsreer articles, the pries of which amounted to
three shillings and a puny, and he tendered in pay-
west what appeared to be a guano 61. mete of the
Union Bank. It sussed that the chief Nestabis of Brighten
bad the suss afternoon received • seummeisedee hem

-.—.--- -
mines= to the effect that perms with &Mee were
likely to pay a visit to this tows, sod be immediately seat
smite to that effect to the different leadsmen, and while
Mr. Baas was in the set of briny Vie drags to the pri-
sows for the forged sae, Mr. Lams. a neighbour, emu
in and informed him of the settee glees by the police, sad
Beim, upon. this, asked the primmer to remain a moment
while he mansited the note he hod just given hiss. len-
Eradiate], upon his saying this the prisoner rushed oat of the
shop, leaving behind him the articles he had pur-
chased, the change, and also an umbrella; but the
proseutor pursued and stopped him, sad gave
him into custody. Besides this it was proved that upon the
same evening the vibrator passed two other forged notes et
the shops of different tradesman. Evidence having Dem
gives,
The primmer, when called upon for kis defence, told a very
lame stogy about his having picked up the note which he
had presented to Mr. Sans and with regard to the uttering
of the others, he asserted that the witnesses were mistaken
in his identity.
The*, found the prisoner Guilty.
Chief Junto Wilde having observed that it was per-
fatly clear that the mimeses made a trade of praat
forged
notes, and ref. rnd to tbe misenief that suok a p was
likely to occasion in • commercial community, sen him
to Do transported for life.
Mr. Clarkson made as application to the court in reference
to the prisoner Green, who bed pleaded guilty to a aunilar
charge. In this case, he said, that upon lus beingsearched,l7
sovereigns were found M his possession, es well as eight other
forged soles, which were concealed under his stocking. Be
had succeeded is peeling several other forged none to diffe-
rent madames In Brighton, and the good mosey we. no
deals pert of the cheap he bad received; and, under these
circumstances, he had to request that the court would make
an order for the 17 sovereigns to be divided among them
tradesmen who had been sufferers by the prininer's pro-

lissaßltreWship made the order.
Robert Steward, 23, miller, wee then charged with the
arises of uttering a forged SI. note of the same description.
Mr. Ballandas and Mr. Johann defended the prisoner.
This case appeared to create a good deal of interest on ac-
cuse of the position of the accused party, who, by the
opining of the counsel los the prosecution, was admitted to
be • tradesman carrying on a respectable business la
Brighton, and :hereon not likely to be mixed up with •
gang of depredators of this desception. From the eviduce
adduced for the prosecution, it appeared that on the saw
ermine when the other utterinp took place, a man
west to the shop of Mr. Neave, • linendnpar in
the Hinge-road, Brigham, and purchased a silk
handkerchief, which was paid for with a forged 61.
note, and he received the change and left the shop.
it would appear that from some cause or other
a suspicioa was eatertalned that all was not right, and the
man was followed and seen to join two others at • short dis-
mal be oats of them something %hick was sup.
be the chirp he had just received, and this maa
and
them and the pun who had made the purchase
and the other man were then seen to go to the shop of Kr.
ibld, another tradesman I. Ship etreet,where a second forged
wee was uttered, the prisoner standing outside of the shop
while the act was being effected. The parties got away
at this time, but two .of the &homes of Yr. Neave
were positively to the poisoner being the man who had
rislithe forged note at their employer's shop, sad
entald seem that immediately after losing sight of
Wise me of the shoposon met him close to the
Igoe. mod immediately recognised him, sad followed him fiso
• soadderable distance, intending to arrest him when be
sow a policeman. TI. poisoner observing that he was
watched, turned round and asked the witness what he
wasted with him, sad on kis tolling him that be should give
his WM custody, but without stating what charge he had to
mho ogainst him, the prisoner stammered out, " I haven't
—I didn't—l'm a respectable man, and I will satisfy you of
it, if you will go on there," pointing at the swag urns to •
public house.
Mr. Ballantine, oa behalf of the prisoner, sada a moat
*mast and forcible appeal to the jury, stating that the
defines he was instructed to make no answer to the
'barge was that the witnesses were 'natant as tohis identity,
and that in point of fact he was not the man
who had uttered the forged note to the prosecutor. and who
had afterwards acted in the manner described by the wit-
muss. He said it was admitted on behalf of the prosecu-
tion that the prisoner was • person of good character, and
he should show them by distinct and undoubted testimony,
that up to the present moment there had been the
slightest stain upon him, and he maid them whether it was
not unlikely, nay, almost impossible, that such • person
should on • sudden forget his duty, and join with a gang of
persons of this description to plunder his neighbours by an
act et this character, which was very seldom reacted to
except by complete adepts in crime.
The learned counsel then called a number of respectable
witnesses, from whose testimony it appeared that the pri-
soner was engaged in the business of a miller at Brighton,
and that he was so employed up to five o'clock in the even-
ing in question, and he did not leave his house, which wee
some distance from the prosecutor's shop, until 7 o'clock,
and this was the time when the offence was alleged to have
been committed. Other witnesses also spoke to seeiag him
at other places after this period, and his time appeared to be
accounted fur entirely until the hour when he was taken into
custody, and the evidence upon these points was of the most
sans actory character. The prisoner also received a high
character for honesty and good conduct, and it appeared that
be had been to school at Brighton, and that
he had constantly resided there for the last eight
years, and was known to • very great number
of the trade amen, and therefore, as was suggested on his
behalf, he was a most unlikely person to have mixed kissed(
VIP with any such transaction as the one in question, ma it
meat have almost insured detection.
Mr. Ballantins was abcut to proceed with the case for the
Winner by calling other witneesee to character, when Mr.
Clarkson had a private communication with his lordship,
alter which the Chief Justice addressed the jury, and said
that the counsel for the prosecution did not like in so
serious and important • case :to take upon him-
self the responsibility of withdrawing from the pro-
secution, hut the learned judge thought thin, after
the evidence which had been adduced, he might ask
the jury whether they did not 'think the case was too
doubtful to justify them in finding the prisoner guilty of
the onions crime with whi:h he was charged. The evidence
for th, prosecution, unanswered, certainly made out • eau
of grave suspicion, hut when they had heard the evidence
for the prisoner, and the character which no doubt he MIS
entitled to, it became most important to consider whether it
was probable that such a person should on a sudden jump
from his position of respectability, and become the assistant
and associate of felons sod forgers. For his own part eer-
sandy he cnsiderri this most unlikely, and he must
remark that • person in the prisoner's position, was •
most unlikely person to be sought out for such •
Purpose, as those who engaged him with such an
object must be perfectly well aware that he
would be enabled to identify them and brine/ them to
jestne. At the some time he wished it to be understood
that there did not appear to be any ground fur castle, the
slightest imputation up*n the wimpecs for the presesatios,
bat tNere was very little doubt that they were mistaken is
'apposing the prumer to be the man.
The jury almost immediately said they were unanimously
of opinion that the evidence dial not establish the cue against
the prisoner, and they therefore returned • verdict of Not