The Sun.
London, England, 1812-05-19 00:00:00

OLD BdILEI, MkY is.

•
George Henry Francis stood liaed for having
forged a certain instrument, pur reig to, be a Bill
of Exchange, to the amount of 1501. and for having
uttered the same with an intent t .leffand Messrs.
Haymer and Hayley, lightermen ',limn the Thames.
John Haymer said, that upon the 2d day of Ja-
nuary last, in consequence of a message which be
received, be called upon the prisoner, who pre.
tended to be of a fire calling itself." G. H Francis
and Son, st, Great Hermitage-street, Wapping."
He asked the piisuner if he made ingeiries con.
earning a' sloop called the Stephens, and of which
he and Mr. Hayley were proprietors. The prisoner
answered that he had, and desired to know the price
put upon her. The witness told hirryi 601. was the
value. The prisoner answered, that he could hardly
tell how to aft, as it was chiefly' upon his father's
account the vessel was to be nwchased. His fatlier,'•
he said, was somewhat lame, and resided at his
country house in the Forest, However, `he :vould
venture to offer 1501. for the vessel, provided the
witness would take a Bill for three or four months..
At that time they parted, and the witness 113`iftg
Consulted his partner, returned in twO-days to the
prisoner, and accompanying him to a notary, per-
formed the trarrs'rer of the vessel. The plisouer
then took froM his pocket-book what appeared to
be a bill, which he laid upcm the table., sa; ing, •` I
must get one of the.e Gentlemen to sign this bill;"
Thomas Hayley accOrdingly put Ilia name upon it
as the drawer, the acceptance having been writt, a
before, This paper was delivered 'to the wi;ness
'in payment for the sloop. He afterwards discov,,,r-
ed, that no such house was in existence as the
house of Francis and Son, at st, Hermit,!ge-street,
nor could he learn, after the most flCCUrate exatni-
nation,,that any such a firm had ever existed. ,
In his cross-emmitration, he, admitted, that the
prisoner, throughout the "bolt.transadion, had
nientioned his father as a co-partner with him, and
that. he had declared, that without constraing his
father he conld.coneludeno bargain
It was here obje6ted front the Bench, that no
fa& of forgery was' proved. . There, really appeared
thrOughout the whole business, no evidence 'to' fix
the prisoner with construEting an instrument con-
sidered as false in the eye of the law. His father
might be
,really a partner, and it became the pro-
secutor to prove, that he Lie.ver had, else the Court
would contemplate no appearance of guilt
.in the
prisoner.

Mr. ALLEY, for the prosecution, contended, that
the elder ',Francis was represented to be a man ill
• business, and an efficient partner in the firm: A
most false o,:stription had been, Made to the pro-
iecutar, by which he was decoyed to part with hit
property, upon the beliefolaco-partnership found-
ed in an ample fortune; whereas it had appeared,
and which he was prepared to prove to the Court,
that old 'Francis was confined, and had for a lona
while been in the jail of Newgate: •
Mr. BARRY, for the prisoner, offered to. p!ove,.
that nick Fiancis had actually been in partnership,
with his son at the times when the bill of ex-
change, was issued.
Elizabeth.Bade,n,- proprietor of the house, N 0,5 1,
Great Hermitage•street, Wapping, said, that she
had frequently seen the prisoner in company with
..hiS father in -the, counting-house, which ther
rented of her; and• that persons were in the ha.
bit of calling upon ‘c Francis and Sun,"
firer) 4ppearecl •upon the, 'door.
The Court declared, that they were of opinion
that a gross fraud had' been committed ;• but it ap-
peared' that such persons as those whose -names
appeared as acceptors of the bill, had really ex-
isted in that house, which circumstance did away
the guilt attachabW to forgery.
The prisoner was accorifingly acquitted, but was
detained upon • another indionnerit.
Our Readers will recoiled, that the celebrated
fiditioas firm of M`Dong)ll and Co. had esia..
blished themselve3 in this very holse, and that
Joseph Thomson was sentenced to be hanged last
Sessions-, for having forged bills of exchaitge nu
toe faith of the firm. ..

.Tlieuzas ziatlve stood indiaed for haying osi
falsely forged aid counterfvited upon the lacem of
a bill of,exchange for 1201. 10s. St.d. the names
of Smith and
.13e11;.. with' an .iotent to „defraud
Messrs., Carter and Strong, rope-manufadarer.cif
Ainsworthy, in Dorsetshife ; and also for having
uttered. the same, knowing it to be forged ; but
after a patient investigation of the ,z•ca.rlsrau-ces-
of the case, he was acquitted.

The
.Haymarket Thezate; which opcned' for the
season on Friday rust; seeui6 to lidve cuileaed so rd-
spOliA:o -a eQinpany ahogether, including 9oine of,
our veicran Pcrforrnas, ast,.'proioise a Kosperous