The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-10 00:00:00

CKARGE OF HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

Charles Williams and William Webb were indicted for
feloniously assaulting Henry Hughes, with intent to rob
him.

The prosecutor was in a cigar shop in Drury-lane, and
having made a purchase left the place, when he heard one
of the prisoners call out "put it on him," and the next
moment he felt the prisoner's (Williams) arm round his
neck and with great violence pull him to the ground, while
the other prisoner put his hand into his pocket. The pri-
soners ran off, but they were captured and taken to the
station house.

The jury found Williams guilty, but acquitted Webb.
The learned judge sentenced him to 12 months' impri-
sonment.

NEW COURT.
(Before the Recorder.)
UTTERING FORGED NOTES.

George Cohen, clothier, 40, was indicted for feloniously
uttering a forged L 5 Bank of England note with intent to
defraud.

Mr. Giffard prosecuted, and Mr. Sergeant Ballantine and
Mr. Sleigh appeared for the p isoner.
Mr. Giffard having stated the case against the prisoner,
called the following witnesses :

James Warwick—My shop in Rosemary-lane is opposite
to prisoner's. I have known him for some time. He deals
in old clothes. I recollect in March last, on the 9th, in the
evening, he came to my shop to get change for a £5 Bank
of England note. I gave him it. The note was not
marked in any way. I placed it in my private bag, in which
there was another £5 note. That was marked in ink,
" Marriners, Wells-street." The not© produced is
that one. I took the 'Money home that evening
and locked it up with my other cash. There were two
other notes there, but the only note not marked was
the one I took from the prisoner. I took the notes to
the Bank, and the cashier marked "forged" on the one I
got from the prisoner. I went to him and asked him if he
recollected changing a five-pound note. He said
"Yes." I said, "Do you recollect you did not
put your name on it ? He said " Yes." I told him
I had taken it to the London and Westminster Bank, and
they said it was a bad one. He said he did not know any-
thing about the note, but he would give me the money I had
given him back again. He said he had taken it in trade from
three Scotch sailors, and they had left London. He said
he would give me the money when they came back. I
told him I should not wait for that, but that I intended
to have my money back. lie then said he did not know
anything about the note. I then gave it to the officer.
Cross-examined by Sergeant Ballantine—He took no
means to get the money back. I sued him for the amount,
I have changed many notes for the prisoner. He keeps a
shop frequented by sailors as purchahers. I never had a
bad note from him before. I have known him six years.

George Chapman—l am barman at the City of Carlisle.
I recollect on the 9th of March the prisoner giving me a
£5 note in the afternoon. I gave it the same day to my
mistress.

Y.
Cross-examined I have known him some time, and
never got a bad note from him.

Martin George said—l am the landlord of the City
of Carlisle publichouse. The note taken from
the prisoner was sent, about ten days after
it was received, to my brewers. They returned
it as a forgery. I sent it to the prisoner the same
day that I received it back. Cohen shortly after came in and
said he had taken the note in the way of business. He
acknowledged it was the same note he had changed at my
house. He said he took it from some sailors. He
said he would give me £2 back, and a per-
son named Moss would pay the remainder at ten shillings
a week. I refused this arrangement, and ho then gave me
his 1.0. U. for the remaining three pounds, and I returned
him the note.

Cross-examined—Moss was standing with his back to the
bar when the conversation occurred. Moss, in reply to the
prisoner, said he would pay a pound or 10s. a week. I have
known him ten or twelve years. I always looked upon him
as a straightforward man. I have changed a great many
notes for him. I should think 200 or 300 during the time
I have known him. Many for larger amounts than £5.
Mr. Brant, a licensed victualler, Whi tcchapel —I received'
a £lO note from the prisoner. It was not marked. I had
other £lO notes, but they were all marked. I got the note
I received from him returned to me as a forgery.
Cross-examined—I have known the prisoner 17 months.
I have changed a great many notes for the prisoner—two or
three a day. I never got a forged note from him before.
Mr. raitoer, collector to Messrs. Tanquray—l received
from the last witness some money. Amongst it was a
forged £lO Bank of England note. I returned it to Mr.
Brant.

