The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-12-15 00:00:00

',oed with this business. to be distinctly under-
Baron WoOD—st What letter do you allude
Mr. Browne-9s I have it, my Lord."—(Mr.
I:nostie thVia wrest to hi* office fur the li.:iter.)
Mr. REVVOLDS--." It is right that three things
sinntlhl lie soriler•irsod."
r. Browne thru retorted with the (titer, which
.• handed to his Lordship, and afterwards, irt
2•1:. Serjeant iliwouque 'a request, read by the
1. ler& ol the Ammo*. It was :is
lidlow. --
" Sts—All the Priitioetra noir in your eisetutly, charred
with (0.'0~4 havint uttered turned hauls.
whom hue hill. thee he 'tomtitd by the Geanil Jury,
si the old Matey au Friday mutating, the 4th or
Ikovunber
*. Two bat. of inctirtneret, the ow, fur the capital stWenee,
anti the other r r the tiampurtable felony, wilt be playa...tut
agaittet each of the P acre, tarept J. Widiams, J Dye,
owl Wm. CORlllif. avitist whole indictments fur the eaOttal
atlemer •Rly witt be pieferre4
i• Poor ultedieut Stueast.,
" J. ItOOKE.
" New Dawk.baskliapr, Awe
" A Broome, Leg"
Mr. Serjeant linsAarit/ET -" I. that the whole?"
The Clerk of th- Arraigos—" Tii.4 is all."
Mr. Baron Wooes—" Did you explain all this
to the Pruners ?"
Mr. Browne—" i did, my Lord, eNislain the
we
Mr. Serjeant BOSANSUNT-6, May I ask whether
you had ail other ermaniumeati (((( ftulo the Bank?"
Mr. BroWitr—" None whatever."
Mr. Baron Wouu then repeated to the Prisoner
the nature of the two sudretruents winch were against
him, mod arivived I iiiii to consider Whitt he was alt,
adding, " You have already pleaded guilty to the
charge which expose. you to transportation tor ld
years.; do you wish to withdraw that plea, and put
yourself upon your trial ? if you do not, all that m-
ita:nits for the Colin is, to !maw the sentence winch
the law awards fur the offence of which you confra•
yourself guilty. Do you now conftsts that you hail
this note iu your possession, kuoviiug it to be
lireett ?"
Prauner—" I did not know it to be forged."
Mr. Br Woon—" Then will you plead Not
Godly, and he tried ? Uulrss you knew it to he
forged. you have committed no create."
a>rietnier—" I do not want to be tried, or to
with my plea. I throw myself un the mercy
of the Court."
Mr. Baron W00D...." Then you prefer bring
transported for 14 years to standiug your trial, and
suakitig the Prosecutor pruVe his case out of other
snout's. 'ban your own ?"
Prisoner—tt
Mr. Baron WOOD-.." Well then, his plea must
stood."
Mr. Serjeant BOSANQUST then said, that the
Bank did nut mews to proceed against the Prisoner
tor the caf awl charge. fir was accordingly arraign-
ed on the capital charge, and acquitted, there bring
nu evtderice adduced against bite. He, of comae,
in conies pirnce of his plba of Guilty to tlw Minor
utfence, is liable to fourteen years' transportatiod.
William Jones was twit put to the bar.
On trit.reore to the pelittoti presented to thief:milt
on a former d .y it was found to contain the signa-
ture of the Prisoner, who wished to revoke his plea
of gstilty to tint rumor offence.
Mr. Baron %VooD then addressed him—" Prime
suer, you litre s goed this prittion, I believe 1"
Prisoner—" Yes, my Lord."
Mr. Baron WOOD—" Theo I find it is your de-
lire to withdraw your tiles of guilty to the indict.
metit for the lesser offetire, and to expose yourself
to trials for both the capital and the !claw charge,
at the di•cretiou of the Prosecutor?"
Prisoner—" Yes, I am ready to go to trial."
Mr. Serjeant BOSANOLIFT timid the Bank hurt no
tritsh, nor way or the other, in these cases, but for
public justice; hr therefore hoped the Prisoner
would merely commit its own frellogs, and receive
from the Court whatever indulgeece lie *as thought
entitled to.
Mr. Baron WOOD—" The Prisoner is one of
those who hove petitioned for pertina•ion to with-
doter the plea already recorded. The Court is
ready to grant the solver of their petition, and the
Prisoner must abide the coosegnences."
The Prisoner -" My Lord, I wish to know whe-
ther, if I am discharged on my trial for Mr capital
offence, I shall be transported afterwards fur the
Minor offence ?"
Mr. Boron 1Vo00—" That nits4t entirely deurtol
MI the result of )our trials, thuald the Prusecutuis
111/011 both."
The Prisoner then said, that he hod been pee-
veiled upon to pieta guilty to the minus uWes.er.
)41 !being asked by the Court by whom he I'4ll bee:i
so perstiluied, the Prisoner seplied, by Mr. Biowue
and Mr. Ili•hopp.

