The National Register.
London, England, 1811-06-02 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

The Attorney-General, for the prosecution, said he did not
wish to deal harshly by this defendant, and should not object
to the trial being postponed until the Sittings after the next
The Learned Judge acquiesced, and the trial accordingly
stands over:

OLD 114ILEY-

The Sessions commenced on Thursday, before the LoRT) MAY-
OR. Baron GRAHAM, Mr. Justice GROSE, the RECORDRI4,
Elizabeth llortcm, an interesting looking girl, only fourteen
'fears of age, was capitally Indicted for stealing in the dwelling-
honse of Richard Knightley, in the parish of Shoteditch,two
silver table spoons, six silver tea spoons, a one-pound note, a
guinea, and other monies, his property, on the 21. st instant.
Tt 'appeared that the prisoner went into the house ot the pro-
secutor t purchase some trifling article of linen-drapery, and
while there found means of purloining the articles in yttestinn ;
suspicions having arisen in the mind of the wite of the prose-
catGr, she gave an alarm, and the prisoner was secured and
searched, when the property specified in the indictment w.is
found in her possession.
This fact having been clearly proved, the Jury returned a
verdict of Guilty—Death ; but recommended the unfortunate
gfil to. mercy, on-account of her youth.
Sarah Johnson, an aged woman, was next tried on an indict-
ment charging her with stealing two silver watches, three gold
sals, a gold chain, and various articles of wearing apparel, in the
louse of John Ciozees at Spitalfields, on the 23d of April.
The prisoner it appeared was a servant in the house of the
1,,-osecutor,. and in the absenee-nf her master and mistress
the property in question, and conveyed it to a neighbour:ill.
paAvnbrokers, where it was afterwards found, and the prisoner
wrs identified as the person who had stolen them—Guilty—
Death. -

CHARGE or MtlßDEß.—Friday, John Colley, 45 years of age,
a sailor, was put to the bar to take his trial on an indictment
charging him with the wilful murder of Mary his wile.
The prisoner. it appeared, had but recently retureed. from a
voyage, but did not reside with his wife, who, it was suspected,
cohabited with a man named Ferguson. Or. the evening of the
ltPt h i!ist. Ole orienner went to her lodgings fin
-Sand-court, \Vaii-
ping, where she was in company with Ferguson On entering
the room he said, 44 This is my wedding day, and it shall be
clAy of murder," and in au an instant he drew a knife from 11:s
pocket and plunged it into the left side of the abdomen of his
w;le. lie then rushed towards Ferguson and attempted to stab
him, bet Ferguscn warded off the blows, and at length secured
him in a chair until a- neighbour, named Josef, came to h's
assistance. The deceased died in the course of the everin7. is
consequence of the wound, and the prisoner was conducted to
prison, whither he went without the slightest resistance.
The case for the prosecution t:aving been closed, the prisoner
was called on for his defence. He said he had always been an
affectionate husband to his wife ; but she, in company with Per.
gnson, with weeoin she cohaMted, had treated him with great
unkindness. At an early period of his life he received a fracture
on his head, in consequence of which he was occasionally de-
ranged, and he supposed he must have committed the dreadful
act, with which he stood charged, under the influence of insa-
tetty.
in support of this defence several persons were called, from
whose testimony it appeared that the prisoner had ctrt his throat
when on board the Ceylon Fast Indianian in 180(3 ; from which
time down to the day on which he committed the offence for
which he wa, indicted,'„his conduct was such as to bear the Most
manifest walks of a disordered mind.
Sir NATHAN' EL Gft as c having summed up the evidence, the
Jury retired, and after au absence of an hour and a half, re-
turned with a verdict of—Not Guilty,

SATURDAY, JUNt 1.
TRIALS OF THE BANK CLERKS FOR FORGERY.

The Old Bailey Court Was entirely taken up yesterday, until
a late hour, in the separate trials of Thomas and Arntitagef for
Lrging dividend warrants. •
Thomas was first put to the lrir on an indictment, charging
him with having forged a receipt to a dividend warrant, and
thereby defrauding the Bank of 2801.
Mr, GARRow conducted the prosectrtbn, and it appeared in
evidence that the prisoner was a clerk in the one and tcto pound
slate office,but previous to this forgery he had assisted in the
Imperial Annuity Office, and he there assLted in paying divi-
dends, and had accts, to the unfilled warrants,. books, &k. It
appeared that a gent!enuni of the name of Fraser, formerly of
Apollo-build lugs, Walworth, died in Nyvt tuber, ItiOGN and l.is
dividends had not been *plied fur. ft Was primd

361

that the warrant by which the money was obtained was oaltogs
ther a forgery of the prisoner's manufacture as well as the re
ceipt, and Mr. l'atheham, who paid the money, proved tha
the eight half-yearly dividends due, amounting to the suns
stated in tLe indictment, were paid on the 9th of August, 1810.
Of the twenty-four notes paid for the forged warrant, twenty
were traced to the prisoner, he having paid three to a Mr. Ro.
gers, and another of 101. he obtained change for at Mr. Davis's,
a cheesemonger, by the servant where he lodged. The several
notes traced were indorsed with different names of the prison-
er's hand writing.
Judce..G KO3 c observed to the Jury, that a case more complete
was norer made out, and he would not recapitulate the evidence.
unie:-s they requested it. The Jury examined the documents,
and found the prisoner Guilty—Death—(29 years of age.?
Richard Armitage was next put to the Bar, on an indictment
charging him with having feloniously forged and disposed of
forged dividend warrants, and thereby defrauding the Bank of
I;m:slam.' of '24301. 1 here were several other counts in the in.

