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

ANOIHER 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 £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 9
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. If 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
"I have two others here." He also said something
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. He 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 be 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.

EXTRAORDIYA RY CASE of A 7 7 EMPTED

EX I ORI7OIV.

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 ner 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 chargeal
lnyod
said
2a fioedtl oht nhi
eo
Victoria,e l
prosecutiony
ad pin.9g 6 t,
washs
ee
sec.
re4ot
4tu e_gr
h. ,
t,
under
h o
..
theM2rfthe
soever shall send, deliver, or utter, or directly or in-
directly caused to bo 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-
able security, or other valuable thing, shall be
guilty of felony, and being convicted thereof shall
be liable, at the discretion of the court, to be kept
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,
and, 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. Captain 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:--letter:—
"Hobart-place,Aug. 10, 1861
" Sir,—Captain Fox, I am given to understand 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 child 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 senuing me sun
money for your child and having my other Sister with you
now only sixteen you didnet get me as you wish too I shall
arifiquncennt' yourhe wiferof it, and it. If
alsolif youo to
now I wait a raply by returng your as dont answer this by the
return of Post I shall go to Woodside to your Mother and
Chu] chward. Zsayydoour
iyourjkei\Sliesrteeyr
"You have matain my Sister thald up to 8 months a go
and you will find Sir you will have to matain it longer too.
"To Cptain Fox Royal Maraais Castle Square Ludlow
Sr9pshire."
1 It t e
l 0
pe was thusbywhich
addressed to Capt. Fox, R.M., Castle-
' square, Ludlow. The envelope bore the date 10th
of Aug, The letter was received at Ludlow. When
abouth to the
leave l'eP
Llyadi as
ow
Capt. Fox received thia letter in it was also an en-
Foxto b
at
the time
C heapt
was
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

of the defendant his client might have thought it
not worth taking notice of. He should prove to
their worships that the defendant admitted having
written the letter, but disclaimed its authorship,
am' admitted the untruth of its contents, having
written it at the instigation of a female named
Murray. With regard to the law of the case, he
thought this was clearly shown in "Regina v.
Smith" (p. 882 Carrington and Kirwin's Reports),
where what was the menace sufficient so as to sup-
port an indictment was laid down by Chief Justice
Wilde to be as "whether, in the event of themoney
being refused, mischief would ensue." The threat
hero was to communicate the false statements to
the prosecutor's mother and to his wife; and the
consequences of their being so communicated to his
wife might be distressing, and was in this case
most distressing. The defendant could not be exa-
mined, and Murray was not there; he would, there-
fore, be obliged to put the case hypothetically. If
their worships would suppose that after that letter
had been written the communication threatened
was actually made to prosecutor's wife, and she not
being very strong minded, was weak enough to go
to a common brothel for the purpose of being con-
vinced of the facts, and there, upon inquiring for
Phoebe Churchward, a voice answered inside, " Oh !
Phocebo Churchward! she had been gone this six
months; she is living with Captain Fox, at Lud-
low ;" then Mrs. Fox to act upon such information
as this, to get rid of her husband's property, take
away his children, and institute a suit for the pur-
pose of obtaining a divorce. He thought that
would be a case of mischief ensuing on the threat,
and he would state that such were the actual facts
that had occurred. All that he had hypothetically
put had taken place. His client's wife was gone
from him; she was living away from him, and she
had intimated her resolution to take proceedings
against him in the Divorce Court.
Mr. Brian inquired if Mr. Kelly could prove
that these results had followed.

Mr. Kelly—Oh, no, I am obliged to put them as
hypothetical ; but still they are the facts.
Mr. Brian thought it was rather a sly way of
introducing them.
Mr. Kelly continued to say that this letter
having been written, such a case of mischief fol-
lowed. The prosecution to refute the statements
had taken this course. The defendant stated that
she only wrote the letter; it was dictated to her
by another person, the woman Murray, but they
had no other course to take than that which was
now taken. Captain Fox having been threatened
with steps for proceedings in the Divorce Court, in
which Murray was to be a witness, any attempt to
take anything like proceedings against her at pre-
sent might be construed into an attempt at intimi-
dating the witnesses, although what course he
might ultimately take would be quite another
matter. He proposed to call Julian, the policeman,
who went to the defendant's house, when she at
once admitted that she wrote the letter, and in
Hobart-street ; but stated that it was done by the
dictation of another party ; then to call Captain
Fox.

