The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-27 00:00:00

THE WILL FORGERIES.

MANSION-HOUSE.

RE-EXAMINATION OF BARBER, FLETCHER, AND

MRS. DOREY.
Three o'clock yesterday afternoon was the hour fixed for the
re-examination of the persons charged with the commission of
these forgeries. As soon as the doors were opened, the Court
was crowded in every part.
Mr. Clarkson attended to conduct the prosecution; Mr.
Chambers appeared for Barber; Mr. Ballantyne for Fletcher ;
and Mr. Wilkins for Mrs. Dorey.
At three o'clock precisely the Lord Mayor took his seat on
the bench, and the prisoners, Wm. Henry Barber, Joshua
Fletcher, and Georgiana Dorey, were brought up in the cus-
tody of the Forresters. The male prisoners were placed in the
dock, the female was accommodated with a chair at the table
immediately below the bar.
Mr. Clarkson—Let Griffin also be put to the bar.
Forrester—He is not here yet, Sir; he is gone for.
Upwards of half an hour elapsed, however, before Griffin
made his appearance, when he was placed in the dock.
Mr. Wilkins expressed a desire that Mr. Weare, the clerk of
Mr. Freshfield, should leave the Court, so as to be out of hear-
ing, unless the counsel for the prosecution would pledge them.
selves that he was not to be examined as a witness.
Mr. Clarkson—l shall not pledge myself.
Mr. Wilkins—Then I desire he may leave the Court.
Mr. Clarkson (after consulting Mr. Freshfield)—l shall not
call Mr. Weare.

Mr. Wilkins—Do you pledge yourself that Mr. Weare shall
not be called as a witness, either here or elsewhere, against any
of the prisoners ?
Mr. Clarkson—l will not pledge myself to that.
Mr. Wilkins—Then I demand of you, my Lord Mayor, that
he should be ordered to leave the Court.

Mr. Clarkson—Mr. Weare is the managing clerk of Mr.
Freshfield in this prosecution, and it may perhaps, although I
sin not aware that it will be, but it may be necessary to
examine him, but surely that is no reason for turning the
person who has assisted in managing these prosecutions out of
Court.
Mr. Wilkins appealed to the Lord Mayor's justice
to desire Mr. Weare to leave the Court, and to
Mr. Weare's sense of decency to do so. If he had
not been misinformed, Mr. Weare's zeal in behalf of
this prosecution, had outrun his discretion ; and he therefore, if
it was intended, either here or elsewhere, to examine him as a
witness against any of the prisoners, requested that he should
leave the Court.
The Loan MAYOIt (to Mr. Clarkson)—You do not intend
to call him here? _ _

Mr. Clarkson—No, my Lord.
The Loan It'Aiwa—Then I cannot see any necessity for his
leaving the Court.
The following witnesses were then called:—
Sarah Hawkes—ln 1840 I lived in Little Guildford-street,
Russell-square. I knew Mrs. Dorey as Miss Richards.
I was then an embroiderers. I had lodged in the
same house with her and her mother in Berwick-street,
She called on me in the summer of 1840, and said I have
called to ask a favour of you. I asked what it was ? She said,
to have some letters in your name to a Mr. Jones. I then
lived at 24, Little Guildford-street. I said I had no ob-
jection. Shortly after that, one letter came addressed to
the name of Jones, 24, Guildford-street. It was addressed
to me for Mr. Jones. I took it to Mr. Wybrow's, where
I was requested. He is a seller of music in Rathbone-
place. I left it in the shop for Miss Richards. She told me
the letters related to some property, that I used to hear
her mother talk about. _

Joseph Cookson—l am one of the constables of Barton-
upon-Humber. I married a 'sister of the prisoner Fletcher,
and have known him from childhood. I had a son named Robert.