diciment.
Mr. GA RROW stated this to be a case of great public impor-
tance, and as he should he very particular in his detail of fact.,
be trusted the Jury would pay that sort of attention which a
case of snch magnitude required. There had been some alarm
• with the Proprietors of Stock, and it was necessary fur the Bank
and the country, that this case should be paid particular attenttat
to. k was next to impo,sibility fur persons unconnected with
the Bank to have carried on these forgeries, without a confede-
racy within, as these dividend warrants were useless without a
Oct It's sanction, and this case was of the last importance, inas-
much as the prisoner had sacrificed his interest and betrayed hid
trust. That the prisoner, together with Roberts, stud a man of
the name of Hudson, had frequently met to commit a forgery.
of magnitude upon the Bank, and after serious consultation the
plan was hit upon. The prisoner agreed to furnish his two out-
confederates with blank dividend warrants, six in number,
which Rolie...ts filled with the Bank ink,in order that the appar•
ance might be quite correct. Roberts did the filling up part and
the forgery of the tianies, &c. with considerable skill, and Hud-
son outlet took to get the money by the following ftratagem
Having seen an advertisement of e cleik wanting a situation,
Hudson, who had turned stockbroker, leogaged him, and this
youth was seat to aillll the dividends, -whilst Roberts was in
attendance to look atter the money. • The prisoner knew who
was coming fur the money, and he was present at getting the
I business done, but when ascribing payment to the Bank, he
forgot who paid it. A Mr. Mills had lately come into the Bank,
and the prisoner was superintendaet, so that the money was ob-
tained as the dividend of one who had no stuck. Mr. Mills was
a novice in the office, but he had Armitage on his right hand.
The sum obtained was 2,400 L in large notes, which Roberta
got exchanged, and after givieg Hudson 5001. the remainder
was to be shared betwixt • the prisoner and Roberts, who al-
tered the number of the notes, by making the 0 into a 9, and
the I into a 4. The female associates of Roberts, K. Wide',
assisted in circulating the notes, but on her paramour being
takenobe was alarmed for her own safety, and she made
confession. Folkard informed Armitage of the fema:ai
(Willis's) confession, and the prisoner, who was a clerk at a
pond salary, of unimpeachable character, and of good con-..
nesions, fled, whilst every wall in London was bedaubed with
his name, and a reward of 3001. published in every newspaper
for his apprehension. This, said the Learned Counsel, was
not the conduct an innocent man vould pursue. The principal
evimess in the case was Roberts the accomplice, who came
before the Jury laden with guilt, and he would wish to redeem
himself by charging the prisoner. Mr. Garrow cautioned
the Airy in an ekwieent harangue, to watch narrowly
every syllable he uttered, and not to give credit to a single
word he tittered which was not confirthed by others.--.
Mr. Garrow added that he, however, bad a strong conform-
ation which 'west be credited. Armitage had informed Roberts
that Mill the clerk had two notes of WOOL each in his pos-
session for payment of dividends on a certain day, but they
Dad not been required and he had re:urnmd them, but they woulal
probably be re-issutd to hi= the following day. This fact was
the case, as proved by entries, and some one in the Bank must
have ma. it known to Roberts. The fact could only have
come from Mr.lVlilla or the teller who furnished him with the
notes, and this the Jury could net believe. Then it must
have come from the prisoner or some clerk in the office
who had access to Mill's port-folio, The day after this busi-
ness the Messenger from Hudson called for payment of
the forged dividend warrants, and Mr. Mias not hay-
ing a suilicient stun Armitage lent him two hundred pounds
to-pay with, and buolied it to him. This fact would not stand
upon oho t's test Man: y. but it would be proved by the Wima.
peachable testimony of Mills, and documents, wherein the pre=
tuner booked the sum to Mills in his own hand-wwiting. *Hie-
. female corripaci;:n of Roberts would also prove different meat-

-

Was the prisoner then .
thing to affect his life or liberty (continued Mr. Garrol.v), high
iu -employ, and respected by friends. The Jury would
remember ,the prisoner had left-his employment and connections,
1nt,.1 sought refugee in an obscure village near Ipswich, where he
:aid daily see himself advertised, with a full description. This
...Jae a circums:ance too strong to omit stating, as it was a corm-
Itoration of guilt, by the prisoner's own conduct.—After some
farther observ.ltions, witnesses were called.
.Here several witnesses were examined who corroborated the
4ove .tatement.
;4.'1;c1-el-persons spoke well of the prisoner; and after an elo-
quent addres.; from Baron GRAHA!..I, who descanted on the de-
pravity Of and Rdberts, the lory retired for four hours,
;and returned a verdict —On/My—Death.
The trial lasted till twelve o'oclock.

TAT- V, NATIO
- -4-
ings betwixt her paramour. the prisoner, and Hudson, and also
the, forgery Itself, in which she also would be confirmed by
witnesses and documents, which could not be false. Mr. Gar-
tow continued, he would prove the prisoner's signaturei which
might be termed his death-Warrant. It would also be proved,
that the prisoner expressed his fears to Folkard, who chided him
tor putting himself so much in his possession when the priso-
nersaid it was too true, but ke had no other friend to confide in.
FAkard would also be protirgliti be the bearer of a letter from
the prisoner to Roberts IA confinement as follows:-
Bth Liter, produced and wad.
Dr. A R R.—The motley you shall
.have immediately. I shall
esteem it a great favour if you will commit to paper what is
!ALI respecting mt.. Mont al, it over, as I wish tt, have an
opinion, and the least deviation will lead me into great error.
Signed with an initial.
Wa,s the prisoner then doubtful whether he had done any