The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-06 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER.

THE EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF FORGING THE COUN-
TESS OF BELLEW'S WILL.—Mrs. Anne Casse, of Winterton
House, Portland-terrace, St. John's-wood, and Joseph Ver-
lander, appeared in discharge of their bail, the former
charged with forging a will, and the latter with perjury.
The alleged forgery was that of forging
_the Countess of
Bellew's will, and theperjury that of false evidence regard-
ing the signature of the countess to.that will.
Mr. Piffard, barrister,:instructed by Mr. Pain, prosecuted
Mr. Lewis, of Ely-place. appeared for Mrs. Casse; and Mr
W. D. Smyth for Verlander.

The will was produced, and handed to the magis-
trate.

Dr. Bayford, Registrar to the Probate Court—The pri-
soner at the bar made that affidavit before me in the Court
of Probate, and swore to the contents being true. It is
the usual affidavit upon propounding a will.
Mr. Arnold—At present there is the evidence of three
people respecting the handwriting - Miss Bellow, Miss
Semidt, and the expert. How about the signature of
Simmons ? If you prove that it is the signature of the
prisoner, and the prisoner wrote that with the consent and
in the presence of the person Simmons, it would not be
forgery.

Mr. Piffard—She swore it was the handwriting of Sim-
mons on the trial.

Mr. Francis Woodward, shorthand writer, said—l and
another gentleman took down the evidence in the case of
Bellew v. Bellew. 1 took a portion of Mrs. Casse s evidence
—the beginning—Mr. Mumery took the rest. (Evidence
relating to the forged deeurneut read by order of the
magistrate.)
Cross-examined—l didn't take Miss Bellew's evidence.
Mrs. Casso was asked about a certain envelope in which the
will was done up. She answered all the questions unhe-
sitatingly.
(Evidence read relating to the preparation of the will of
the countess.)—On the trial memoranda were produced by
Mrs. Casse —slips of paper on which she noted the pro-
gress of the facts connected with the making of the will,
which was made from time to time as the countess visited
Mrs. Casse. The countess said her sister (Miss Bellew)
must have taken the will of 1853, and she wished to make
another, and, as Mrs. Casse had been a good friend an d
kind to her, she asked her assistance and advice in making
it at her house. I was not present at the finding of the
jury.
Mr. Lewis—lt was a very singular one.
Mr. Luke Nunnely, another short-hand writer present
with Mr. Woodward—l have my notes with me (Mrs.
Casse's evidence read with regard to the preparation of the
will and signature there). The countess wished to make
the will privately, and the servants were to be the wit-
nesses. Notes were written to two men to come. Ver-
lander came, and in consequence of the other man being
absent, Simmons, the cook, was called to be a witness.
She was garotted, and died from the effects of it. Mrs.
Casse refused to sign the will, but was overpersuaded by
the countess, and signed as woli as Verlander and Sim-
mons. Tho countess wrote on the top by the word "
—" or deed of gift." The countess and Simmons and Mrs.
Casse signed it, and Verlander made a mark on the top to
identify it at a future time "G. V.," and a cross.
Mr. Arnold—This will purports to bo a copy of a will
dated August, 1853, by, the aetp at the. bottom, with the
exception of the affidavit. Was there any evidence given
of tho execution of the 1853 wit:
Mr. Smyth asked that the case against Verlandor be ad-
journed, as he had gentlemen there to give evidence in his
behalf, and the case of forgery would apparently last all
day.

After some discussion Verlander's bail was extended to
Wednesday week, and Mrs. Casse was bound over in her
own recognisances in £l,OOO tc appear on Tuesday next.

TUAMES.

A COMAIERCIAL TRAVELLEB BAGGING HIS GAME:.

