The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-07 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—Oct. G.
MANSION-HOUSE.—Ebenezer Whitehead, a
stylishly-dressed fellow, 24 years of age, was
brought before the Lord Mayor by Spittle, the de-
tective officer, charged with forging and uttering
three cheques of the respective sums of £2O,
£34 10s, 6d., and £l2B 14s. 6d.—the first two with
intent to defraud Messrs. Prescott and Company,
the bankers, of Threadneedle-street, and the last
with intent to defraud the London and County
Bank.
Mr. Mullens, solicitor to the Committee of
Bankers for Protection from Forgeries and Frauds,
appeared in support of the prosecution.
The prisoner was not defended by a professional
adviser.
The charge for the forgery upon Messrs. Pres-
cott was first gone into.
Mr. H. Wood, upon being examined by Mr.
Mullens, said—l am shopman to Messrs. Frodsham
and Bateman, jewellers, of Gracechurch-street.
About 5 o'clock on the evening of the 11th Nov.
last the prisoner came to our shop and selected a
watch and chain, which amounted together to £26.
He said he would not take the articles with him,
but would most likely send for them on the follow-
ing day. He remained in the shop about a quarter
of an hour. He told me that his name was either
Watkinson or Wilkinson, I forget which, and I
made out an invoice in one of those names. On the
next day a letter came to the house, enclosing the
cheque produced, for £26, and the invoice which I
had given to the prisoner on the previous evening.
The cheque and letter were put in evidence. The
former was drawn upon Messrs. Prescott and Co.,
dated 12th Nov., 1857, and signed " H. Kay." The
latter ran as follows :
" Cannon-street, Nov. 12, 1857.
" Gentlemen,—As I shall not be able to call
before the bank closes, I have enclosed a cheque
for £26, and you will oblige me by sending by
bearer the watch and chain.—H. WATKINSON. '
I sent our porter to Messrs. Prescott's, and he
brought back the money. I then delivered to the
bearer the watch and chain, together with the
invoice itceipted.
In answer to the Lord Mayor, the prisoner said
that he did not desire to put any questions to the
witness.
Mr. F. Needham, cashier to Messrs. Prescott,
said—On the 11th of November last, some person
brought to me the order produced for a cheque-
book, signed "H. Kay," and I delivered to that
person a book of 100 cheques, lettered and num-
bered 49,601 to 49,700. The two cheques pro-
duced for £26, and £34 10s. 2d. have been taken
out of that book. Messrs. Prescott at that time
had no customer of the name of H. Kay. The de-
livery of the book was an oversight in consequence
of our having a customer of the name of Kay, but
not H. Kay.
Mr. E. Schofield, cashier to Messrs. Prescott,
said—On the 12th of November last the cheque
produced for £26 was presented to me and paid. I
made a mistake in paying it, which resulted from
an inquiry which I had previously made.
Samuel Wallis, a youth living at 15, Camden-
terrace, Islington, said—ln November last I was in
the service of a solicitor in Fenchurch-street. About
twenty minutes past ten one morning of that
month I was in Lombard-street, when I was spoken
to by a man, but I cannot say that was the prisoner.
He gave me the cheque produced for £34 10s. 2d.,
and told me to take it to Messrs. Prescott's, in
Threadneedle-street. He gave me a piece of paper
to put the money in, and told me to bring it over
to him in Change-alley. I accordingly went to
Messrs. Prescott's, and was detained there.
Mr. J. Wood—l am a grocer, carrying on busi-
ness at 37, High-street, Shadwell. The prisoner
was in my service in July last, and I am acquainted
with his handwriting. I have seen him write and
have received letters from him, I believe that the
letter signed " H. Watkinson," and the two cheques
to be in the prisoner's handwriting.
The Lord Mayor—Prisoner, have you any ques-
tion to put to the witness ?
Prisoner—No, my lord. I have no soNcitor at
present to defend me, and therefore I can say
nothing. I suppose the case will be remanded, will
it not, Mr. Mullens ?
Mr. Mullens—l do not think it will.
Prisoner—l wish it to be remanded.
The Lord Mayor—lf you had asked for an ad-
journment at the beginning, and before any
evidence had been adduced, I dare say I eihould
have acceded to it.
Prisoner—l spoke to Mr. Wontner, and at first
he said he would come, but as Mr. Spittle (the
officer) would not part with any of the money
that I handed over to him yesterday, Mr. Wontner
would not stay.
Mr. Mullens—l could not consent to any of the
money found upon the prisoner being parted with
under the present circumstances.