. _
I was at Barton in 1839. My son Robert was a sailor. I was
employed by Fletcher in June, 1839, to purchase a vessel for
him. lie came to Barton on the 13th or 14th of June.
Mr. Ballantyne asked to which charge the evidence applied?
Mr. Clarkson—To all.
Mr. Ballantyne—Then I object to it. I object to any gene-
ral evidence, and I ask under what charge Mr. Fletcher is
being now examined?
Mr. Chambers also desired to know if the first charges were
now the subject of inquiry, or if they were closed.
Mr. Clarkson was giving evidence upon all the charges, and
the purport of this evidence was to show that Fletcher was
making preparations at that time for what he had done sub-
aequen tly.
Mr. Chambers did not object to the adoption of that course—
all he was anxious for was to prevent any prejudice from being
excited.
Mr. Ballantyne still objected, bet
The LORD MAYOR decided to admit the testimony.
Mr. Clarkson (to witness)—Did he say anything to you
about getting money?
Mr. Ballantine objected to the question, as irrelevant to the
subject under discussion ; and called for the decision of the
Lord Mayor on the subject.
Mr. Clarkson replied ; and
The LORD MAYOR decided that the question might be put.
Examination resumed—He said he was making money very
fast by hunting out unclaimed dividends. I said, But, Sir,
are you not afraid you should be overtaken ? He said, No ;
the parties are dead, there is no fear whatever. I said, But,
Sir, suppose you should be overtaken ? Oh, ho said, send you
across the seas. He mentioned the names of two parties for
whom he had got them, but one party is dead, and the other is
not in custody, and I do not think it desirable to name
them now. I have not had advice, but I think not.
He then told me of a Miss Richards that he had get money for,
but it was only a small sum, 2001. or 300/. Miss Richards
he said laid her money out in fancy goods and kept a stall in
the Pantheon. He said the money came from unclaimed di-
vidends, and that he and his rogue of an attorney shared the
plunder—that is the person not in custody yet. He said he had
been at law with the Bank of England. That he advanced 350/.
-,to a woman to proceed against the Bank, because she had not
property to go to law with ; he advanced the money to get it,
'and she got it. I had at that time a daughter named Mary
Ann. She was then living at Liverpool or Leeds. She was
invited up to London by him, and she came up. That was
after his visit to Barton. I think I have stated all that passed
on the subject of unclaimed dividends.
Cross-examined by Mr. Chambers—lie did not mention the
name of any person who is in custody except Miss Richards.
Mr. Chambers—Can you write down the name of the rogue
of an attorney, who is not in custody, and hand it to the Lord
Mayor? Witness—l can if it be desired.
Mr. Chambers submitted that it should be done, which was
acceded to by Mr. Clarkson and the Lord Mayor.
Mr. Chambers—Can you also write down the names and
addresses of those other parties ?—Yes, Sir. I have not seen
him since. These communications were made at different
times during the three or four days he was at my house.
He said nothing about continuing or discontinuing such prac-
tices. He did not tell me how his rogue of an attorney
shared the plunder, nor did he enter into any particulars as to
his mode of proceeding. The names of the other three parties
were those of persons for whom he had got dividends. My
son is in the island of Sicily. I was sent for to come to Lon-
don about a week ago. I was in town on Monday. I had
come on the preceding Friday.
By Mr. Ballantine—l live at No. 1, Hay-street, Barton-on-
Humber, and have been a constable since 1836. I lived
two years at Liverpool with my son. I did not
propose to come up here myself. I received a
communication to come up on Wednesday week. That
was in consequence of a communication I had myself
made, I think. I have no doubt but that I made a communi-
cation. I wrote up to London, on seeing the advertisement in
the paper, three or tour days before. I went to Messrs. Freshfield,
stating the particulars I have stated. My daughter is here.
She was living with me when I made the communication. It
was six weeks after I saw the advertisement before I wrote up.
I do not know that there is any reason for my not having done
err before.
Cross-examined by Mr. Wilkins—l am appointed constable
by that township. Ido nothing but constable•ise. I was a
farmer at Barton before I went to Liverpool. I failed in
business, and my creditors took what there was. I was not
bankrupt, nor did I take the benefit of the Act. There was
no compounding. My landlord seised, and I afterwards paid
my creditors what I could. I did nothing while I was at Li-
verpool. I lived upon part of the money that my son
earned, and some I had myself. He was in the Liverpool po-
lice. That was from 1834 to not 1836 quite. I think I
lived at No. '2O, Alarylebone. It was opposite Great Cross
Hall-street. I did not seek to get into any employment. I
have been living at the Bull, in Leadenhall-street, since I came
to town. I have seen the gentleman (Mr. Weare) twice. I
received Si. at Barton for my travelling expenses. It cost me
4/. Bs. for me and my daughter by railway. I was not in
Court last Monday. Mr. Freshfield took my examination last
Friday.
Mr. Wilkins—Do you expect any money? Witness—Of
course, I do.
Mr. Wilkins—You expect to be paid pretty handsomely?
Witness—Why, for my time. I was a constable at the time
this conversation took place with Mr. Fletcher, and it is about
a fortnight since I first made this communication.
Re-examined—lt was the magistrates' clerk of Barton who
advanced me the money to come up.
Mary Ann Cookson—l am the daughter of the last witness,
and live with him. In 1839 I came up to see my uncle Fletcher.
He was living in Westmoreland-place, Southampton-street. I
stayed with hies between three weeks and a month. After I had
been there three days he spoke to me about unclaimed divi-
dends. He said that he was getting a great deal of money by
the unclaimed dividends.