Thomas Parrott, a well-dressed man, aged 45, and de-
scribed as a commercial traveller, was brought up on re-.
mand, before Mr. Paget, charged with stealing three fowls
and three pieces of salt pork, from the shop of Mr. Alfred
Sweet, poulterer, of No. 620, Mile End-road.
Mr. Sweet said ho had recently lost a great many fowls
and a considerable quantity of meat from his shop. On
Saturday night a girl told him a gentleman had taken
three fowls off the window board, and gone up the road
with them. He at once missed three fine capons, worth
125., off the window board, outside the shop. He saw the
prisoner walking briskly along, with the three capons in
his hand. He took him by the arm and asked him
for the fowls. The prisoner said " They are mine." He
said to him, "Are you sure they are yours ?" Tho prisoner
adopted this question himself, and ho took him by the arm
and led him back to the shop. He held him until a police-
constable arrived, and gave him into custody. At the
station a bag which the prisoner was carrying was opened,
and three pieces of salt pork were found in it. They had
been taken from his shop.
Mr. Paget—Then, he took the pork first and came back
for the fowls ?

Mr. Sweet—Yes, sir. He was very choice. Ho took
three pieces of pickled pork, and then returned and took
the three best fowls in my shop.
Henry Youlton, shopma.n. to Mr. Price, butcher, No. 2,
Percy-terrace, Bow-road, said the prisoner had been in the
practice of buying a lot of pieces at the shop, and the dis-
appearance of joints had followed his visits. On Satur-
day night tho prisoner picked up a piece of veal, and said,
"My style is threepence half-penny per pound." He said
he could not take so low a. price as that. The prisoner
said, I will send my wife to you, she manages those things
better than me. Soon after the prisoner had left there
was a hand of pork missing. He saw the prisoner come
by the shop in custody about half an hour afterwards and
he followed to the station• house, when he saw the missing
hand of pork taken from the prisoner's bag; a piece of ribs
of beef, and a piece of mutton, also belonging to Mr. Price,
which had been stolen from the shop about the same time,
were also found in the bag.

Lewis Lambert police-constable, No. 311 K, produced
the fowls and six pieces of meat, the weight of the whole
was about 451bs, and it was as much as ho could lift in a
basket. Hero are the fowls, said the witness, three pieces
of pickled pork, a hand of fresh pork, a fine piece of beef,
and a piece of mutton.
Mr. Paget—ls theprisonor a provision dealer? (Alaugh.)
Lambert—No, no, sir ; ho said he went to market gene-
rally in the best way he could, and that ho bought the
whole in Leadenhall-market. He lives at 6, Edward-street,
Stepney.
The prisoner—l will leave it all to the mercy of the
court, I did it through distress, sir. I have a good cha-
racter ; hero is one of my testimonials.
Mr. Paget—l cannot look at it.
The prisoner—l have four young children, sir. I lost
£134 in a factory in East6eld-street, Stepney. I took the
meat and fowls for my poor children. I plead guilty, sir.
Mr. Paget —I cannot accept your plea. You have gone
about systematically from shop to shop, stealing meat and
fowls. You have been very choice in your selection of
fare for your children. I can have the greatest sympathy
for a poor creature stealing a bit of food to satisfy the
cravings of hunger, but none for a Juan who has committed
anthief.
exten
Tradesmensiverobbe leavery,andvi:tol I suspect to be a prac-
tisedinight to be protected from
such depredations. I shall not accept your plea of guilty,
but commit you for trial for stealing the fowls and meat.

ROBERT BURNS AND HIGHLAND MARY.—Mr.
Eyre Crowe has recently finished a picture representing
the betrothal of Burns to Highland Glary. Tho parties are
represented as the event actually occurred, standing one on
either side of a running stream, their hands joined above
its course. The background of the picture was painted on
the spot where the ceremony took place, and has thus an
interest beyond that which pertains to it as a work of art.

SUICIDE BY A YOUNG LADY.—On Friday a
shocking suicide was committed at Poringland, Norfolk.
A Miss Parnsham, aged 22, who kept the house of her
brother, a farmer at Poringland, affixed a piece of string to
the trigger of a gun to one of her feet. She then placed
the barrel of the gun to her mouth, and, pulling the string
with her foot, the contents of the gun carried away her
face and the larger portion of her head. Tho deceased had
boen for some time in a depressed state of mind.