The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-02-17 00:00:00

THE BRITISH PRESS.

it. He did not eat or drink. Does not know the number; went
with Rigaud. Does not think he went skate. Alight have gone
after he went with Rigaud. Rigaud stopped perhaps 1110 yards off.
This happened in May or .gyp. it, 102 L This might be five or six
months before they went to Margate. Took three letters to No:
3, somewhere in the Borough. Does not know if it was Brandon-
row. It is no great way from Newington-caaseway, or Newington.
butts. It is near the King's Bench. Eliza wits called down, and
he delivered the letters to her. Rigaud informed him that she
worked for Mrs. Baker, and that he would know the plate by °b-
urning " mantua making done here" in the window.
Mr. Blew, ea icx asked what paper witness had in his band, and
Mr. Justice Gaselee ordered him to put it in his pocket.
Knew that the female was not Itigaud's wile, because he knew
his fit.t wife. Rigaud told him she wanted two months of age.
He went down to Margate with two people whom he knew not
to be married. Never entered into a bond. Upon his soul, and
upon his oath, does not know what a bond is. Thought Couseel
meant an ecclesiastical bond. Never introduced a woman at Dover
to Rigaud a. Eliza Foster, requesting him to manage the business.
They were at Armstrong's ten, fifteen, twenty minutes, but he had
no watch. It was about six o'clock. The curtains were down, and
there was a light upon the table. Had no watch, and could not
tell how long. Rigaud went to France after receiving 251. in a
bank post bill from Mr. Collins. Never wrote any letters in the
business whatever. sever said that lie did not see the female
prisoner sign her name. He had sworn before Sir Richard Birnie
that he saw her sign her name. Upon his oath he saw her sign,
so help bins God. Ile was sorry to be the instrument of taking
away her life. Gave information to fdr. Freshtield in November.
He saw some paper* with Mr. Fresbfield, and among the rest some
letters of his own.
Mr. Justice GASELEE said that the letters, when produced,
would speak fur themselves, and the contents could not be stated
by the witness.
linows a person of the name of John Alfrey. Knew him in
Whitecrus.street ptisqn, where he was the steward of his ward.
Was in prison ten or twelve days. (The witness frequently used the
expression " upon my soul," and JI r. Justice Gaselee took °cession
to remark that such expressions are always improper, and partiett.
lady so in a Court of Justice. The only security which the Court
or the public has for the truth of what a witness says is his oath.)
Witness went to ask Alfrey in May, 1825, to begrime his security
in a bond. Saw Rigaud in Whiteness-street prison four or five
times after being in communication with Dlr. l'reshfield in Nevem- I
ber. Got some duplicates of property from prisoner. redeemed the
property, and found that he had told him an untruth. Pawned it
again and gave him the tickets and a sovereign out of his own
pocket, and lost Gs. 6d. by it.
The Rev. Matthew Armstrong, Clergyman, residing at Dover,
recollected the features of the male prisoner, but could not connect
theta with any particular transaction. Knew the signature of the
commission and bond to he his, but did so only from the writing,
and could not recollect the female prisoner nor Mr. Green.
Green recalled—This is the instrument signed at Armstrong's.
It struck him at the time as singular that Rigaud read the commis.,
sion and not Armstrong.
These documents were then read.

W. S. IVatson was in the office of his brother, who was a Proctor
in Doctors' Commons. In July last he received directions from
Rigaud about the letters of administration by a twopenny post
letter. lied seen Rigaud write, and believes the letter to be his
writing. The paper enclosing the commission, affidavit, and bond,
is Rigaud's writing. Knew Rigaud to have been formerly en-
ged in business ul ibis sort.
Eliza Skinner has known the female prisoner about six years.
Was a fellow-apprentice with her, and never knew her by any name
but Ella Baker. She is about 17. %Witness was acquainted with
her in Sufthlk.street East, but the street has now another name.

Hannah Skinner, sister to the former witness, deposed to the
saute fame. Has not spoken to prisoner for twelve months. Knew
her at school.

Mrs. Dufree, the schoolmistress of Eliza Baker, deposed that she
had been at school four years and a quarter. Never knew her by
any other name. >rhe knew her 'mother and knew her nine
years; but has not scen her for three years.
Thomas Hopkins has lived in Brook-street, Holborn, for 30
kears, and knew most people in it, even the lodgers. Did not know
now any such person as Mary Foster.
Cross-examined—Perhaps does not know all the garreteers.
henry May, a clerk in the Bank—There was a credit for 21. in
the name of Mary Foster, in the ledger of Long Annuities on the
Ilth May, 1814, and on the Bth of August I/. more. In August,
1824, this sum was transferred in the name of the Commissioners
for the national debt, and was brought back on the Bth of August,
1828. On the 11th of August E. koster administered to her aunt.
Cross.examiued—Peter Bacon was the stock-jobber in the trans.
action. The jobber is a middle man between the seller and the
broker. The jobber has a commission of 8 per cent. The broker
would sell it to the jobber and pass it to the account of the jobber.
Mr. Everet proved that he did act on the power of Elias Foster.
R. Curtis, principal clerk to Mr. Everet, proved that a check was
presented on the 11th of August, and the sum of 601. paid in eon.
sequence of a note received either that day or the day before from
Rigand, and the fio/. was paid, he believes, to Rigand. He cbargd
the 00!. to the account of Collins.

11Ir. Smith, clerk in a public office, proved by his own writing
upon it, that the affidavit skarn him was read to the deponent,
and eworn in Bow-street office.