Mr. Brian said that if it would facilitate the pro-
ceedings his client would admit that the whole of
the letter was in her handwriting.

Mr. Kelly thought he would rather have it
proved in evidence. He then called
John Julian, who said—l am a detective officer
of the police of the borough of Plymouth, and re-
ceived this letter from Detective Inspector Thomas,
which I now produce. I received the envelope and
these contents, the letter and another envelope in-
side it. The envelope inside is addressed " Miss B.
Churchward, 15, Hobart-place." I received this
about a fortnight since. I went to 14 Hobart place,
Stonehouse, the same day, knocked at the door, and
asked if Mercy Churchward was in. I there found
Mercy Churchward, the defendant. I showed her
the letter. There was another person there in her
company, a girl of the name of Gun. I asked the
defendant if she knew anything about the letter and
envelope. She said " Yes, I wrote it in this room, on
the day it is dated. Mrs_ Murray was here and gave
me a quantity of gin, made me quite drunk, and
then told me what to write, and that I was to have
£l5. She had given me half a sovereign. Mrs.
Murray directed the envelope and enclosed it." I
then left her and the girl Gun in the room. The
house is a brothel. I returned the letter to Inspector
Thomas. I know this one produzed to be the same.

Cross-examined by Mr. Brian—l cannot recollect
if she said when she had the half sovereign. I think 1
there was something said about Devonport. I
remember something being said about Devonport,
and about being in a public-house, but I cannot say
whether she said that another letter then written
would have been sent, but she was too drunk. She
said Mrs. Murray directed the envelope that applied
to the enclosed one. On examining the envelopes,
I think the two were written by the same person.
She did not tell me that when she had written the
letter Murray took it away, `nor did she say that
she did not send the letter, nor anything about a
Mrs. Smith having posted the letter.
Re-examined—She said she wrote the letter, and
Mrs. Murray the envelope.
Capt. Fox was then examined. He said—l am a
captain in the Royal Marine Light Infantry. In
August last, up to the 16th, I was residing at Lud-
low, in Shropshire. I was living there for about
eight months. I was recruiting there for her
Majesty's service. My wife was residing at Mrs.
Smith's lodgings, 19, Darnford-street, Stonehouse.
I left my wife at Stonehouse. She went to reside
in Durnford-street from 51, Emma-place. I had a
house there of my own, which was given up at
Christmas. I received this letter by the postman
at Ludlow, and the envelope enclosed, on the 11th
of August. I did not reply to the letter. I left
Ludlow on the morning of the 16th of August, and
arrived at Stonehouse on the evening of the same
day. I did not find my wife at her lodgings in
Durnford-street. I went to the Marine Barracks
and slept there. Before I returned I had heard
from my wife's lawyer that she had gone away.
The statements in this letter I maintain are infa-
mous lies, not a particle of truth in them. The
whole are false.
Mr. Kelly inquired of the bench if he might be
allowed to ask Capt. Fox if he had an intimation of
a divorce suit.
Mr. Brian thought that question could not be
asked, and suggested that his cross- examination
would elicit several points in the evidence that
would assist Mr. Kelly.
The bench considered Mr. Kelly could notii,sk the
question he had suggested.