Mr. Broom- declared to the Court that this
assertion WI'S totally had never interfered
to direct liir Prial.oers le* to any pirticular coarse—
n*, had he ever spoken to them hut in the prows:Cr
of witnesses, who could prove the falsehood of the
assertion now mask by the Prisorser at tile bar.
The Cuutcr sind they were fully consumed he
/tad acted as he ought to have done.

Prisoner war then shoot to be arraigned on
the capital charge. whets Mr. Serjeant iiniattQUlT
'Wed, tail iu this eine he larrrly washed to try the
,Prisrirr Mk the minor indictment. tlw KUM 110
which hr already pleaded guilty. but With
plea lir had now recalled,
Thr rids. tosrntwas: for 111:101Ilg two forged 11.
oulrl., oh the Inth of Noitriasher last.
Mr. SerjP.IIIII 1303 A SQULT, in stating this taw to
the Jury, tlona4ht it necessary to wake torerol ro-
pleresatiire tanwreatioris respeetirig the conduct sir
the Batik. The coarse of prnerrchng in Bank
proweirtions hoot been, he said. tar yearly is
tet.lnfy. that of itistiturooK two indictments, *loch
as haul hero Already deserilwd. marl airy hail
odopted this roarer entirely tit
thry at 14014 Ih ght were hearthlel to the potty
larCelled. 110 d Milli a, seroucslell sunny with the roils
of public justice. Tar ',email Srijraist turn re-
vw..ed the ddierrsit Ilcgrers of ersinuoulity is, for-
geries of ibis nature, from the •origiiiiil
lishri-
rrtor to the titterer. arid pointed out that the
Magistrate U11..1111 made Mat the cosussultal
iteetorliag as lie virwarl the e pleziun of the 01-1.
1. utr, $O.lll then Imolad tiler the Prosecutor 11011 as
1.1 It Iltirf Ina Stllol.ol.•ttict- lisipeirtire uu the tail,
II 111 isi+l.l),llg to the COWL to grout Pll*Olicia

