The Sun.
London, England, 1833-01-07 00:00:00

OLD BAILEY.-(THIS DAY)

OLD COURT.
John William Laird, a young man of very respect
.ppearance, a stationer in Bishopsgate•gtreet, was indict
or selling divers forged stamps, well knowing them it'
niged, with intent to defraud his Majesty.
The Solicitor-General, Mr. Scarlett, and Mr. Al!
,:onducted the case for the prosecution and Mr. Adclr
h at for the prisoner.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL stated the case for the 14
cation.

Mr. Borine, clerk to the Solicitor of Stamps, de?
'o having purchased some stamps, which proved I°,
forgeries, of the prisoner. On telling him there d
nany forged stamps about and that witness hoped ti'w
vere good ones, the prisoner replied that be might de'
upon their being genuine, as he had them front
stamp-office at Somerset-house.
Mr. Charles Pressly, Secretary to the Board of Sts°l
stated, that at the beginning of November, he a/os,,
•he prisoner's house, in consequence of what he bad le
At Mr. Mann's, a stationer in Cornhill. He did not
he prisoner, but left word for him to call at the Su;
ffiee. On the following day he called at the Stamp-°
Witness said he had got a forged stamp, which he
raced to have been purchased from him ; that ty,
.tamp brought to the office by a person named Burr
He said he had his stamps at various stationers, 4,
av;imtninesgs
aßsikr. Dedhiemacownhaotf George-yard,
discounthehadLtiamilbsowr-st
allowed
.e said none on bill stamps. Witness asked him of"
fiEsides he purchased stamps, and he said from Mr.
Royal Exchange, and from Mr. Somers, who Al
aim a discount of 5 per Cent. Witness said he OP
loubt that the stamps procured from Mr. Somers
the forged stamps, in consequence of the t i count.
urisoner said he received receipt stamps from Sooll
well as bills, and therefore the 5 per Cent. discount .t
not an inordinate discount on hills and
9 per cent. being allowed on receipt stamps. discount
diked him what proportion the bills bore to the receirt:
ought of Mr. Somers, and he said a very small
Witness then said he bad no doubt it was from that
er
the forged stamps had come into his possession,
shove him to send his stamps to the Stanip-offir;
irder that the genuine stamps might be pointed out'
,erving, that if hereafter he sold a forged stamp, be,'"
is placed in a very unpleasant situation. The rf
'aid he would send them to the Stamp-office.
liscount allowed by the bead office is thirty
bill and stamps, if 301. worth be bought at once, and?,
vat on receipt stamps. Witness, on recollecting We
.aid he believed he told the prisoner of the 7i pet
ind not of the 9 per cent. No discount was allo
ess than 301. worth. An inspection of stamps was 0r
in consequence of this discovery.
Cross-examined-.. The first conversation with tt
soner was on the 6th Nov., and he had then oP
-tamp, and that was for Is. 6d., in his possession,
prisoner did not afterwards say that he sent his suite
the ofOre, and that they had refused to receive thetty
,round that he was too late. Witness had heard';
stationers, in order to get any discount, bouglici
stamps than they wanted. There was no way of $Ol
money back from the Stamp-office for spoiled
to.
The value of all the stamps said to be forged and f°,
the prisoner's, in December, w,,s under 31., and brit
notice so far back as the 6th November. The P
had been about nine months in business.
Re-examined—On the previous day witness bad
some forged stamps at Mr. Mann's shop, and und,o
they had been sold to him by the prisoner. On telll
prisoner that, he made no observation.
Co rHenrynhi,
stated that,
astl:o p
inmatnhe to
beginningA 1 r.liinonfnN,
ismtaetivior:l
mssaaid witness the o°o
saw the prisoner, and told him that Mr. Presfd,
p
been to his master's shop about a stamp that for
to Mr. Bur r idge, and that he
aisdisihtaeowdrwertreeoedfelfrotorhsreegededt
phloit1:1
to him, the prisoner. Wittier.
about twenty iv
thtpraei
could
use
irdTt
not,whichhc ekyt
ewhMxeep
errs.etcaPtbmit e spl s:1
witness'st
ay a
stamps,
adds
sod amounted to about I!. Its.

Cross-examined—Had known the prisoner 04;
The transaction was without any secrecy. Tb'
appeared to witness to be perfectly genuine. 1,
John Berridge stated that, on the 6th Nov ii
William Gibbons went to the prisoner's shop. 0,
dreviously bought some stamps of Mr. Ms'
bought of the prisoner two stamps of is. 60
He told the prisoner be we. the young man idt
bought the forged stamps of Mr. Mann. and t0..7
if he had seen the gentleman from the Stator;
Ile prisoner said lie had, and showing sonleo
said, " These are the stamps they have Flit
forged, but they will not tell where the forge,,t.
,iut I shall continue to sell them, for I do not VI
are forged : there is some trick at the Starilli,
making two for one." The prisoner added, "
stamps were so near alike, that they could not f:
from the other." The meaning of two to one, they
said, was striking off two, and selling one in !di,
and keeping the other. On the 19th, witness Forr
lions went again and bought an eighteen-pen:ll r
the prisoner. Witness said he hoped it was a Ift
~ecause he wanted to fill it up. The prisoner. e.
did not believe there were any forgeries in elf:
.ind he believed there was a deficiency at 004 i
ffice, and that they wanted to trace it hePii
asking him atiout the other stamps, the prisonet4
some and said he had continued to sell them, etio
no more but those : there were only three of ne
Witness produced the stamp he bought on the 1700
William Gibbons corroborated the last wig°

timony.
James Wintle stated that, on the 20th of Deb-0
went to the prisoner's shop and bought two bill
Is , two of ls. 6d., and two of 2s. 6d. ; the V'
locked a drawer and gave him the four latter'
only one of Is., which he took from another peed
ness paid 9s. for the five, and afterwards took th
Stamp-office.
Cross-examined—There appeared no secreel
transaction.
Thomas James, nn the 14th of December'
two stamps of the prisoner ; on the 17th he
chase some more, but could not say whether heol
prisoner or not; on the 19th he went and bosge
ling stamp, and on the 22d he bought a half'co
three shilling and sixpenny stamp. Witness
duced them.
.)Mr. H.

P. TWYFORD, a clerk in the Stamp'
was in the department of spoiled stamps; is ~
list, be was isilointetl with Mr. Sidon tov