Capt. Fox was then cross-examined by Mr. Brian '
—I dou't believe I ever exchanged a word with the
defendant. I know nothing whatever of her. I
don't remember ever speaking to her, and I am
quite positive I never did. (Mr. Brian said he was
instructed that his client never had spoken to Capt.
Fox.) I have not spoken to the defendant at any
time, never to my recollection, and I will swear that
I know nothing of any child by her sister. This
letter is an infamous and senseless fabrication. It
is a most infamous lie to say that I had a sister of
hers living with me at Ludlow. I don't know a
Mrs. Murray keeping a lodging-house in Stone-
house. Mrs. Taylor is my sister, and the wife of
the Rev. Mr. Taylor. I brought the letter down
here myself, and went to Mr. Kelly about it.
Mr. Brian said he understood that was the case
on Mr. Kelly's part. For himself, it would be
almost superfluous for him to say that the case
brought before their worships' notice was one of a
very important character. Although he might be
considered in a great measure to be in the dark,
and neither knew nor cared to know the whole of
the painful circumstances, yet in the present phase
of matters as submitted the inquiry was exceedingly
painful, and all present must feel a great deal of
commiseration and sympathy for the prosecutor.
As far, however, as he could understand the case,
there were parties far more to be blamed than the
party summoned there that morning. The learned
gentleman on the other side was perfectly cognisant
that she was only victim of cat's-paw used in the
affair. The act accomplished, he must admit, was
of a most depraved and daring character. The com-
plainant had been seriously injured, measures had
been resorted to to stigmatise him to his family of
the most infamous and dangerous character, and
under such circumstances no man would be safe,
and any household might be upset. As far, however,
as he could he would put before them the facts of
the case. The defendant was the daughter of a
person named Churchward, formerly an upholsterer
and broker. Unhappily for her she had become the
denizen of a brothel. A Mrs. Murray and a Mrs.
Smith chose to go to this unfortunate. They first
met her at Devonport. There they began, gave her
a half-sovereign to write a letter, which he held in
his hand, that was intended to be sent to Captain
Fox, but was afterwards not used, as they con-
sidered her in drink at the time. Then they
go to her again upon the day in question, ply
her freely with gin, and offer her £l5, make her
sit down, and tell her it is a divorce case, dictate
to her all that infamous concoction, take it from
her, leave her in a state cf drunkenness, and post
it. As to the £l5, she had not had any part of it.
The defendant was very sorry that she should have
been led into such an act, very
gen-
tleman whose feelings she sorry for the
had thus hart, and
brought misery into his household. She instructed
him to say that the whole of the statements in the
letter, from beginning to end, was a fabrication.
She knew notin of
the prosecutor, beyond
g
his being an officer belonging to the Marines.
The Whole of the letter was untrue, and she was
merely a tool in the hands of Mrs. Murray. Their
worships would thus see wbo were the guilty party
in the matter was—viz'' Mrs. Murray ; and now
that Mr. Kelly. had obtained his real object in
1
bringing Cantain Fox there, he hoped he would be
lenient to the defendant. She was most willing to