Prisoner—l gave up ten guineas yesterday.
Mr. Mullens—Yes, that is quite true.
Prisoner—Therefore I think some of it ought to
have been handed to me back for the purposes of
my defence.
The Lord Mayor—The money is supposed to be
the proceeds of your forgery, and it is not likely we
shall give it up. However, it appears from the
evidence adduced that the services of a solicitor
could not have availed you at all.
Prisoner—l deny the charge altogether.
The Lord Mayor—lt is better for you to defend
yourself in a case like this. '
Prisoner—But Mr. Wontner told me to say
nothing. (Laughter.) It was so suddenly brought
upon me, that I had no time to prepare my defence;
and as I expected that Mr. Wontner would be
here, I left it entirely to him. lam positive that
all the statements that have been made here to-day
are false, for I am sure I never was engaged in such
transactions. I should like to see the handwriting
of these various documents if I may be allowed.
(The letter and the two cheques put in evidence
were handed to the prisoner by the solicitor for the
prosecution, and he pretended to examine them
with great minuteness.)
The Lord Mayor (to Mr. Wood)--How long was
the prisoner with you ?
Mr. Wood—He was in my employ only ten days,
my lord.
The Lord Mayor—What did he leave for ?
Mr. Mullens—lf Mr. Wontner were here I am
sure he would object to that question being answered.
Prisoner—l do not see any resemblance between
these things and my writing. (A laugh.(
Mr. Mullens said that this was all the evidence
he intended to adduce in support of the present
charge.
The Lord Mayor gave the usual caution to the
prisoner, who in answer said, "I deny the charge."
The charge against the prisoner of forging and
uttering a cheque for £l2B 14s. 6d., with intent to
defraud the London and County Bank, was then
proceeded With, when the following evidence was
adduced.
Mr. G. Goff, a clerk in the London and County
Bank, said—Mr. J. Wood, of High-street, Shad-
well, keeps an account at our bank. On 3d Aug.
last, the order produced, purporting to be signed
by Mr. Wood, was presented to me, and. I delivered
out 100 cheques to the bearer of the order. The
cheque produced has been taken out of that book.
Mr. G. Price—l am cashier at the London and
County Bank. On the 4th August last the cheque
produced for £l2B 14s. 6d. was presented to me for
payment by some person from Messrs. Savory and
Co.'s, and I wrote upon it " signature differed."
Mr. J. Paine, , shopman to Messrs. Savory and
Co., jewellers, of Cornhill, said—On 3d Aug. last
the prisoner came to our shop and selected certain
goods, which amounted to £3B. He said he would
call in the afternoon of the same day, when he
should have a cheque, and he added that his name
was John Harrison. He called again in the after-
noon,.and said he had been disappointed in getting
his cheque and would call the next day. On the
morning of the 4th a person brought to our house
the letter :produced, signed J. Harrison, inclos-
ing the cheque for £l2B 14s. 6d. The cheque
was sent to the banking-house, but being returned
we did not send the goods. The letter is as follows :
—" Cathedral Hotel, Aug. 4, 1858.—Gentlemen,—
Enclosed is a cheque for £l2B 14s. 6d. ; and if you
will get it cashed, and send me by the bearer the
change in five or ten pound notes, enclosed in the
parcel, you will oblige yours truly, J. HARRISON."
Prisoner—l believe that if time were allowed me
to refer to my pocket-book, I should find that I
was in Birmingham on the 4th August.
The Lord Mayor—The witness swears that you
were in his employers' shop on two occasions in
one day.
Prisoner—Of course, if he swears it, I must abide
the consequences ; but I deny it. (A laugh.)
The Lord Mayor—You know you might have
been in Birmingham and in Messrs. Savory's shop
too all on the same day.

Prisoner—But I event by the Parliamentary
train, my lord. (Laughter.)
Mr. J. Wood—The prisoner was in my employ-
ment in July last for about ten days. The signa-
tures to the letter, the cheque, and the order for
the cheque-book, were not written by me nor by
my authority. I believe those documents to be in
the prisoners handwriting.
Prisoner—lf it is the same handwriting as I have
seen, lam positive it is not. Mr. Wood, are you

positive it-is my handwriting ? because my hand-
writing is not so heavy as that.
The „Lord Mayor—He does not say positively
that it is your hand Writing, but that to the best of
his belief it is.

Spittle, the officer, said that he told the prisoner
on apprehending him the nature of the three
charges, and that the prisoner denied them.
The prisoner, aftkr _the usual caution, said-1