The National Register.
London, England, 1818-12-21 00:00:00

OLD BAILE r.

MON D

s yAnit:

1. 4301

The interest excited to-dry, was very considerable. Nine
of the prisoners who had all ea.ly pleaded Guilty to baring
toned Bank Dotes io their possersion, having, as out trader..
ate aware, reit-at-led their plea.
,k 1 ten o'clock, the following persons wrro pot to the bar,
rifrNerl with uttering roil having in their roswebsion forged
Rank notes, viz. Broderick, Jones, Davis, Chafer, Hottert,
lioar.ston, and O'Mara.
' Richard Rroderick was first pot to the bar, alien
Mr. Serjeant liosunquet said, he was directed to move that
the prisoner should be put to the bar ; Lint before he would
h• pat upon his Uial, he %visited to adlirell.. a tea words to the
It had, it war well know ii, long In en the custom ip
rases of forgery, to prefer two bill+ of iiishelment against a
p. ironer, the one, for the capital offence, namely, for forging
and uttering, and the other fin the possession tit such notes,
knowiug them to tie forgrd, which subjected the paws to
tranrporlatien. Nothing had passed in the course his
. .

,lung expel leiter, which had gtveti him the slightest reason to
doubt that this custom was fonined in wisdom, and was
calculated tu aid the ends of justice. In bringing the parties
however betore the te hound of their country. they were left
t the flee and unbiassed exercise of their judgment, in
iletermitaing whether, to evuitt the capital part of the eliaige
mid its consequences, they would plead guilty to the lesser
c;iere. This, he repeated, they had an opportunity of doing
wiiliont hope or fee., or the exercise of any undue means
whatever. The prisoner now at the bar, he understood, was
one of those who very recently stood in the predicanrent of
kavitig two indictments for forget) refry red against him,
and he thought fit, at the proper time, to adopt the course of
p.eaeltiee chitty to the miller offence, and avoiding that which
might have affected his life. The Bonk, who were, Ise could
molt rt, ever actuated by lives of mercy, as well as public
.00re...rejoiced at this, and the plea of the prisoner, made
I.:tether with many others, was eakeit. It since, however,
. taloned out that the prisoner and swot, of his compaidoes,
considered themselves hardly dealt with, and made an ap-
plication, in shape of a petition to the Conti, to be allowed to
•retraet their plea, and take their trials. Upon so extraor-
dinary a determination of the prisoners, it was not for hint
to comment, but he could assure the Court, the Bank had no
Irish whenever, even now, to offer thesliglitest evidetice which
might affect the lives of the prisoners, who had been advised
,to adopt the proceeding of taking their trials. After these
few observations, Ito would now call upon the pawner to
snake am appliestion to the Court he might think fit, before
he (Mr. Serjeant Busatiquetr ptureeded further. A paper,
lite Learned Serjeent said, which was signed My the prisoner
and others, had bell to the present proceeding.
Mr. Baron Wood.—Pi issuer, hare you any application to
stake to the court ?
Prisoner.—A paper was handed to me on Friday last to
sign, hut I dotal know what it was.
Baron Wood.—Do you wish to retract the plea you for-
merly made in this place, acknowledging the gnat of having
forged notes iu your possession? If you do there remains
against you Iwo indictment*' one of which is the capital
otlitnee, upon which the Bank have no wish to proceed.
Prisoner.— don't wish to withdraw my plea. I know
-nothing attic paper.
Harms Wood.—What paper? Do you know any thing of
the person who drew it asp ?
Prisoner.— No.
' [Here several pet-soots said it was drawn op Ly one Mr.
414iNer.]
:Baron Wirol.--10 there a person named Miller present ?
No mustier was "owned.
• Mr. Brown, the Keeper of Newgate, then said, that on
'ilPtithly 'an application was made to him by the prisoner and
leis companions ; and alter representing to him the et nelty of
Their sitnati cccc , lie told Mein he would communicate whatever
they had to complain et or apply fur in writing. in rouse.
quence they gave him a written paper, which he put into the
hands of the Common Serie-not.
°baron Wood.--I again ask you, prisoner, do put now wish
itbietrart your plea of Guilty, and take your .rial ?
—"Prisoner. No, my Lord; I plead guilty to having the
)14te. in my_ po.sesslon, but I did not know it was longed.
Lhition wood.— Then you have pleaded guilty to an offence
liftithich you could not be guilty, for the indictment charges
• thit you knew it was forged.
" l'eisoiser.—l won't withdrew my plea I plead guilty, and
'aVtow myso if on the mercy of the Court.
Mr. Brown, the Keeper, here begged leave to say, that in
births, that the prisoner and his companious might not assume
kfriarance of the situation iu which they stood, he had, in the
most earliest way, commionicaleil wish them previous to the
time fixed for. their trials, aod stated to them must fully time
sititistaiire of a letter he had received truss the Clerk of the
Sank Solicitor.
Mr.Setjersit liosanquet.—l humbly trend, my Lords, that
this Matter may be rightly terstOod, and the pm vs Mallow
tint the letter alluded to may be produced Anil read with this
/Mew.
The Covert acceded, and it was read by Mr. Shelton, Clerk
of the Arraigns. It was signed J.ltooker, and requested
that the Keeper would not fail to conommoicate to all the
piisoners under charges of forgot y upon the Bank of England,
ttlat their trials wereathout to take place, mod that, except
three iiidloidsiels only (Dye, Connell, and anotl es) they %eolith
be charged upon two ludisrments, namely, fog the capital
crime, made-cling them to dea•li, and fur the 000 ill or offence
to that of transportation.
Serleani Bosunquet begged that time Court would now ask
?Jr. Brows' whether any other comes cation was made by
the Hank, through hiss, to the prisoners
The Court acceded, and Mr. Brown declared is reply,

s• Must certainly not."
Baron Woud.—Now, prisoner, lon hare ',tarsi what has
passed, and find, that if you withdraw your tinnier plea, yen
will again stand charged with two indictments, the one alter--
Wu your life, the other your liberty, in being removed I.&
years from your roustry. It is now fur you IA tar VI lushes
yogi will deny the guilt wislchimphosemeire.rtly acknowledged,
and take your trial.
Po istmer.-1 will not retract sty Ora.

Baton Wood. Then yvii etnireu your/tell' gnilty of having
the note in yore innoneigeo, known/gilt le he forged ?
Prisoner. —I had the trite, Ind deckle eolentuly l did not
knnvi it Vial (Oiled.
84111)1 Wood.—Then 1 assio tell Yoe. you Cannel in that
en,r bt! 414.11) ul the dence. Will ,uu tlanretore tale your

Wall
l'.e.oner.—N•o,nly Lord ; Iwo determined to plead realty ,
and {rave my irll •l tile 'mercy of the Court.
11.1r.e Wou.l.—'Eake care that you saiermand whait you