The Sun.
London, England, 1825-11-01 00:00:00

FORGERY.

Yesterday John Boger alias De Clifford, aged 44, and de-
scribed in the calendar as a " military officer," was put to the
bar charged with feloniously making, fOrging, counterfeiting,
and causing to be forged and counterfeited, on. thc-17th ofJune
a certain check for 1171. purporting to be drawn by one Joseph
Green, and with intent to defraud the said Joseph Green. lie
was also charged With 'tittering the same check, knowing it to
forged, with intent to defraud Messrs. Sansom and Co. When
asked in the usual form whether he was guilty or not, he an.
swered in a very firm and emphatic tone " Certainly not
guilty."

ROLLAND opened the case, and stated that the ques-
tion -for the consideration of the Jury would be confined, as
it regarded the prisoner, solely to the question of uttering.
The Learned Counsel then stated the minute details of the
case.

• John Bunnett, a clerk in the house of Messrs. Sansom and
Co., proved the partnership of that firm, and that Joseph
Green and Co., of ,Thames.-street, kept an account there. On
the 28th of June a cheqUe, purporting to be drawn by them for
117/. was paid.
A release to Messrs. Green and Co. was put in.
Benjamin Green proved that Joseph Green was the only
person carrying on the trade, as Green and Co. He :be-
lieved the cheque produced was not signed by his brother
"Jos. Green," the signature to the cheque, is not my hand.
writing ; and, in point of fact, I was not in town. —I authorized
no, person to sign cheques for me, and there is no other person
in the firni.but myself.
Alfred-JohnSon had lived as clerk to Sansom and Co.; he left
them in July last; he knew a person named Peckham, Upper
King street, 'Bloomsbury ; he knew him before July, about 2
months; he first knew him at Mrs. H.'s oyster-rooms. He was
introduced by •Peckharn to a Mr. Jones, at a public-house in
the City-road ;he saw them frequently. Jones asked him for
some blan.k cheques and cancelled cheques ; he furnished them
with some cancelled cheques, for the purprse of copying the
signatures ; he only gave- them Messrs. Green and Co. and
Mr. Wilkinson's; they were both present when he gave them;
they were returned to him the next day. He returned them to
the place from whence he took them. lie was once sent for to
the Spread Eagle in Gracechurch-street, where he met Jones.
and, Peckham. They then took him up stairs, where they
sheaved him a cheque ; the cheque produced he believed to be
the same. He went back to the banking.house; in. about a
quarter of an hour he saw the prisoner come to the counter and
present the cheque' tc Mr. Bennett. (Witness described his.
dress.) Witness then went back to the Spread Eagle, and
there saw_ Jones and Peckham ; they then bad a coach and went
to London-bridge. , Peckham and Junes went on a little on the
wharf;. afterwards he Saw the prisoner with Peckham and
Jones. Peel:ham told him not to let the prisoner see him. He
went back to the banking-house. .11e saw Peckham and ;Jones
the same evening at their lodgings, and received about twenty
pounds from them. After this he saw the prisoner several'
times, and once dined 'with him at Peckham's lodgings; he
asked hint if he had received 2W. for presenting the cheque,
telling hint that he had heard that he had; prisoner said he
bad received 15/.

Cross-examined-11711:a he had stated was the only conver-
sation he had with the prisoner. He had seen him half a
dozen times or more after he had presented the cheque, and
before' he was taken into custody ; they were to divide the
spoil, and be was to have his share. The further cross-ex,ami-:
nation tended to show the dissolute habits of the witness.
- By Mr. Justice Pmts. —He had a description of the person
who was to present the cheque given to him. Ile looked over
the cheque when it was presented, and at the prisoner.
Henry Coo-per Peckham, was in the employ of Messrs. Stith,
Payne,. and Co: about two years. He left them in the year
1821. He was apprehended by them -on a charge of forgery,
on the oth August last. , lle became acquainted. with the
prisoner in March last, and with Jones in November last. He
met the latfer first at Arundel-place, Pentonville, and also at
Canterbury, anti at different taverns in London, and at his
lodgings. Witness lodged at No. 19, in. the same street.lie
knew Johnson in the. Course of hts busm.ess, as a crerk for
eight years ; has:met at Saloonthe. .Piccadilly, and at his
own lodgings. lit: became acquainted with. Johnson, to speak
to hint; about March last. Ile saW the prisoner in February
or Alarch last, at a gambling-house in King-street, St. James's
--41 e had seen bins there several times. H He. was introduced to
hips by two gentlemen ; he had seen him at other houses of the
said description,rand had seen Jones there. Witness-first mat*

-By the Connl.—At the Spread Eagle he first saw Johnson,'
as he was coming clown stairs; he took him into a parlour up
stairs ; rhe did not recollect whether he shut the door ; it was'
a small room on the landing; don't • recollect whether
Jones came up ; he did not introduce Johnson to Berger, but
thinks he saw him ; be did see him ; he saw enough of him to
know him again at the banking-house.
John Foster proved the taking a note, but did not know the;
person who gave it him.
Catharine Calanan gave testimony as to the prisoners Jones
and Peckham being at the Old Swan public-house, and that
when they left they left word, if Johnson called, to say they
would be there again. They changed a five-pound' not there ;
she saw other notes on the table. It was on a Monday they
came the first time; they were there also on Tuesday, 'Wed-
nesday, and Thursday,
Robert rartridge proved the securing of th,. prisoners,
John-
son and Peckham tof,,thr, rtt the lodgings of the latteg,
The mother of the last witness proved the sanie,Trnd that
the lady on the second floor had a gold chain, which was_
broken, she saw in Peckham's possession.
The waiter at the Colonnade Coffee-house had seen Johnsen,
Jones, and the prisoner there together..,
This was the case for the prosecution.
The prisoner, in his defence, wished first to explain the alias'
it was in consequence, he said, of being embarrassed that he
assumed his maternal grandmother's name. He met with ,
Peckham, who represented that he could put him in a way,'
when he had settled his affairs, to realize a little fortune in a
few years. In his circumstances he believed him, to be, like
himself', a man of honour, and he had not the least idea that the
cheque was forged ' • he denied ever having had any money of
them ; declaring solemnly that he knew nothing of their trans-
actions, and that he never committed a dishonest act in his life.
He left his case to the Jury.
Several persons gave the prisoner a good character.
The Jury then retired to deliberate, and having remained
out about three hours, they brought in a verdict of 'Not
The prisoner, who during the whole time behaved with cool-
ness and composure, bowed respectfully to the Court and the
Jury as he left the bar.