The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-14 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COU.RT.—May 13.

OLD COURT.
THE TRIAL OF THE GANG OF FORGERS.
Henry Smith, a detective sergeant of the metro-
politan police, deposed that on the 21st of March
he was sent for to Messrs. Drummonds the bankers,
and he found the prisoner Bramwell there, and he
was informed that he had uttered a forged cheque ;
the prisoner produced a letter which he said he had
received from a person named Wilscn, in which he
directed him to present the cheque; he was allowed
to depart, and witness followed him to an empty
house in Queen-street, Soho, and he remained there
all day, but no Mr. Wilson came. He smoked a
pipe part of the time. A woman named Fairburn
and Bateman also came and looked over the house,
and he gave the latter a light to his cigar from his
pipe. The woman went away first, and Bateman
left a few minutes afterwards.
Cross.examined—Bramwell was not taken into
custody that day, but he kept a pretty sharp look
out upon him during the time he remained with
him.

Cross-examined--He believed that the house
Bramwell was taking care of belonged to his uncle,
and that his relations were respectable people living
in the neighbourhood. He had not made any
inquiries with a view to ascertain whether a deposit
of £2O really was required before the house would
be let.

Henry Webb, a sergeant of the detective police
force of the city of London, deposed that in NoTember
of last year he was employed in watching the move-
ments of the prisoner Wagner, the witness Chandler,
and the man Bateman, whose name had been men-
tioned during these proceedings. Bateman and
Chandler both lived at Battersea,a short distance from
each other, and they seemed to be on very friendly
terms, and generally went from their homes together
in the morning towards the steam-boat pier, but when
they got close to the pier they used to separate, and
one travelled to London from one of the piers and
the other from another, and the effect of this pro-
ceeding was that one of them would arrive a quar-
ter of an hour before the other. He knew that
Wagner lived at No. 10, York-buildings, Adelphi.
He took Chandler into custody at Battersea on the
21st of February, and he was going in the direction
of Bateman's house when he apprehended him.
After he had been taken witness searched his house,
and then went to the residence of Bateman, who
informed him that Chandler was clerk. Bate-
man was not taken into custody upon this occasion.
He then proceeded to the house in York-buildings,
but Wagner was not there, and he never again
made his appearance at this house, and he did not
see him again until his apprehension in Sussex-
street, on the 26th of March. While he was at the
house in York-buildings, the prisoner Humphreys
came in and asked for Wagner and said that he
wished to see him about some money transactions.
He subsequently observed the slope pail and the
rolling-pin, and having been himself brought up to
the tin trade, he could say that it was very unusual
for a pail of the description that had been produced
to have a false bottom such as this one had.

Mrs. Skelton, the landlady of the house in John-
street, Fitzroy-square, proved that the man Kerp,
who had been alluded to in the evidence of
Chandler, lodged in her house, and that he was
frequently visited by Chandler, Bateman, and
Wagner, and on some occasions when they were in
his room, the door of the room was locked. She
also stated that Kerp generally was occupied in
writing, and that he had left since these proceed-
ings, and she did not know where he was gone to.
Cross-examined—Kerp was an old man—she
should say nearly 80 years of age. When he was
at her house he appeared to be feeble and stooped,
but she believed that when ho was younger he was
a tall, upright man.
The witness Chandler was then re-called by Mr.
Bodkin, and in answer to the questions put to him,
he said that when a difficulty arose about the
cheques that were to be made use of not having on
them the Government stamp, Humphreys under-
took to make or to procure a die for the purpose of
fabricating the stamp. After some time, finding
that he did not bring it, Wagner became dissatisfied
at the delay, and said he would not wait any longer
for it; and he, Chandler, Bateman, and Wagner,
then set about to make one, and when they com-
pleted it the die was shown to Humphreys, but he
had no hand in making it. He was however, aware
what the die was to be used for.
In answer to a question put by Mr. Justice
Crowder, the witness said that they first made a
die of plaster of Paris, but this did not answer the
intended purpose, and they then made one of
metal, with which the impressions were made upon
the cheques.
The witness Webb was then again examined, and
he stated that when he and the other officer appre-
hended Humphreys he had something_ in his hand
which he appeared desirous to get rid of, and made
some resistance, but they seized him and told him
it was no use, and he then gave up what he had in
his hand, which turned out to be a die of the same
description as that which had been mentioned by
the witness Chandler.
Mr. Bodkin said that this was the case for the
prosecution.
The learned counsel for the prisoners then
severally addressed the jury on behalf of their re-
spective clients, but as nearly the whole of them
urged the same topics upon the attention of the
jury, it will be unnecessary to say more than that
the main points principally relied upon were that
the evidence given by the witnesses Chandler and
Watkins were unworthy of credit, and that they
had taken advantage of their knowledge of the fact
that the prisoners were occasionally in each other's
company, to trump u th
4 romantic story they had

told with regard to these cheques. Mr. Ribton, on
behalf of the prisoner Wagner, also urged very
strongly upon the jury the fact that, irrespective of
the prejudice that had been introduced into the
inquiry, the only evidence against this prisoner
really was that of Miss Harris, who professed to
identify him as the man who had gone into the
coffee-room of the University Hotel disguised in the
manner stated.

Mr. Justice Crowder summed up the evidence al
considerable length and with great care and minute•
ness, and

The jury retired at five minutes past eight, and
were absent three quarters of an hour, when they
returned into court, and gave a verdict of guilty
against all the prisoners.
Evidence was then given that Wagner had been
before convicted of forgery, and sentenced to ten
years' transportation.
Sentence was deferred.