Thomas Pratt. clerk to Mr. Window, the army agent, proved
that the different documents shown li'm were in the hand writing of
the prisoner; knows hls writing well, having frequent occasion to
see him write when he called on business at the office.
Mr. Leadbeater, an attorney in Bucklerabury, spoke to some sig.
natures ; but has only seen Rigaud write once.
Cornelius Lee, a clerk in the Customs—Knew Green three years,
and knows his hand writing. The signature shown him was not
his hand writing.
Abraham Ruffel was a servant to Rigand when he lived at
Worthing with the female prisoner. Lived there three months,
and left three months ago. Did not know if a person of the name
of Meek was the same as Oarde.ier. Gardener was taken into cus-
tody in the house of Rigaud. At that time the female prisoner
opened the desk of Rigaud, took out some 'papers and gave them
to him, desiring him to bury or burn them. Another servant
snatched them off the fire when he put them on. The desk was
taken out of the house. _ . .

Mary Collins. on a question being put to her if she was a widow,
ether dress seennal to imply,was so much affected, that the counsel
expressed his regret at having touched her feelings. Her husband
was the army agent at Calitia. He had been in the Conunisariat.
Prisoner lodged in her house in London six years ago. The
female is Mrs. Rigaud. She saw them at Calais, the male prisoner
sailing first alone, and afterwards introducing the female, as hie,
wife. The letter signed Mary Collins is not her writing, and is
not very like it. finders no such person as illiss Foster, of Doren`.
Does not know Thomas Jones, Esq. Never had any such perm
as Mary Foster in her service. Never was at Philadelphia.
Thomas Archer was 'in the Commissariat of Bordeaux. Me.
Collins was not Assistant Commissary-General in July last.
Mr. BRODERICK now addressed the Jury for the prisoners.
The Teuton, he said, turned simply on a point of law. The find
count charges the prisoners with uttering the deed in question,
with the intention of defrauding the Bank of England. The me.
mod stares that it was with the intention of defrauding Peter Ba.
con; and the third, some person or persons unknown. With
respect to the first count, It must in the that place be proved, that
the Governor and Company of the Bank of England had some in.
Serest in the successive transfer) of this Stock. Mr. Sergeant 80.
usoquet who had conducted the prosecution, seemed to be very
Seeder of showing what he meant to examine, and it was no doubt,
because he saw that the objection was very available, if it
was taken. According to the Act of Parliament, the Bank
bad no interest in the stock whatevev., and could not possibly be
damnified after it had once been transferred to the Commissioners'
of the National Debt. It could not, therefore, be with the inten.
non of defrauding them. By the Act of 56th Geo. 111. chap. 7.
and see. 6. the Bank is ir.detnnified with respect to the transfer of
dividends to the Commissioners of the Naionel Debt. It struce•
biln that after the stock wait transferred in the name of Eliza Foster,
a OEM claimant had no right against the Bank, but against the woe.
son who had received the dividends. The Bank is indemnified
by the Act for any transfer which may be made, and also for the
pennant of the dividends thus transferred.
air. Devon 4311.1111 A PS remarked that they were indemnified only
for such disidends as should be paid in the mean time.
Mr. Bitonsatcx preceeded in reading the clause of the Ada'
. The question is upon the effect of the 6th section. Here stost
transferred front the Commissioners into the natuo of Mary Fate*.
Who is the claimant P One Peter Bacon ; not on the Govensert
sod Company of the Bank of England, but against Mary Foster,
or her next of kin. Suppose the stock had not been transferred',
and suppose the real representative to have urged his claim, against'
whom must he have applied ? Not against the Bank, but against
the person at whose instigation the stock was transferred. This it
quite clear, or there can be no meaning in the Act. Does
the flank mean to say that it considers itself !tenons'.
bie when stock has been transferred by forgery ? They will
not say so in a court of civil law, and they cannot therefore say
it in a court of criminal law. Do they mean to admit that the
claimant has a right to come on them ? if they do not they had no
interest. The manner in which the point struck one of their Lord.
ships was, that the responsibility on the stack arose as soon sail'
was rctranstcered iti the name of Mary Foster, previously to the ad.
ministration of Eliza Foster. But what is the use of the act in that
case ? As I read it the Bank is indemniticxl, not only for the diet
deeds accruing during the time that the stock stands in the name of
the Commissioners, but against every subsequent transfer. The
second count stares that it was with intim to defraud Peter Bacon.
We do not know, from the evidence, whether there ever was any
such a person as this Peter Bacon. It was never asked whether
the witnesses knew such a person. It was said that he was a
jobber.
Mr. Justice °ABELE!: set the counsel right in his remarks about'
the nature of a jobber. When a person had, an odd sum, anid.
wishes to make it up to a certain amount, he &mot purchase the I
sum, but applies to a jobber, who makes it up from wool
larger sum, and charges a higher rate of commislon than is usually
done. One of the witnesses might be called back to ask hint if he'
knew such a person as thin Peter Bacon.
Henry Alley medico called bask, and stated that he knew Peter
Beeon perfectly well.
but the'

wai,

Iran Vnt-geilt
4.1 41 riud
tbeie were

itla ffito-z"kiCa said there was such a visor' then t bu
deed could DOI have been uttered with intent to defraud an in
victual when it cannot be proved thatahe Prkameta knew that
an tool./ ;deal intended to purchase that Week. The question was
there any intention of defrauding biro at the time that It Wald),
It Mghtrait well 14 said test it was demeWith the intention to dip
unypf his Mjesty's subjects.
dirt 'Aaron Gaiiviat remarked that it was only access/
prove the intention to defraud generally.
Ale. lkoacuts continued. 111 snout to show that %bete