John Moss.—l am a coii7."e shop keeper in Back Church-
lane. I have known the priso:Jer for seven years. I owed
him some money. I met him one; day and he said, " Well
Mess, are you going to pay me any money." The next
time I saw him he said, " I expect to get into trouble about
some notes, and if you can get me out of it I'll never for-
get you. I want you to say you brought me three Scotch
sailors, and that they bought some clothes, and ;that
I gave them change for notes." One of them
he told me to say got £2, one 305., and the other £2
10s. I said I would do so. Ho afterwards came to mo and
told me to mind he said, if I was asked anything about the
notes, what he had told me. I saw him on the following
Thursday. I was looking for some clothes for a sailor. He
told me I had better go home and bring the sailor man to
his shop and he should have all he wanted. He put
his arm in mine, and said he was proceeding to
a publichouse, and that lie was going to say, " This
is the man that brought the sailors." He said he
did not expect I should be asked anything ; but, if I was, I
was not to deny that I brought the sailors. Ho got a
forged note from Mr. George and tore it up. When we
got to his door he gave the bits of the note to his boy, and
told him to put them in the fire. I went round for the
sailor, and he bought clothes to the amount of £6, for which
I signed an I 0 U for the M.

Cross-examined—l did not mind telling a few lies for
the prisoner. It was not to get off my debt. I told the
lies in order to do the prisoner a good turn. (Laughter.)
I did not expect to get anything from him. I began to feel
uncomfortable, and I went to the prisoner's solicitors and
told them all that had taken place. My wife said I had
done wrong and that I should not persist in the statement.
I then told Cohen I did not mind telling a few lies for him
if it was wanted, but I would not swear about the Scotch-
men. I first met Mr. Freshfield, the solicitor for the
prosecution, near Arbour-square, by accident. He told me
to be at the police office at half. past ten. I first went to
Mr. Freshfield's. It was up Leman-street. I am con-
founding Mr. Freshfield with Mr. Turner, the solicitor for
the prisoner. Mrs. Cohen took me to Mr. Turner. I've
come to this court to say what I can for the prisoner .
(Laughter.) He wanted me to tell a lot of lies, but my wife
told me I was not to swear to anything untrue. I was
compelled to come here by subphoena. I can't be sure the
exact day I was examined at the police court.

Sergeant Ballantine—When did you tell the attorney for
the prosecution that Cohen wanted you to commit perjury.
Witness—When the officer told me to go to Mr. Fresh••
field's.

Sergeant Ballantine —How did the officer know what you
had to say ?

Witness—l don't know.

Sergeant Ballantine—Did you consult your wife about
your evidence to-day ?

Witness—No, My wife told me on the night before I
went to Mr. Freshfield's that I had to go. I will swear
I made no statement to the officer. I never had a convcr-
eation with the officer about my evidence. I keep
a lodging house for sailors. I might have taken
three or four sailors to the prisoner's house. I have
never taken as many as 30. I take them to Mr.
Harris. I became indebted to the prisoner for paying out
the broker when he was in my house. I've not seen the
boy here that the prisoner told to chuck the notes into the
fire. I have never been in any difficulty in my life.
Re-examined—I first received notice to attend the police-
court to-day, and give my evidence. The solicitor for the
Prisoner,i Mr. Turner, told me to be here at half-past
10. I tad told Mr. Turner what was untrue.
I then had a conversation with my wife. When
1 got to the police-oliee I told Turner I was
not goiwz to swear to what I had told him. Turner
said, "What iVare they all lies ?" I said, "Yes, and I'm
not going to swear to them as the prisoner had told me.
I was put into the witness-box at the police court by the
officer. I had told nobody but Mr. Turner what I in-
tended to say. The magistrate asked me what I had got
to say, and I told him all about it. I saw Mr. Freshfield the
second time I was examined. I was bound over to give
evidence before I went to Mr. Freshfield's house.
Mrs. Moss, wife of the last witness, corroborated his
evidence.

Constable Donnoway said he took the prisoner into cus-
tody. He said he was innocent of the charge of uttering
forged notes, and that he had, been drawn into it. He
afterwards gave me two or three other bad notes, and said
some men had attempted to pass them at his shop, but on
being discovered they ran away.
The inspectors of notes at the Bank of England said the
notes were bad in every respect.

Mr. Sergeant Ballantine then addressed the jury for the
prisoner, commenting strongly on the evidence given by
Moss.

The Jury returned a verdict of guilty, and he Wail sen.
tenced to ten year' penal servitude,