permission to plead guilty to the minor offence, the
Bank hrd erred. the claw was at the rule of mercy to
the Pi..nrier, fur the proof of the minor indictment
wits the lime which would convict on the larger
crime. He then contended that the certainty of
the punishment for the • tor mater was au mer-
fectual way to tepress the criminality to which it
was applied. fie then begged to correct several
erroneous statements which had gout abroad among
the public. It had been asserted that the Bank, in
suasequence of the acquittal of certain Prowlers on
a former day, hail ackilostledged itself to he in
error respecting the law as it minted to pro.ecut'
Of this Cod, and jwd abandoned tenni,' other
prosecutions. This was not the fact ; they had shim.
doted tits
.pi osecuti tttt s its the manner stated. They
hod given lip two prosecutions inertly heesuse the
crisis:rice they hrd in support of them had been
asocieditell by a former Jury, and they would
nall. therefore, press a second time upon any
.fury evideirce winch hail beau deemed iusufli.
cent by tie Jury that preceded them. He eke
thought it important to correct another mistake.
It had iwtett misted, that. certain unfortunate par-
sons, who now hat' under capital convictioiss, had
hail en opportunity from the. Bank of pleading
guilty to the minor Offence. There was not a word
of truth in this : the Batik ois the former, as well
as on all other occasions, had given the usual notice
to the Prisoners respecting their trials, and whether
for the capital or the toinor offence ; and the Liam,
Yuriale persons now under sentence had beau tried
alone ors the capital charge.
The Learned Serjeant then stated the particulars
of the widener against the Prisoner as,„the bar, as st
was sittnequently given by the witnesses.
IVilliam Hanker. stated that he was the son of
Robert Hanker, who was .4 hatter, reading at
No. //9. Hultlont. On Thursday, the 19.11 of
November, the Prisoner came to his father's shop,
and asked fur a low priced hat ; witness shewed
hint one, and he agreed to pay 9s. fur it, sod ten-
dered Into a 11. note. Suspecting it, witness asked ,
hint fur his name and address, and he wrote " Geo.
elov, Eagle-street," on the Note. Eagle-street is
dearly opposite witssess's shop. The note produced
was the same. The suspicion which witness had

we. iutinisted to his father, who came into the shop
and asked fur pen and ink, fur the purpose of writ-
ing the Prisoner's addie•s. Prisoner said he had
ilreedy written it ; but witness's father seeing no
number, asked the Prisoner what number it was,
and he said No. 13. Witneos's father told him to
go to Eagle-street, and the Prisoner said l►e would
accompaoy him. Witness's father would not per-
tint him. Witorss went, and found that uo such
person lived in Eagle-►treet, and on his return
found the Prisoner in his father's custody.
Robert Henke*, the father of last witness, wind,
that on the tveniug iu questiou he was called into
the shop. and lie got between the Prisoner cud the
dour, and naked for a pen cud ink. Witness asked
the Prisoner fur his address, and he said he had
written his name and address on it. Witness looked
at the mar, 111111 found two endorsements on it ; hut
finding nu outlaw, to the address 1w asked the Pri-
soner for it, and he said Nu. 13. Witness told his
son to go there. mid the Prisoner offered to nand
'Mew loin where ii was; witness told Prisoner it was,
a forged note, Hod he (Prisoner) should stop there
until his sun roomed. Witness's son went,
and the Prisoner said he could nut see that witness
had a right to detain hint if he had a forged note in
his possession. Witness said it may be, and if such
I person lived there it may he all right. Prisoner
told witness if he would go siring with him he would
thew him where lie took the note. Witness told
him he should not. Prisosirr !Lori' saido " You
shall nut detain me, for I will go." %Vanes* told
hints he should nut go ; he then went towards the
door. and witness collared him, but having a good
deal of glass about his shop he did nut like to have
a scuffle, and the Prisoner forced himself out upon
the pavement, when he fought away right and left
at witness's face, and witeirse let go his hold to de-
fend himself, Hod knocked Prisoner down in the
kennel ; and as lie was endeavouring to get up wit-
ness made a grasp at him, hut Prisoner avoided it.
and rams down Holborn. Witness pursued him as
fast as he could, crying, " Stop thief !" and a watch-

mass near Chaucer;-true put his hand out, tried to
catch hint, but threw him down, and witness seised
bins; took hint hick to the house, and sent for a
constable ; just as thry got to the shop witness's
ion Iwd conic back, and said there was no such
iwrsuo living in Bugle-►treet. Witness wrote his
. mune au the floe, and he was sure the one pro-
duced was the tame.

Ann wile of %Villain Grigg, void that on
the 15th ut. November aut. ►he lived at No. IS,
unit the Prisoner to her knowledge
tidal never laves! there. The Prisoner was a perfect

stronger to her.
Dennis Cd tttt ing, the watchman, proved having
stopped the Primmer in Holborn. and his being
taken hack to the Prosecutor's *hop.
. .

Robert Newniati, officer of the night at St.
Giles 's watch-house, and Daniel Furzeaiun, a con-
stable, proved his being brought to the watch-house
the tamie eietiiiig, alien he admitted that his name
wits Joins, and that he reside) in Parker.
aireet, Drury-lane. Furzemais also swore that the
Prisoner said to him, he knew it was a had note,
and that lie knew he should " go for life." Furze-
man afterwards wrist to No. 5, Parker-soreet,
Drury-laise,and found a woman, who acknowledged
lirraelf the wife or the Prisoner, and she permitted
I to search Irer WOW, but lie found nothing sus-
pitons*. .
Charles n milkman, corroborated the evi-
dence of the two lasi witnesses.
When Mr. Baron Wont) asked the Prisoner
whether he had iniy questions to pat to Ball, he
replied, 'hot the %tittles.- hail called himself is milk-
n-:.11, but lie howllitng more thou • colder to
Fin zrwian, the emistabir, and was employed. by
lion to entrap phut men he could.

The next witness called was Thomas Evans.--
Witness. Is salassot to Jamey Ethielk, Mu haber-
dasher, No. 5, Covrotty•strret. The Pri.osser came
to his Inuster's shop um the sth of Nov. and, in pay.
meat for a count, 'dried a 1/. note ; and *lien
:eked rat his addre,s, he wrote upon the note,
fioyser„ Georgr-street, Adriphi," tool then
,ad, that was Isi. toaster's moor. Mr. Edslells said
he would send auto b..dy with him to istgaire, sod
uu thr way to ihr Ativhda he reaped.
Julio !.era, lialik losspectot, deposed, that the
notes .14,w he fuse tire Cutert were tersepev. fie
• •

knew their to be furge►ie% by many eireninstances.
The date and number of Batik lintel, were all stereo-
typed. but Sint Po lii the forgeries. In the paper
Walt (or the Bank the water-mark was formed at
Ihr time of making it, but in the forges-4es it was
engraved. He had no doubt that the note now
ealtated was a forgery.

111 answer to questions front Jurors, he stilted
that there were no other metros of detecsing a
forgery that lie could satisfactorily
lie chiefly relied upon his experience; the paper
was different from that used by the Bank. The
Hank had, in one instance, taken a forged note.
mistaking it fur genuine, but the note was old,
touch defaced. and had paper pasted oil the back.
-- Tabor, a signing clerk. said the name affixed
to the present note war nut his writing. He could
tint be mistaken.

The JUDGE then summed up the evidence, and
the Jury, after a few minutes consultation, found
the Prisoner Guilty.
Mr. Baron WOOD observed, " I am glad that
this trial has taken place. It will prove to the
public that the Prisoner now convicted did not, on
the former occasion, acknowledge himself to be
guilty, without being conscious that he was so."

Wm. Davis was then put to the bar, and ad-
dressed by Mr. Justice HOLROYD to the fullussiug
effect :

- - William Davis, a petition has been presented
by certain Prisoners, among whom I do not see your
mime, to be allowed to withdraw the plea of guilty
they had previously pleaded to the charge of hav-
ing forged notes 111 their poiweiwiou ; is it your
*loll to withdraw your plea ?"
Pritioner--.4 It is now,
Mr. Justice HOLROYD—." You should under-
stand that by pleading guilty, you subject yourself
to transportation for fourteen years ; do you still
abide by your plea ?"
Prisoner—" I do, my Lord."
The Prisoner was then indicted on the capital
offence.

Mr. Serjrant BOSANVIET said, he should pro.
dace no evidence, sad the Prisoner was accordingly
Acquitted on that charge.
Wm. Clocker was then put to the bar, and ar-
raigned on both indictments, to each of which he
pleaded Not Guilty.
Being asked if it was his determination to with-
draw his plea of Guilty to the minor indictment,
and take his chance of trial un both ? he answered
it was.

The indictment WIIP then read to the Jury, charg-
ing the Prisoner with feloniously having in his
prissestion, knowing it to be forged, a forged
Bank note for IL purporting to be of the Batik of
England.

Mr. Serjeant BOSANQUIT addressed the Jury.
He said, that it appeared the Prisoner at the bar
had resolved to pursue a different course from the
last. The last might have been imposed upon by
bad advice, and the Prisoner at the bar might
have acted on better, But it was his earnest wish
that he should be tried on the evidence to be pro..
(faced, tvithout reference to the last time, or any
thing that had occurred before. He was extremely
anxious it should be unequivocally understood,
that no step whatever had been taken by the Bank,
to induce prisoners to adopt one course in preference
to another. If the evidence which should be pro-
duced to the Jury would not satisfy them that the
Prisoner at the bor. was guilty of the offence
with which lie stood charged, it would become
matter of impossibility to guard against the corn.
mission of such crimes, whether of a public or
private nature, in this great commercial coun-
try. A bill of exchange, or a deed, was writ.
ten on common paper, on pipes that had ho-
thing peculiar whereby to facilitate the detec-
tion and proof of a counterfeit ; and the simple
deposition of a party that • signature purporting
to be his, was not so, was held a sufficient proof of
the forgery. But here the matter was car►ied much
further. The notes of the Bank of England are
impressed on paper peculiarly their own—on paper
expressly protected by the authority of the Le.
gislature, mud which no other hornet' being
could have in possession without incurring the
guilt created by the Act. Even to have the mate-
rials of such notes in possession before they were
impressed, was an offence of which several persons
had been convicted. The prosecutions about to be
brought forward would be supported by the testi-
mony of respectable tradesmen who had suffered
from the prevalence of the offence. The Bank had
deemed it their bounden duty to undergo the ex-
pense, and to assist by every means in brioging the
offenders to justice. The testimony would not be
liable CO a breath of suspicion. The Learned Ser-
jeant then drew an outline of the facts of the case;
after which— _

Elizabeth Macklin vs. called, sworn, and ex.
attuned by Mr. /Utz°Los.—ls the wife of M.
hlaekliir, grocer. 31, Baldwin-street, St. Luke's.
Recollects the Prisoner at the bar coining to the
shop on the Gth November last, between cleven
and twelve o'clock in the forenoon; he said he
wanted some tea and sugar I that his wife had
been put to bed that morning, and could not come
herself, and wished him to come there, thinking
witness would give him change as she dealt there ;
he had two minces of tea and half a pound of
sugar, with other trifling artieles, which altogether
came to 26. and lie gave her • Bank note;
toted about giving the change, and asked Ins
urine, which he Kaye as Mr. Cummins, K, Rild.
win's-gardens ; wrote the address ou the note her.
srlf-.-LThe note was here banded to Witness, which
she Identified, and stated her hand-wntiug► on it
to be as above, with the addition of M. M. the
initials of her husband's name.]—Gave him the
chaoge, and he went away; pool oil' the note the
same evenisig; it was returned that day fortnight
from the Bunk, with the stamp of hying forged.
tier husband gave one for it: he is in Court.
The Prisoner was asked. had lie any quevtions to
auk the witness?' He replied, No ; he hail never
seen her in his life before. amid that she must be a
very bad woman.
Witness re-examined.—Piisoner was half an
hour in the shop, as she was obliged iu send out
fur chauge ; talked a good deal with Nita ; is quite
sure she is not as to time man.

blatilietv husband of last witness, ex-
smisivi.—Recullects the note coming back; iu
consequence, made inquiries that dbil for the pr.,-
sou who butt passed it; tried at 3, Ilaidwiti's-grur-