The Sun.
London, England, 1835-04-15 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD CIRCUIT.-GLOUCESTER,
APRIL 13.
THE KING V. JOHN FORBES.

The prisoner, who is an architect at Cheltenham, and
who among other works built the celebrated Pitteville Spa,
was indicted for forging an acceptance of a bill of exchange
which was drawn upon William Prosser, jun., of Tivoli,
Cheltenham, with intent to defraud the said William
Prosser.

It appeared that on the 16th of July last the prisoner
went to the shop of Mr. Brunsdon, a butcher in Chelten-
ham, to whom he owed about 4/. for meat, and offered the
bill of exchange in question in payment of that sum, and
Brunsdon gave him the difference, and received the bill,
and afterwards paid it into the bank of Messrs. Pitt and
Co. Mr. W. Prosser proved that the acceptance was not
in his handwriting, and that he had never given any autho-
rity to the prisoner to use his name in accepting bills of
exchange, and that on the 20th of July he had had a con-
versation with the prisoner about another bill, when he ex-
pressly told the prisoner that if he used his name again he
must expect to be prosecuted. On his cross-examination,
it appeared that the prisoner had been employed by him as
an architect, and that a sum of 4,0001. had been borrowed in
order to build some houses on Prosser's land, and that money
was to pass through Prosser's hands, in order that he might
protect himself. Prosser denied that he had ever said to
Mr. Brunsdon, that he had given permission to Forbes to
assist himself with money by the use of his name. Forbes
having been arrested, Prosser was applied to by Mr. Cope
to become bail for Forbes, which he refused ; but he denied
that the prisoner said that he was surprised Prosser should
have told Cope any thing to the prisoner's prejudice, when
he knew that he was not liable, as he had got a security.
Two of the houses were already completed, but they would
not cover the money advanced, and Prosser would be a
loser on the whble.

For the defence, Mr. Cope was called to contradict Mr.
Prosser as to what he had said about bailing the prisoner,
but he repeated the statement with so much variation as to
give it little weight ; and Mr. Brunsdon expressly negatived
Mr. Prosser having mentioned any thing about an autho-
rity having been given by him to Forbes.
A number of gentlemen gave the prisoner an excellent
character.

The Jury found the prisoner Guilty.—To be transported
for life.

THE MURDER AT STOW IN THE WOLD.

Edwin Jeffrey, aged 21, was indicted for the wilful mur-
der of Francois Jacques Ren, in the parish of Stow-in-the
Wold, on the 10th of March, 1834. The remarkable cit.=
cumstances attending this case, the long period of time the
murder remained undiscovered, together with the consterna-
tion which the event excited throughout this county when
it occurred, gave to the present trial an unusual degree of
interest.

The Court was filled at an early hour.
The prisoner, a clownish boy, of sinister aspect, pleaded
guilty ; but at the earnest recommendation of Mr. Justice
Coleridge, he retracted his plea, though reluctantly.
The unfortunate deceased was a person of amiable man-
ners, and endearing social qualities, a native of France. He
had been settled some years in England, and at Stow held
the situation of agent to a Provident Bank. On the evening
of the 10th of March, he went out to take an after dinner