The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-09-20 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX ritcslims.

FORGERY ON THE BANK OF DRONTHEINt.
Saturday Peter Moller, a foreigner, was indicted
for feloniously endeavouring to procure a certain
copper-plate block to be engraved and made, to
represent the promissory notes of the Bank of Dron-
theirn, in Norway. The indictment contained fif-
teen counts, and was framed according to the inter-
national form• agreed upon and embodied, by con-
sent of the Sovereigns of Europe, into an Act.
which received their sanction at the Congress at

• Vienna.
Mr. REYNoL!'s stated the case to the Jury.
Mr. Robert Scott, the engraver, residing in the
Sirand, muted, that on the 27th of last May the
Prisoner called upon him, and inquired if he could
execute some curious engravings for him, for which
he would agree to pay a large sum of money, if
they were finished to his satisfaction. Mr. Scott
agreed to make an effort to please his new custo-
mer, slid desired to be furnished with the neces-
sary• indructions respecting the curious engraving
which the stranger wished to have done. The latter
said he would call in a few days, and bring with
him the pattern which he wished to have copied.—
Accordingly, in a few days, the Prisoner called a
second time, and presented to Mr. Scott what
struck him at the instant to be a foreign bank note,
desiring him to make a plate exactly resembling
the copy he had 'hewn him, and saying, that if the
copy was well done, he would pay handsomely for
the work, and perhaps have further business for the
engraver. Mr. Scott agreed to undertake the work,
but said he merely did so with a view to detect the
party, whom he strongly suspected at the time to
be contemplating something that was bad. He
therefore kept the note which the Prisoner presented
to him as the copy for the new engraving, and which,
on subsequent inquiry in the city, he ascertained to
be a genuine promissory note of the Bank of Droll.
theist), in Norway, and payable for a su:n of shout
555. British currency. The Prisoner said he should
want about three thousand copies of the new engrav-
ing struck off; and Mr. Scott also understood, on
so large a scale was this work arranging, that two
other foreigners were endeavouring to engage artists
in the metropolis to make engraved copies from
genuine notes, purporting to be of the same batik,
and the orders, which these parties had arranged, if
they had succeeded in their object, would have
given each of the three, in the course of one month,
forgeries on the Droutheim Bank to the amount of
8,0001. sterling ; the ultimate operation of which, if
thrown into circulation iu Norway, would have been
most fatal to the Norwegian traders on the coast.—
The Drontheim notes were the only currency in
Norway, there being no specie in use in that coun-
try. Mr. Scott said, that the moment be had gut
to the bottom, as he thought, of the Prisoner's real
intention, he had determined to go on with the work
so far as the execution of the plate, not to deliver it
to the Prisoner, but to detect and bring hint to pub-
lie justice. lie therefore communicated with Baron
Stertilicildt* the Swedish Euyoy, and apprised him
from time to time of his progress in the plate, and
his repeated visits from the Prisoner. A► Mr. Scott
was nut accurately informed of the proceedings of
the two other foreigners, who were endeavouring to
procure plates, the Swedish Envoy wrote to Dron•
theim, to put the bank there on its guard, rind to
secure the traders spinet the extensive fraud which
was contemplated. As soon, however, as Mr.
Scott had got all the information he could from the
Prisoner, and kept the engraving on his hands as
long as the patience of the latter would hold out,
Imeans were then taken to secure the Prisoner, and
destroy his whole scheme of contemplated fraud.
Two witnes►es proved the translation of the note,
as set forth in the indictment, to be correct, and
the note given by the Prisoner to Mr. Scutt to be
a genuine one of the Bank of Drontheim.
The Prisoner's Counsel made an attempt to quash
the indictment, by urging objections against the
form of the note as applicable to its description, as
set forth iu the indictment, but they were over.
ruled.
The Jury found the Prisoner Guilty, and the
Court immediately sentenced him to one year's im-
prisonment in the House of Correction.
BREACHES OF THE PEACE. _

A stupid looking old fellow, named Craseptax,
who was attired in tattered old black clothes, was
put to the bar, and articles of the peace exhibited
against him by a lady of rank in Sloane-street,
Chelsea, who had been anueyed by him fur some
time. He was in the habit of taking his station
in front of the lady's house, and following her
wherever she went, talking of love and piety. She
was at length obliged to take this mode of gettiug
rid of the pious exhortations and amorous atteutions
which the old would-be protector was so lavish► in
obtruding upon her. He was a cobbler, who resided
in the neighbourhood, and about twice, at least,
the age of the lady.
The Outman asked him how he could think
of annoying a lady in this manner, and presume to
continue his annoyance for month after mouth,
notwithstanding the means that had been taken to
get rid of him.
The Prisoner pretended to be deaf, but persons
who knew him said he had very cormaieut auricular
organs when he pleased.
rile COURT desired one of the prison-keepers to
tell him he must enter into 'arches, himself in 50%
and two others in 101. each, to keep the peace for
this year, or in default of finding them he must go
back to prison.
The Prisoner then appeared suddenly to fall

