The Sun.
London, England, 1825-01-07 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER SESSIONS.

TRIAL and CONVICTION of the NOTED
Ci-devuut CAPTAIN PATTEN otherwise O'IIARRA.
At a late hour yesterday, the Jury returned into Court with
the respective Bills of Indiitmcnt; amongst which was one
against the above individual, who was immediately put to the
Bar.

Mr Allen read over the indictment, which charged him with
fraudulently putting away to Mr. Isaac Wm. Argent, of the
King's Arms, James-street, Covent-garden, a certain paper
purporting to be a promissory note for 201. of the Bank com-
monly called the " Weald of Kent Bank," well knowing the
said Bank to have stopped payment at the time.
Mr. Argent stated, that on the 28th of October, in his ab-
sence, the prisoner came to his house in James-street, Covent-
garden, which he had since left, and now kept the Rainbow
Tavern, in fleet-street, and tendered the note in question. On
witness's return home he asked the prisoner if the note was a
good one, to which he answered, " Good 1 to be sure it is; do
you think I would give you a bad one ?" His only reason for
asking was, that he did not like country notes. Witness then
gave him 51. in part, observing, he had not enough to give him
the full change. The prisoner was satisfied, and said lie would
call for the rest the next day. Witness subsequently applied
to the banking-house of Messrs. Masterman and Co. and found
that the notes of the Weald of Kent were not of the least value.
Witness, in consequence, refused tá pay the balance, and gave
the prisoner into custody.
The note was now examined, when it was found that the date
had been altered in the most ingenious manner; by making the
year 1814 appear 1823 ; over which a name was written, that,
from the manner in which it was written, would have deceived
19 out of 20 persons. _ _ _ _ _ _

A gentleman from Messrs. Masterman proved, that in 1814
that firm ceased to pay any notes of the Weald of Kent Bank.
Witness could not swear that there was no London house that
would pay them, but he knew that there were a great many of
those notes afloat, and that they, as far as his general know..
ledge went, never would be paid.
George Avis, the officer, proved searching the prisoner; he
found nothing on his person that he was not justified in return.
ing to him. He, however, in the course of inquiry, found that
a week before the prisoner had passed a similar note to Mr.
Barnes, of Panton-street, pawnbroker.
George Sedges, assistant to Mr. Barnes, proved receiving the
note last alluded to from the prisoner. e had a perfect know..
ledge of him, from the fact of his using Mr. Barnes' shop.
The prisoner cross-examined the first and last witness with
an ingenuity that in a better cause would have reflected some
credit on him. in his defence he laboured hard to induce a
belief that he had received the note from a person at a gambling
houSe, which he was known to attend; but the fact of his hav-
ing previously passed the note at the House of Mr. Barnes,
completely set this aside. As a proof of the cunning evinced
by him, he objected that it was not proved that the Bank itself
had failed, as the Gentleman from the house of Messrs. Mas.
terman merely proved that that house ceased to cash the notes
of the Weald of Kent Bank in 1814. He called no witness as
to his character.
The CHAIR MAN summed up the evidence to the Jury; and
the Jury, after a few minutes consultation, found the prisoner
Guilty.
The Court sentenced him to be transported for seven years.

Murray, the person apprehended on suspicion
of robbing the Stirling mail, was removed on
Friday from the Police Office to the Calton-
hill Gaol, where he is committed for trial. We
understand that Murray declined to answer par-
ticular questions. The other parties suspected
have hitherto eluded the officers, although a keen
pursuit is still kept up, and, we learn, with great
hopes of success.—(Scotch Paper.)

A man who was last week committed for trial at
Cheltenham, charged with theft, on being appre-
hended, actually, swallowed three half-crowns !