The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-12-17 00:00:00

EOCGED BANK NOTES.

Yesterday a lung investigatiou took pirce before Mr.
Hicks, (lie Sitting Magistrate, of John .tdoem, one of tha
~,,, vs iLrint and extensive utterer• of b,rr, it tiaras MM. 111.. t
has heti, driecied upon obis nefarioti• piiiiider upo. INS
public, and the Bank Solicitors have enca;Ted lu SWIM 1110
411111,rUSIS parties who have hien &fraud. d by him in car-
ryiug out the numerous pruarru•iuns against him. Thera
were tio lets than lire clear iy proved yesterday.
The Prisoner was• apprehended a few slays since by
Humphreys, with * gang of thteres, iu Ron,!..irtrt, sw mpt-
iug to rub persous in the most daring manner hewn* pit unwed
as having uttered a forged bl Bank stole to Mr Hopkinson,
a gruel r, iii Henri, itamireet, Covent-garden, ill Ih.• put
of a pound of Iris; at Mr. l'ockney'T, a eiticer, so Bedford.
street, Curtis' garden, he uttered o bl. (~,erd Nee 111 slur
poirlinrr win pound of tea, and said h tame from Mr. Kiid•
dell, al the New Slau:litel's Coffer-house, Si M
at Mr. Anderson's, Mr. liarelay'ii, and Mi Showstnith's,
grocers, in St. Muffin's-lane, he tittered It ft)l K. tl SI. Bank
note at each shop in the purchase of a pound of tea Mr.
Anderson was induced to take the note from liiin 011 seeing
the mime of Fuss, Nassau street, Sohu, written on it, and
Mr. Anderson knowinj shat Its Sr sas a 'meson of that name
residing there, and the Prisoner represented himself• to be
the person. At Mr. Barelay's he stated, ilad he came iron►
Mr. Wells, at the Nurthoinht Hand Cutler-house, Charing.
cross. Mr. Barclay bad the precaution, before lie parted
with his properly, to send to Mr. %%the to make loquiries,
and the Prisoner hallowed the person sent, taking advantage
of a number• of persous being its the shop, and by that rheum
made lisa escape.
At Mr. Showsmith's he represented himself Or coming
Goan the la +Mord it ihe Rainbow ciiilie.lionse, in &tog.
street, Covent-garden, who he staled to be a very particular
man, and tin that account requested to have the price of
the lea and paid written tin the tra.paper ; and Mr. Show-
smith knowing that to be the character of the lambus it of
the Raiiibutir cuffee-house, had nu doubt of his being the
character he repres. sited himself to be, and did nut hesitate
in taking the forged Si. mite.
All the representations he hail given of himself proved to
be entirely false; he seldom appeared us ihr same ri.auctei
SOnll'i 'Mei he was dressed as a pus ter, at whets sentrely and
fashionably, es he wan ye..teiday gone a Dowdy. the unit
Mr. Audessou look of him puipurted to he signed by
Phillips, a Bank clerk; nod Mr. Anderson having seen uu.
doubted good not,. signed Philhp., and convideriug that
presented by the Prisusivr to be ibe s.rme baud-wi lung, was
another inducement fur bin taking tar

Mr. John Freeman, a Rank-note Inspector, proved that it
was out Mr. Phillops's writoug, who was a chrk in the Hank,
and stated, that all the the nuteu whic1....4.1 been Issued by
the Poisoner were furgroirs, and that 11,, y bad been all
winked oft (rout the same plate.
Mr. Showsmoth uuderwent an exanoitlatioon by the Magis-
trate, in cousequence of his having stmiat to th. Solteiour to
the Batik, that he was nut in inosses..tim of 'tie Ca 1:C11 11111 C
which had then uttered to him by the P/ Ing,lit i w bile he us.
in the other; and afttrwards he ackuuwl4.4.4 d 11141 he Ito.. it
in his pocket, sod produced it. Mr. I hu..smith urcuutti..l
fur his false statement by saying, that, ill audition 111 the
loss of the smuuut 4.f the owe 10: lead turtt drlrnudrd 441 by
the Prisoner, he could tout afford to to.e the lime to prose.
cute him, as be did nut keep an assastaut to his stoup, and
boa wife had an infant to arms.
The Ave parties were bound over to i.rusectote the Pri.
soner fur uttering life tinged notes to cheql and &floud
them, and the bank Solicitor will conduct ohe pruetcutious
fur them.
ROBBERY AT COVENTGARDEN THEATRE.

On Monday evening u floe company erre proceeding into
the pit of Covent-garden Theatre, on the opening of the
doors, Donaldson, the constable emplo)cd lay the amine,
was in titteudance, and as s caution railed out to those go-
ing into the theatre to take care of their pockets; and Ina.
meillately after Donaldson beard a voice among the crowd
Falling out " Officer!" and in cons...garner he made has
way to the spot, wk., be found a Droll. man who had
called for assistance, saying be bad been rubbed of his watch,
and had seised a man by tile collar, wham he eh arced a alb
having rubbed him of his watch, which was found lying oat
the ground with the glass bloke° The mass seised wall
brought to the Office, when he proved to be ll'iffions Hawes,
a well-knowas character. fie was committed. The Gentle.
mass rubbed was Mr. John Manning, of limes Langley,
harfitager and coalmerchaut.

QUEIKAQVAISC.