into possession of his hearing, and said he now knew
he had committed great error, and he was very sorry
for it, He also wished to assure the lady, who sat
with her mother and sister on the bench, that he
would desist from his visits in future.
The COURT, however, ordered him to enter into
the necessary sureties, or be remanded to prison.
INDICTMENTS FOR SEDITIOUS LIBELS.
An indictment has been preferred against ✓ohn
Hockfry, who, it will be recollected, is the person
who held the placard at the dour of the Crown and
Anchor Tavern, at the Meeting of the2lst August.
He was committed from Bow-street, on the charge
of publishing a seditious libel, by exhibiting the
said placard, and was imprisoned for seven days in
the House of Correction, Coldbash-fields, until
bailed by Mr. Caddo. by whom he was employed.
He was also threatened with further imprisuutn•nt
for non-payment of a sum of 41. 10d. for fees. The
Grand Jury have thrown out the hill.
INHUMAN OUTRAGE.
THR KING N. JOHN CORNET MARRA.
The drove Derendetat was indicted at these Ses-
sions for a most atrocious assault.
Jane Greenslade, the Prusecutrix, stated, that in
the yeas: 1817, she lived with Mrs. Currie, Upper
Islington-terrace, as servant. She there formed
some acquaintance with the Prisoner, from his being
employed by a relation of Mrs. Conic, as messen-
ger. The day before he committed the outrage.
he dropped a letter down the area of the house, an-
nouncing his intention of a visit the afternoon fol-
lowing. He came accordingly, and drank tea with
her; after which he staid, awl did trot seem willing
to go. " At eight o'clock." said she, " I took up my
mistress's supper into the parlour. When I re-
fumed into the kitchen, this bellow was sitting by the
fire with his face towards it." I heard him rattle
the poker against the bars of the grate, and saw
him comb his hair over his eyes, and I remem-
ber it was quite black. I then looked at him
with surprise, and could not imagine what all this
meant. He then might the poker nut of the fire,
and gave usefice or six murderous blows mud beat in
my skull—toe most dreadful blows that ever eyes
beheld. He then threw me down and put his
fingers into my mouth to tear it, and to break
my jaw-bone, as I suppose. The injury of his
nails on my lips and mouth were so bad that for a
long time afterwards I was unable to speak. He
likewise gave me two violent blows on my right arm,
one on the left arm, and another on my left fingers,
so that I could not move my hands nor even feed
myself. My left hand has its consequetice been
paralysed and nearly helpless up to the present time;
at last the fellow left me upon the floor as he
thought for dead. He these ran up stairs with the
poker in his hand, and went out by the back door.
When I turned myself round and missed him I
thought he was gone to kill my mistress ; my cries
were so great that I disturbed all the neighbours.
I raised myself with difficulty, and looked out,
when I perceived that lie had opened the yard door.
nod let himself out. At the seine time I
heard a violent knocking. The neighbours op-
posite saw the Prisoner knocking at the door. He
told them that somebody had been at No. 11, and
murdered the servant. He said, if they would go
for a surgeon, he would go for an officer. and then
he made his escape."—He had not until the pre.
thous week since been heard of. He was formerly
the teacher to a free school, in Tuoley-street, and
when in distress site had often given him victuals
and lent him money.
Mr. Robert Semple, sturgeon, 85, Upper-street.
Islington, and several other witnesses, corroborated
this evidence.
The poker, which had been deposited at Bow-
street, was here produced. It was a large kitchen
poker, and was still clotted over with hair and blood.
It was nearly broken in the middle, and much bent
from the violence of the blows.
Anthony Harrison, the Marshalman stated, that
on Monday last, he saw the Prisoner opposite the
Mansion House. amongst the crowd which were
following the procession of Hunt. From the de-
scription which had been given of him he had no
doubt of his being the nian : he accordingly took
hint into custody, after much resistance, on his part
by endeavouring to make the mob believe that his
arrest was of a political nature. They, however.
were not dispo►ed to render him any ass.stance.
Until he was identified by the Proset•utrix he per-
sisted in stating that Ins name was Davison.
The Prisoner, in Ins defence, admitted that he
had called on the l'rosecutrix ot► the day mentioned,
and had taken tea with her. In the course of the
eening he had taken improper liberties with her,
when she turned round and bit him severely on the
finger, whets he in the irritation of the moment might
have taken up the poker and hit her.
The Jury instantly found the Prisoner Guilty.
The CHAIRMAN sentenced the Prisoner to one
year's imprist tttttt east in the House of Correction,
and at the expiration of that period to 6ud sureties,
Himself in 100/. and two others in 401. to keep the
peace for revers years.
At the close of the proceedings, a subscription
was iminedistely entered into by the Jury and se.
vend other humane persona its Court, for the pour
woman.

A duel was fought on Wednesday lost at Bou-
logne, between two Eugliwh ufficers, Ensign FRAI
ZER, of the Army, and Lieut. IlAvittiNs, of the
Navy, when the latter was dangerously wounded,
the ball of his adversary having► parsed in an oblique
direction through his body.
The Gazette of Saturday contains a list of twelve
bankrupts, five of whom are inhabitants of Man-
chester.

The 90th regiment will march into Portsmouth
garrison, from Hikes, to do the duty of it, with the
royal marines, 200 of which force are ou their
march timber from other divii.ions.

The fishermen of Plymouth caught 15,000 fine
pilchards on Tuesday alight. which sold nest morn-
ing five for two-pence. The pilchard season is very
promising this yru►.
Loss OF TNN NANCY PACKET.---Thursday
evening, about right o'clock. the Army pAcket.
Captain H. Blabrr. srilyd from Brighter., bound
to Drippy, wish thirteen passengers. About two
hours afterwards site fell in with a large brig, called
the Her►y. of London, bound to A 'scant ; the even.
bog being very dark. the two ve►sels came iu contact ;
the accident was fatal to the Nuncy, which im-
mediately sunk, auto with great difficulty the byes
of the posseugers and crew were saved. •