Mr. Chambers—l beg to draw your particular attention to
the conduct of one of the witnesses, who actually had the im-
pertinence to seize my collar, and that witness is the constable
who was just examined. He had written down the names of
the parties as I had desired him, and when I attempted to look
at them, he seized me by the collar and I thought he would
have clawed my face.
Mr. Clarkson—Cookson, how is this ? Cookson—l had
written down the names to give to the Lord Mayor, and I
thought the gentleman had no right to look at them.
The papers were then handed to Mr. Chambers, and he
desired Cookson to write the addresses of the parties, which ho
said he could not do.
Mr. Clarkson then recommended Cookson to leave the room.

Examination resumed.—He said that he had got a great deal
of money by unclaimed dividends, and that he had got it more
than once. A person of the name of Tucker frequently came
there. He always talked about money after Tucker went away ;
and he said if I would do as he would have me, be could get
me some. I asked how it was to be done? and he said, of
course, I must appear to be another person. I asked him how
I must do that? and he said it would be by false swear.
ng ; and he said I should have to kiss the Bible, and
say I was another person that I was not. I told him
I thought I should be doing very wrong to kiss the
Bible, and bring a curse upon myself. He said that was quite
ridiculous ; the Bible was a fable, and if I went by that I should
go wrong. I told him I thought it very wrong, and that I
would have nothing to do with it. He said if I would do as
he would have me, there was money he could get me very
shortly. He frequently talked about it. I did not at that time
know what unclaimed dividends were : I asked kim, and he
told me, as far as 1 can recollect, that it was something
about the Sinking Fund Commissioners. He mentioned Miss
Richards as a person for whom he had got money.
Mr. Wilkins—l ask Mr. Clarkson if he were before a judge,
would he give such evidence as this ?
Mr. Clarkson—l certainly should.
Mr. Wilkins—Then I will pledge my reputation as a lawyer
against yours, that no judge would admit it in evidence. It is
a cruel and oppressive attempt to prejudice the public mind
against the prisoners through the medium of the press.
The Loan MAYOa decided that the question might be put.
Mr. Wilkins—When that poor woman, suffering from illness,
has been visited by magistrates in prison.
The Loan MAYOR—Whom do you accuse ?
Mr. Wilkins—l accuse you, my Lord Mayor.
The Loan MAYOR—Then, Sir, you accuse me of that
which is false. That woman sent for'
me, and stated she wished
to make a declaration to use, and I refused to bear her, and toM
her
sTithor
e. a
LORD
poillßykDitnoschi eAsryticooeaus_na sel .
says
hdeignesrhenetstates that which is false.
Mr.
e LWoilak—
ninsMalleyoaar me.
Th—lwill not hear you, Sir. What you
have asserted is altogether false.
Mr. Chambers, as Counsel for Mr. Barber, bore his testi.
timony to the attention with which the Lord Mayor had eon-
' ducted the investigation, and the examination was resumed.
A lady came to tea with us, and we afterwards went to her
house to tea. He said she was a nice lady ,and a confidential
friend of his. Ido not recollect an other occasion when I bad
a conversation with hint about it. There was a shop to 10 in