The Sun.
London, England, 1822-12-09 00:00:00

OLD BAILEY.

FORGING A POWER OF ATTORNEY.

Saturday, John Wait, aged 52, was indicted for forging a
power of attorney for 2,189/. 17s. id. with intent to defraud the
Governor and Company of the Bank of England.
The prosecution was conducted by Mr. Serjeant BOSANCLUET
and Mr. BOLLAND; and the defence by Mr. Serjeant PELL
and Mr. CAMPBELL.

Francis Field, clerk in the Bank of England, produced the
ledger of that establishment; on referring to it, he found there
was entered to the credit of John Wait and John Cox, the sum
of 2,1891. 17s. Id. It was entered in July, 1818, and was placed
to the joint monies of those persons.
John Drury, who formerly lived with the prisoner at Bir-
mingham, and who was acquainted with his handwriting, swore'
that the signatures, &c. to the documents produced, were Mr.
Wait's writing.
John Sherlock, another person who had been in the employ
of. Mr. Wait, likewise swore to his handwriting.
William Shepherd, stationer, Corn-street, Bristol—Ptisoner
came to me in the latter end of 1821, to witness his name to a
power of attorney. The warrant produced is the one ; he de-
sired the blanks to be filled up ; witness wrote from his dicta-
tion ; witness wrote "John Wait," according to his dictation.
The prisoner signed the deed. No other person was present.
Mr. Davies was directly opposite. Davies witnessed likewise ;
witness attested it ; 'Wait then signed, and took it away. Wit-
ness did not see it again till it was before the Magistrates.
Thomas Davis, auctioneer, Bristol, lived opposite to the last
witness. Witnessed the deed produced ; Wait and Shepherd
were there. No person named Cox was there. To the best of
witness's belief, the name of 'Wait only was there ; he did not
, see the name of Cox there at the time witness attested it ; the
name was certainly not there.
John Cox lives 12 miles from Bristol. Witness produced
the probate of the will of James Mitchell, bequeathing to the
witness 2,0001. Wait was one of the trustees. In October,
1815, Wait accompanied witness to the Castle Bank, Bris-
tol, to invest the money in Three per Cent. Consols. Mr.
Courtenay suggested that it should be placed in witness's
name, with Wait's, as a second trustee was not present.
Witness never gave any person authority to sell such stock.
The hand-writing of " John Cox" on the deed now pro-
duced is not his. The name Cox in the power of attorney is
now different from what it was when witness saw it before
the Magistrate. The witness's usual mode of writing the Cis
not as it is here. 'Witness observed at the time he first saw
it that it was no imitation, as it was quite contrary to his man-
ner of making the C. Ile also remarked that the C beginning
the name of the street, in the attestation, was of the same cha-
racter with that of the signature. Never received any dividend
from the stock.

The prisoner's letters to Mr. Underhill, stockbroker, were
read. They stated that he had been recommended to Mr. U.
by Mr. Hall, and desired him to sell out the money in ques-
tion. Other letters on the same business were also read. Let-
ters were also put in from John Cox, addressed to the Bank,
disclaiming any knowledge of the power of attorney which he
had heard had been presented.
The power 'of attorney was read.
Mr. Serjeant PELL took an objection to`the indictment. The
power of attorney just read did not, as it ought to do, correspond
with the indictment. In the former were the following words—
" Consolidated Three per Cent. Annuities—sale of 2,1891.175.,"
but they were omitted in the latter.
The COURT overruled the objection:
The prisoner declined making any defence.
Charles Jones, wine-merchant, Mark-lane, London, was
partner with the prisoner from 1811 to 1816 i • during that time
witness had frequent opportunities of seeing his writing.—[The
letter, of September, 1822, was, here put into the witness's
hand:l—Witness had seen the letter before. It was shown to
him by a Gentleman from the Bank. The letters I. T. Waitt"
a little resemble prisoner's hand-writing, but the other parts
are very unlike. Every transaction of the prisoner's known to
the witness was strictly honourable; his general character was
that of an honest man.

In answer to a question from the Court:—.l should not have
thought the letter his hand-writing if it had been sent to me.
James George, Esq. Mayor of Bristol ; Mr. Cabe, one of
the Sheriffs of Bristol ; Sir Richard Vaughan, one of the Alder.
men of Bristol; Richard Hart Davies, Esq. M.P. ; Mr. Pro-
therOe • the Rev. Mr. Biddulph, Rector of St. James's, and
ten other gentlemen, gave the prisoner the highest character
for honour and integrity during a period of froth twenty to thirty
years.
This was the case for the defence,

Mr. Underhill was recalled by the Court as to' the receiving
the letter containing the power of attorney, for the purpose of
proving the uttering in London ; and on being shown the letter,
after some hesitation he declared it to be the one he had
received.

Mr. Justice BAILEY summed up, and th'e Jury found: the
prisoner Guilty, but recommended him to mercy, on account of
his former good character,
Mr. Justice BAILEY said that the Jury might rely upon the
recommendation being duly made known at the fountain of
mercy.
Jame: Gilchrist, aged 19; was capitally convicted of stealing
in a dwelling-house.

For the last quarter of a cent►rry there has
been a remarkable change in the climate of this,
country. Formerly there was scarcely a fine day
in November, as there was almost constant fogs,
rain, or mists for a succession of days, and it was
characterised as suicide month in England. It
is worth inquiring into the cause, whether there
has been any particular change in the climate of
Europe ; or whether it is partial, and that the
climate of England has been improved by irri-
gation, and the conveyance of the water from
marshy lands into canals, and thus contracting
the surface of the waters, which otherwise would
produce fogs and mists.

CHURCH ON FIRE.—The beautiful church at
O'ssett, about two or three miles from Wakefield,
Yorkshire, was discovered to be on fire, between
ten and eleven o'clock on Saturday night last, the
heat from the flues havipg communicated to the
pews. The greatest alarm was spread throughout
the town ; and assistance was promptly procured.
We are glad to add that the flames were soon ex-
tinguished, and that the damage done was tri-
fling.
A SINGULAR CASE.—The Plymouth Journal
says—" A young woman residing in Stonehouse,
returning home with her brother, who carried in
his hand an Indian barbed dart dipped in poison,
entangled it in her clothes, and in their endeavour
to extricate it, unfortunately grazed her hand so
slightly as not to be noticed at the time ; after a
few hours had elapsed, the fact was discovered
by the violent effects produced ; strong applica-
tions were immediately resorted to, and though
it is some time since the accident occurred, she
has not yet the use of her hand."