The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-14 00:00:00

NEW WRIT.

COl. TAYLOR moved that a writ be issued for
the election of a member for the Western Division
of the • county of Worcester, in the place of the
Hon. A. Lygon, now called to the House of Peers.
After a few words from Sir G. GREY,
The Lords' amendments to the Cattle Plague Bill
were ordered to be taken into consideration that
day six months.
SUPPLY..

The house then went into committee of supply.
Mr. CHILDERS moved that towards making good
the supply granted to her Majesty the sum of
£13,500,000 be granted out of the consolidated fund
the United Kingdom.

The motion was agreed to.
The other orders of the day Were disposed of, and
the house adjourned.

The Extraordinary Charge of Forging the
Countess of Bellew's Will.

Mrs. Anne Casse, a lady, 80 years of age, resid-
ing at Winterton House, St. John's-wood, appeared
at the Westminster Police-court this day in dis-
charge of her personal recoguisances of £l,OOO to
answer the charge of feloniously forging the signa-
ture of the late Caroline, Countess Bellew, to her
will or deed of gift; further, with forging the sig-
nature, " E. Simmons," as an attesting witness to
the same document ; and further, with feloniously
uttering the same as a genuine document, with in-
tent to defraud, Bte. Joseph Verlander also was
surrendered by his two sureties of £lOO to answer
the charge of having committed wilful and corrupt
perjury in a certain judicial proceeding in the Court
of Probate, before Sir J. P. Wilde, " Bellew v
Bellew," relating to a will, with forging which the
aforesaid Anne Casse stands charged as above.

Mr. Piffard, barrister, again prosecuted, and Mr.
James Lewis, of Ely-place, with whom was Mr.
Jennings, proctor of Doctors' Commons, defended
Mrs. Casse. Mr. W. D. Smyth, solicitor, of Ro-
chester-row, again appeared for Verlander.
Mr. Piffard said that illness was keeping the pro-
secutrix, Miss Frances Bellew, from attending.
Over exeitement kept her at home.

Mr. Smyth asked that the case for Verlander be
further adjourned, and argued that the case of per-
jury against Verlander must be proved by two
credible witnesses, and where were those witnesses
to be found. He could call Mrs. Casse to prove that
the name of E. Simmons was written by E. Sim-
mons, and it was quite a matter of opinion as to
whether the signatures were forgeries, for he could
call 12 witnesses, in whose opinion the signatures
were genuine.

Mr. Arnold said it would be a very difficult mat-
ter to prove perjury against Verlander. If he
committed Mrs. Casse then Verlander must be also,
and vice versa.

The recognizances of Verlander were extended.
Oxford-
shire. I had a mother named Esther Simmons.
Fanny Simmons—l. live at Kingwood, Oxford-
She died while in Mrs. Casse's service. I received
this letter from Mrs. Casse, and sent it to my bro-
ther. He went to see Mrs. Casse. The other let-
ters are to different persons. I know my mother's
handwriting. This is not my mother's handwriting,
and never was (looking at the signature to the will.)
I know Mrs. Casse'a handwriting. I have written
letters to my mother, and received answer& from
her at Winterton-house, St. John's-wood, Regent's-
park.

By Mr. Arnold—She sometimes signed her names
"Hester" and " Esther," sometimes "11" and
sometimes " E."

Cross-examined by Mr. Lewis—That is not like
my mother's handwriting. I have never seen it
before to my knowledge.
Mr. Lewis—Look at it—whose writing is it ?
Witness—lt is my own.
Mr. Lewis—Look at this.
Witness—To the best of my belief that writing is
my mother's (No. 1.) To the best of my belief that
is my mother's (No. 2). I can't swear to my own
handwriting so well as my mother's. My mother
never differed in her writing, and I do sometimes.
My mother` came to Reading in 1862 or 1863 and
wrote to my father. I saw her write and :fold up
he letter. I mean to swear that from the year
'59 when my mother went to Mrs. Casse, I saw,her
in'62 or '63. My mother sometimes signed in full.

(The case was not concluded when we went to
press.)
My mother spelt her name three different ways.
She lived in Grafton-place before she went to Mrs.
Casse's. She was in Mrs. St. John's service and
Mrs. Leslie's. These letters are very old. I think
my mother lived in Grafton-place in 1859.
Mr. Lewis called the magistrate's attention to the
prisoner's affidavit made at the Probate Court, in
which she said she only produced a sealed envelope,
intrusted to her custody and care by the late coun-
tess, and only gave it up compulsorily when com-
pelled by subpoena from the Probate Court, so
there was not so much publication of the document
as had been said.
After some further evidence the case was ad-
journed until Tuesday next ; bail on £l,OOO as be-
, fore ; Verlander's bail extended.