The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-15 00:00:00

BOW-STREET.

James Harwood, a lad of about 17 years of age, wns
charged with forging a 51. cheque upon the bankers, Messrs.
Cocks and Biddulph, purporting to be drawn by Messrs.
Scctt and Moffatt, architects, of 20, Spring-gardens.
Augustus Sutherland, clerk to Messrs. Richmond, coal
merchants, of Scotland-yard, said that on Monday, the sth
inst., the prisoner entered the counting-house there and irske d
for cash for a 5/. cheque, for Mr. Scott. Witness gave him a
51. note, and afterwards gave the cheque to Mr. Davis, of
the Sun public-house.
Mr. John Davis, of the Sun public-house, Great Scotland-
yard, said, that on the evening of the sth instant, he receive d
the cheque produced from the last witness. On the 7th inst.
he took it to Messrs. Drummonds, the bankers, of Charing
cross, and received cash for it. He then wrote the words
"Si., John Davis" on the back of the cheque, at the clerk's
desire.
Mr. Moffatt, of the firm of Scott and Moffatt, architects,
of 20, Spring-garips, stated that the prisoner was in his
service on the sth instant, and had been f,r two or three
months. The cheque produced, and signed "Scott and
Moffatt," was not drawn by him, the signature was a forgerry.
The prisoner was committed for trial.
Mr. Jos :pi Bowers Gray, a surgeon, who was charged last
week with forging a post-office order receipt for 11. (which
had been forwarded for his predecessor in the business, 114,
Holborn, was placed at the bar for further examination.
The prisoner, it may be remembered, after purchasing the
business ir. High Holborn of Mr. G. L. Hillas, disposed of it
to his brother, and succeeded, himself, to achemist's business,
in St. Jarrea's-street, for which be had paid, or was about to
pay, 2,0001 During his residence in Holborn, a post-office
order for 1;, was sent to the house, for Mr. Hillas, from a
former patient of that gentleman, then residing at Southwell,
near Newark. Mr. Hillas had written to his patient (the
Rev. A. lAtham) respecting the sum flue to him, and was
informed that a post-office order had been forwarded to him.
On inquiry et the General Post-office, in St. Martin's-le-
Grand, it wi's ascertained that the amount had been received,
and the signature of Mr. G. L. Hillas regularly signed upon
the order, which the clerk in that department produced in
court, althczgh unable to identify the party who signed the
name. The writing, however, was declared by several wit-
nesses to be that of the prisoner, and this constituted the
evidenc2, in support of the charge against him.
The pris;:eler was not admitted to bail.
At the 'resent examination the Rev. A. Tatham, who sent
the order, t`re clerks at the post-office, Newark, who entered
it upon the 'ooks, the letter-carrier who delivered it in Ifol-
born, and one or two other witnesses, who identified the sig-
nature upon the order as being in the prisoner's handwriting,
added their depositions to those taken last week. The exa-
mination being conducted by Mr. Peacock, on behalf of the
Post-office, and by Mr. Ballantine, for the prisoner.
The Leal ned Counsel for the prisoner urged upon his Wor-
ship's consideration the slight nature of the evidence, as con-
trasted with the serious character of the charge, and also the
apparent absurdity of supposing that a man in such a sta-
tion of life, and with so much property at his command,
would risk his reputation and his liberty for so paltry a sum
as 11., the amount of the post-office order.
The priso;,er's brother, a fellow-assistant of the prisoner
when the leter lived with Mr. Fowler, a surgeon, of Devizes,
and some otter witnesses, were called to prove that the hand-
writing in aslAch the signature was written did not resemble
that of tie prisoner's.
Mr. Janr.7l;:z determined on sending the prisoner for trial,
but on this occasion consented to take bail, himself in 1,0001.,
and two sureties in 500/. each, for his appearence to answer
the charge.