The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-10 00:00:00

ANOTHER FORGERY CASE.

At the Dublin Police-office on Monday a young
man named Charles Addison, filling the situation
of messenger in Fines and Penalties Office, Dublin
Castle, was brought up in custody of Police-con-
stable 156 B, charged with having forged three
cheques on the Bank. of Ireland for the respective
sums of £3O, £25, and ,E,lO, purporting to be signed
by Mr. William Cruise, Paymaster in the Fines
and Penalties Office.

Mr. Cruise having been sworn, stated that on
Saturday evening last he locked the drawer of his
desk, which drawer contained a cheque book, and
took the key home with him. When he went to his
office on Monday morning, he found that his desk,
had been broken open, and that three blank cheques
were abstracted from the book. He immediately
sent to the Bank of Ireland to have payment stop-
ped, as he suspected that his name had been forged.
Having examined the cheques in question Mr.
Cruise said that his name, which was subscribed to
each of them, was not in his handwriting. They
were endorsed C. Addison, the name of the prisoner
at the bar, who was a messenger in his office for the
past three months, and had access to the room from
which the cheques had been stolen.
Mr. Wyse asked the prisoner if he had anything
to say.
The prisoner (who spoke with a strong English
accent)—Mr. Cruise, can you swear that that is my
handwriting ?
Mr. Cruise—l cannot,
The prisoner—Mr. Cruise, I have only been here
about three months. The case is a very bad
one, and it will destroy me for my life if you prose-
cute me. I f you will swear that that is my hand-
writing I will forfeit my life.
Mr. Cruise—l have already stated that I cannot
swear that.

Mr. Wm. White, clerk in the cashier's office of
the Bank of Ireland, deposed that between 12 and
1 o'clock yesterday the prisoner presented the
three cheques in question for payment. He first
presented the cheque for £3O, and witness having
some suspicion of the genuineness of the signature,
asked him to what account Mr. Cruise wished the
money to be placed. The prisoner did not appear
to understand what he (Mr. White) meant, but said
T hclvo two othorn h0t..." Via nlgn guirl eornetillrg
about the Fines and Penalties Office. Witness told
him to bring back the cheque to Mr. Cruise to as-
certain to what account it should be placed. The
prisoner did not leave the office, and in a few minutes
came back and handed the three cheques produced
to the clerk beside witness, from whom he asked
payment of the amount. Ho was detained while
the signatures to the cheques were being exa-
mined, and whilst there a gentleman came in, who
having seen the prisoner and learned his business,
gave him into custody.
Police-constable 156 B stated that he had been
directed by one of the officers of the Bank to arrest
the prisoner.
The Prisoner—You are telling an untruth. No
officer desired you to take me into custody.
Mr. Jas. Mackay, chief clerk in the Chief Secre-
tary's office, stated that he went down to the Bank
of Ireland yesterday for the purpose of having pay-
ment of the forged cheques stopped, and on arriving
there he saw the prisoner, whom he at once gave
into custody when told by the clerk that he had
presented the cheques for payment.
Mr. Wyse said that upon the evidence which
had been given, he had no hesitation in committing
the prisoner for trial at the Commission. He re-
recommended him to reserve his defence.

EXTRAORDINARY CASE of A77EMPTED
EX taRTION.

On Monday last Mercy Churchward was charged
before the court of justices at Stonehouse, with
having, on the 10th of august last, in the township
of East Stonehouse, feloniously sent a certain letter
to Captain Henry TrEffry Fox, R.M.L.1., demand-
ing money under a threat, without any reasonable
or probable cause existing, thereby offending against
the statute made and provided.
Mr. Kelly appeared for the prosecution, and
Mr. Brian for the defendant.

On the summons being called the defendant, a
young woman, made her appearance in court.
She was one of the daughters of the man Church-
ward and his wife, who were committed to the
Plymouth Borough Prison for several months, a
short time since, for keeping a brothel in the
Octagon.

Mr. Brian said his client pleaded not guilty to
the charge of feloniously sending the letter.
Mr. Kelly said the prosecution was brought under
the 24th and 25th Victoria, cap. 96, sec. 44—'1 Who-
soccer shall send, deliver, or utter, or directly or in-
directly caused to be received, knowing the contents
thereof, any letter or writing demanding of any per-
son with menaces and without any reasonable or
probable cause any property, chattles, money, valu-
ablebaenilli
taybsloeeer7ufaretil
ottynh,ye
arainsocdtr hebteeirionnvg
oa
fle.uotanbbveliece
ot teuhidrtnt,
hg
et,
orebo
ef shallsk he
abpl be
in penal servitude for life, or for any term not less
than three years, or to be imprisoned for any term
not exceeding two years; with or without hard
labour, and with or without solitary confinement,
nod, if a male under the age of 16 years, with or
without whipping." In this case a letter had been
sent containing charges utterly untrue, with a me-
nace unless money was sent to the writer. No
money was sent, and the consequences of -this had
been so serious that there had been no alternative
for his client but to adopt the course which he had
taken. Cap!ain Fox was a gentleman serving in
the Royal Marines, and in August last was at Lud-
low, in Shropshire, on the recruiting service, having
been there some six or seven months. His wife
was then living at Stonehouse, having been unable
to join him through illness in the family. While
at Ludlow he received the following letter :--
" Ilobart-place,Anr.;. 10, 1862.

" Sir,—Captain Fox, I am given to un'derst'and 'that you
have money now as you know my Sister G racy Churchward
as a Sun whome you ar the Father off she knowing you to
have married Mrs. Stephens that you ran away with she is
not better than my Sister : my Sister chald being 3 years
and old and your Sun Charley by your wife will be six years
old : now I insens Henry Fox now in your senning me sun
money for your child and having my other Sister with you
now only sixteen you didnet get mo as you wish too I shall
aquent your wife of it. If you. dont answer this by the
return of Post I shall go to Woodside to your Mother and
aquent her of it, and also go to Mrs. Taylor your Sister
now I wait a reply by return your as you like Mer 4
Churchward.
" You have matain my Sister chald up to 8 months a go
and you will find Sir you will have to inatain it longer too.
"'l'o Cptain Fox Royal Maranis Castle Square Ludlow
Sropshire."
1 It was thus addressed to Capt. Fox, R.M., Castle-
square, Ludlow. The envelope bore the date 10th
of Aug. The letter was received at Ludlow. When
Capt. Fox received this letter in it was also au en-
velope by which the reply was to be s.eut. Capt.
11
Fox was about to leave Ludlow at the time he re-
ceived the letter, and no step -whatever was taken
then relative to it, either to deny its charges or any
thing else, Probably from the notorious character