sign any statutory declaration that he might draw
up in the way of acknowledging the falsehood of
the letter. With regard to the case of Regina v.
Smith, he really hoped that after this exposition
there would be no mischief incurred.

Mr. Kelly considered it would not do for him to
make any bargain. The statements that had been
brought out to-day contained points which the pro-
secution really had not expected. There appeared
to be evidence of conspiracy. While very willing to
believe that the girl did write at the dictation of an-
other, he did not think anything like a compromise
could be named; but if the bench thought fit
the case might be adjourned, both himself and Capt.
Fox not wishing to press the case against defendant
for the present. _

The i3ench, after a short consideration, consented
to the case being adjourned, the defendant being
bound over in her own sureties for £5O to appear
when called upon.

711 E FIRE AND LOSS OP LIFE A 7

LIVERPOOL.

An inquest was yesterday opened upon the
bodies of those killed during the disastrous fire at
the Liverpool Workhouse, on Monday morning.
Mr. Driffield, the coroner for the county, presided,
in the absence of Mr. Curry, the coroner for the
borough, and before the proceedings were formally
opened read over the list of killed, consisting of
two women and twenty children, from four to seven
years of age.
After the names of the deceased persons had been
read over, the jury proceeded from the coroner's
office in Dale-street to the workhouse on Brow nlow-
hill, where they viewed the bodies. The children
generally were fearfully mangled, and in most in-
stances unrecognisable. On the return of the jury
to the coroner's court, Mr. Carr, the governor of the
workhouse, was called in evidence. On Sunday
night he was in the house, and nothing was re-
ported wrong up to a late hour. The inmates of
the dormitories went to bed at eight o'clock, and no
one was allowed to be out of their dormitories after
half-past seven, unless on special duty. On Sun-
day evening he was in the immediate vicinity of
the place where the fire occurred several times, but
did not observe anything wrong. Was there as
late as a quarter-past eleven, and everything then
appeared safe. About two o'clock the next morn-
ing he was disturbed by the alarm of fire, and upon
rushing down stairs met one of the schoolmistresses,
who said there was a fire in the dormitories. He
proceeded to the dormitories (those of the children
adjoining the church), and saw dense volumes of
smoke proceeding from the building. He then or-
dered ladders to be brought, and for the water-hose
to be set in operation. There was no noise or
screams in the dormitories at this time. He made
an attempt to gain an entrance to the dormitory
through one of the windows, but the volume of
smoke was so great that he was forced back. An
attempt was made to save the children (whose re-
treat was cut off by the burning staircase) by the
hose being brought to bear upon this portion of
the building, but as the jets were increased the
force of the water' became weaker, and it was
impossible to check the fire, which was now
rapidly increasing. An engine belonging to
the corporation arrived about three o'clock, and
the volume of water poured from it was neces-
sarily large, though totally insufficient to check
the fire, which had then a thorough hold on the
dormitory and church. The fire might have com-
menced under the stairs leading to the dormitories,
or in the schoolroom under the church. There was
gas on the staircase, and the light was allowed to
remain on all night. The gas was not within the
reach of the children. He was unable to say posi-
tively how the fire could have arisen.
In cross-examination by the Deputy Town-clerk,
witness explained that the seat of the fire was in
the centre of the children's dormitory, and that
while the people of the southern side of the dormi-
tory had means of escape, those in the northern por-
tion were closed in by the fire. The supply of water
was ample, but the pressure was not sufficient. It
was his opinion that the children were suffocated
before the water was brought into play.
Thos. Clayton, night-soil inspector, in Liverpool,
was next examined—On Monday morning he was
emptying an ash pit in the workhouse, in company
with ten men. About half-past two in the morning,
he saw three little girls in the passage connected
with the dormitory. They were half-dressed, and
were crying, and said the chapel was on fire. He
passed the word of "fire," and then ran up into the
workhouse to the governor and helped him to get
the hose out. The fire was coming through one of
the windows of the chapel.
Wm. Muir, a police-officer, deposed to being on
duty on Sunday night at the workhouse, and to
having visited the children's dormitory and the
church about an hour before the fire broke out. He
again visited the place, and observed smoke issuing
from the windows of the church and the children's
dormitory, and he then turned back and passed the
alarm to the fire station. After giving the alarm
he returned to the children's dormitory, and to-
gether with one of the night-soil men succeeded
in rescuing four children from their room. The
children were on the floor near to the door.
Witness endeavoured to go into the dormitory,
but the volume of smoke was so great that had
he done so he would have been suffocated, and
he had to turn back. When the hose was screwed
on to the hydrants the water was first directed to
the children's dormitory ; but the pressure on the
water was very slight, and not much good was
effected until the engine came.
Morris Bower, superintendent at the workhouse,
stated that about two o'clock on Monday morning
he was awoke by a knocking, and upon making in-
quiries he found that the church was on fire, and
he proceeded to the governor's house and helped to
get out the hose. He took notice of the supply of
water, which seemed plentiful, and to have a good
pressure upon it when the hydrants were opened
first.
Bridget Goodge, a female pauper, was examined
chiefly as to the identification of her child, one of
the killed.
Mr. Carr, the governor, on being recalled, said
that there was a fireplace in one of the class-rooms
under the chapel, but so far as they could ascertain
the fire did not originate there. it had broken out
several feet from this, at the foot of the staircase.
The keys of the staircase-doors leading from the
1 chapel schools to the dormitory were kept by the
schoolmistress and by the warders, so as to be
I available in case of accident. Originally the stair-
ea,.se-door leading to the chapel was left open, but
it hau been closed and locked at night since.
Mr. 6,zwood, the deputy town clerk, said that
the local are.`'oorities were most anxious that the
'fullest informal:on as to the water. arrangements.
given, and with this view the
and supply should la.':
nti Tuesday next.
inquiry was adjourned ~: