The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-09-21 00:00:00

BANK FORGERIES.

This morning the Consols Sees ItANT proceed.
eel I. pass sentence upon the fiilltiermy Prisoners,
who, with the single excepliun of Williams Sadler
(mii mai convicted by the verdict of a J or)), plead.
til Guilty to the minor offence of having forged
Bank of kuglautl notes in their possession, knowing
than to be forged. The Beuk abandoned the ca.
pital prosecutions on their pleading Gilley to the
minor eluirge :
Maria Wilkes, aged 21; Wm. Miner 23 ; Wm. Wilkes,
21; James Yenwell, 16; John Damn 11!; James Dalas, *1;
Jaws William., 4S; Mesh z 7; Charles Hansemabe,
IS; Joke Anderson. '39 ; ileary Way, 17 ; John Mason, 19;
Benjamin Tatham Willie, 31; Thomas Oven, 17; William
Quin, lit; Thomas *easy, 17; Junes Wolfe, 16; Joseph
er ante 11; witless fleas, to; Edward Blew, lb; era
AmaPit .16•02wuode 30.

The COMIIOII SIIUSANT, in passing sentence of
transportation for 14 years upon throe Prisoners,
observed. that they had all, except William Sadler,
who had suffered Isis case to go to trial, confessed
themselves guilty of the crime of having forged
Bonk of England notes in their possession, know-
ing them to be forged. and availed themselves of
the humassity of the Bank, the Directors of which
were willing not to proceed capitally ages►►st then►
on a cossfrossioo of guilt to the minor charge. They
ought to feel the force of the mercy thus extended
to them by the Prosecutors; for had the capital
charges been persevered its against them, and con-
victions ensued. thtei► lives would have beets the in-
'sizable forfeit which the law would have euforced
for their crimes.

. The greater part of the Prisoners seemed per-
feetly iudifferent while sentence was passing upon
the") : a few snore still remain to be sentenced for
the same of etice.—We believe the total number of
convictions (or confessions of guilt) to the minus
offence, is ti mess sod five women.
✓asses Strainer, • Custoni-house officer, was in-
dicted for stealing five silver-spoons, two folks, and
a funnel, the 'moped)? of Ciptisiii Lamb, of the
Baring East Indianian.
Caplan. Lamb stated, tint on the Titio of July
he went on shore, leaving the Baring in the Dock.
►lis plate he left iu the care of the steward, Julia
Glover.

J.,lisi Glover stated, that nu the 24th of July lie
put iwrt uI the Captain', plate in the plate-cheat,
and locked it up; the remainder he put into a box,
sail pl.ced it near the hatchwais in the gumrumu ;
the bi.x was not locked, but it was covered with
crow:no, and tied round with a cord. The Prisoner
was ou hoard as u Custom-Mime i4licer ; there were
several person* tw board—near a Mara. The wa-
nes. was iss the cabin, when hr beard a noise in the
gisii.romis, as if of palate rattling; he ran to the
spot where lie had left the box, which he perceived
had been removed to a darker .ituation ; he °Nitre.
vide Pritioiser near the spnt. soil Its haul in the
box; Prisoner drew it out, and witness observed a
funnel in his hand. Wituers asked the Pnsouer if
hi. hand hod been in the boa, mill la said it had.
W'itnesssa:tl the flume! was Captain Lamb's, ald
the Plisontr maid, " Oh, is it ?" The Prisoner
soon outer quitted the ship and went ou shore, and
Mad absent some minutes. The funnel was tin, and,
when new, cost three-lialfpetice. The plate was
afterwaids missed, and had never been found. The
Primmer was charged with the robbery and detained.
The Plisimer, in his defence, denied knowing
any thing of the plate. He was on board in the
character of a Cosmos-house officer, and it was his

duty to examine all parcels and packages. He Paw
the box in question, and kicked it with his foot,
when he heard the contents rattle, and the funnel
fell on the floor, sod he picked it up. He never
sew the plate, or did he know any thing of it. He
called several respectable ',Aimee*, who save him
an excellent chanieter.
The Foreman of the Jury here interposed, and
observed to the Court that they were satiptied.
Mr. Common SERJEANT—" Gentlemen, have
you considered the evidence; it is by that you are
to decide ?"

Jurymanil Yes, my LorJ, we are satisfied."
Verdict—Not Guilty.

John Thonews Littleton Barton If a shoe.
maker, aged in, was indicted for u burglary in the
kunst of John Catchpulr, on IV itichmure- hi 11, on the
45th of Jour, and striding it quantity of plate, a
watch, and some wearing apparel, his property. The
evidence to connect the Prisoner with the robbery
in question war principally that of a %V. May, who
resided opposite to the Prosecutor's house, who saw,
about three o'clock on the morning of the 25th, the
Prisoner and :mother man near the house ; the Pri-
soner was in the act of hiding a bundle in the shrub-
bery; he returned to the house, and the witness
asked linn the hour of the morning.
The Prisoner replied •• about three o'clock."
The witness shortly after went out to his daily
labour, and !missing the Prosecutor's house, heard ■
noise within, as if some persons were breaking locks,
mill met the Prisoner; a man came out of the
house, suit was putting on his shoes: he saw an-
other at • short distance with a bundle, which he
threw away ; the tire• men then ran away, and
were pursued by the witness and a man named
Butterfield, for more than a mile. The Prisoner
was at length apprehended in afield, on which he
called to Iris companitwis fur help. and made gre4t
resistance, but was overpowered and secured. Hut.
tertiald, the other witness. corroborated the fore-
going testimony, and stated, that he found the
bundle which the Prisoner had been seen to hide
in the shrubbery. The property was produced and
identified. The Jury found him Gouty.

Thomas Winks, a coachmen, was indicted for
etraliog eleven one pound notes, the property of
Matthew Brady, no the L2B:l' of August. It ap-
peared that the Prosecuto►, who is *omit to a
Mr. Spencer, at Ealing. had hired the coach which
the Defendant drove, and which belongs to the fa-
tuous Caleb Baldwin, the boxer. He was accom-
panied by another person, whom he described es his
brother; when they arrived at the place of destina-
tion, the Prosecutor found that he had lost his notes,
which he ►ecollected taking nut of his pocket at
Nottinghill, to look for the turnpike ticket. The
Prisoner produced three of the notes at the public-
louse at Ealing.
In Ins defence, he put in a paper, which stated,
that he found four notes at the bottom of the coach,
which he concesved he was obliged to keep to de-
bit,' op to the Cuuseakionen, .1 ilacksey Coaches,

, .
or bulled himself to • penalty of 501.; and. there-
fore, he did not produce them until the Prosecutor
demanded them.

Several moat respectable witnesses gave him an
excellent character for honesty. His muter, Caleb
Baldwin, concurred in thrir testimoriy.
Mr. VAILLANT, who presided uJudge, read over
the evidence much against the Prisoner.
The Jury, after consulting some time, found the
Prisoner guilty, but recommended him to mercy,
on account, as they said, of " his extraordinary
good character."
Mos. Doren& boy of twelve years old, was found
geihy of breaking the window of a Mr. Fox, iu the
Haymarket, and stealing a purse, value 7s.