The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-10 00:00:00

THE WILL FORGERIES.

RE-EXAMINATION of BARBER and

FLETCHER.
MANSION-HOUSE (YESTERDAY).
The re-examination of the prisoners Barb•?r and
Fletcher, who were remanded on Monday week last on
two charges of forgery, was resumed yesterday. The
prisoners, it will be remembered, have been frequently
remanded on the charge of uttering a forged will, pur-
porting to be the will of Anne Slack, and when they
were last being brought up they were charged, in addi-
tion, with uttering a forged will, purporting to be the
will of Mary Hunt; they were on that occasion remanded
on both these charges.
Mr. Clarkson attended to conduct the prosecution,
Mr. Chambers appeared for Barber, and Mr. Ballantyne
for Fletcher.

At eleven o'clock the Lord Mayor took his seat upon
the bench. His Lordship was supported by Mr. Alder-
man Humphery. Shortly afterwards the prisoners W.
H. Barber, and Joseph Fletcher were brought up in the
custody of Forester, the officer, and placed in the dock.
Mr. Clarkson then called
Mr. Alfred Dunn, who deposed—l am supervisor of
births and deaths at the Belgrave district. I produce
the register of the death of Ann Slack. I received it
from Mr. Chappell, the superintendent registrar.
Mr. W. Price Jordan —I am a surgeon, and re►ide at 9,
Lower Belgrave-street. I am registrar of births and deaths
for the Belgrave district. On the 25th February last I
was called on to register the death of Ann Slack. As
far as I can possibly recollect Fletcher is the man who
called on me. I believe him to be the man. He stated
that he came to register a death—the death of Ann
Slack. I asked when? He said on the 17th February.
I asked where ? He said in South-terrace, No.B. On his
naming No. 8, South-terrace. I said I did not
know such a place in the district as South-
terrace. I asked him if he meant a row of
houses near Wooden-bridge, which have no name,
but are called Terrace, and sometimes Kent-terrace, and
are a continuation of South-place. lie said yes. I ob-
served that I did not think there were eight houses there.
I then entered the name, date, Sec. as follows :—" Ann
Slack. South-terrace, female, 68 years of age." When I
asked the cause of death, he said gout. I asked if it
was gout in the stomach, as persons did not usually die
of gout. He said she had been suffering from it for
many years. I then inquired if he had been present at
the death, or in attendance. He said he was present at
the death. I then asked him his address. He gave No.
4, James-street. I asked where. He said Commercial-
road. I said I did not know James-street, Commercial-
road, Pimlico, but that there was a Robert-street, Com-
mercial-road. I said there were two other Commercial-
roads, London, which did he mean? He said Commer-
cial-road, East, and I entered it accordingly. He then
signed his name Robert Hunt in my presence. I finished
the entry, and gave him a certificate for the undertaker
and clergyman. On 14th March following, a woman in
mourning came to me for a certified copy of the registry
of the death. I delivered one. Since this inquiry has
been going on I accompanied the Governor of Giltspur-
street Compter to the cells of different prisoners on going
his rounds. It was yesterday three weeks. I went inte
six or eight cells, in some of which there wore several
prisoners. I went to the cell where the accused (Flet-
cher) was confined, and as soon as I saw him I said he was
the man who had made that entry.
Mr. Ballantyne—With whom did you go? Witness
—The Governor.
Mr. Edward Alfred Grattan—l am a clerk in the Lon-
don and Westminster Bank. On 22d March, 1842,
Fletcher opened a deposit account with the Southwark
branch of the bank. I have been in the habit of paying
his cheques and have seen him write. I believe the sig-
nature "Rob. Hunt," to be his writings,somewhat disguised.
(The 1,0001. note, No. 91,492, dated Feb. 1, 1843, was
then placed in witness's hand.) I perceive some of
Fletcher's handwriting in that note. The words are
" Emma Slack, 7, Francis-street, Tottenham-court-
road." I now hold in my hand a note for 1,0001., and
another for 500/. On the 1,0001. note I see some words
in Fletcher's handwriting, and the same on the 500!. note.
Cross-examined by Mr. Chambers—Fletcher began
keeping accounts with us in Feb., 1840. He had two
accounts. I could find oat easily the numbers of any
notes which he may have deposited, but I cannot do so
without the orders of my superiors.
John Milton—l am one of the pay-clerks of the Bank
of England. The 1,0001. note produced was brought
into the Bank of England on the 13th of April in the
last year ; at least, I imagine so, for I paid to Emma
Slack a thousand sovereigns for a 1,0001. note, as the
entry in the book shows. I have no recollection of the
person to whom I paid it.
Mr. Grattan re-called--On the 13th:of April in the
last year there was paid into our bank, to the account of
Fletcher, 1,0001. in gold. He paid it in himself.
Joseph Deuner —I am a clerk in the Tellers'-office at
the Bank of England. On the 10th of April a 1,000/.
note was brought into the Bank in the name of Slack. I
gave 500 sovereigns and a ticket for a 5001. note.
By Alderman HUMPIIERY—The name "Emma Slack"
was written on it.

By Mr. Clarkson—On the 16th of April a 5001 note
came into the Bank in the name of Emma Slack. I paid
it inMr.old. Grattan re-called—On the 10th of April, 1843,
g
there was paid into the account of Fletcher in our branch
of the Bank 500/. in gold by Fletcher himself. On the
18th of April there were paid in to his account 4801. in
gold and a 201. note. Fletcher paid in that himself.
William Taylor called, and examined by Mr. Clark-
son.—Was one of the assistant pay-clerks in the Bank
of England. On the 10th of April, last year, received
the ticket produced of payment, of the sum mentioned.
He posted the sum stated in his cash-book. Ho gave
the ticket to Mr. Williams, who paid over a note for
Jo.. 41,856,117111iam dsatceaduJeda—n.l2v,asalso 1843.
one of the pay-
clerks of the Bank of England. He confirmed the evi-
dence of the preceding witness, as to the payment of a
note of that amount, and the same date and number.
This was the whole evidence on this case.

Mr. Clarkson then said he was prepared to go into
another, and a third case against the parties. He should
not go at any length into the details of that case, or to
give more than what would be considered reasonable
evidence, that there had been a forgery of the will of a
Miss Eliza Burchard. With respect to both the parties
charged, he proposed to show that the certificate of
the death of the said Eliza Burchard, was
a forgery. He held in his hand a book just published,
which had created some interest, and which he had no
doubt had not escaped his Lordship's perusal ; that pub-
lication was the report of Mr. Chadwick on burials in
towns and cities. In one passage he pointed out the
defects in the mode of the registration of deaths. Not
only had frauds occurred within the knowledge of the
writer, but he seemed to speak somewhat prophetically
of cases precisely similar to the subject matter of the
case then before them. He said, "cases of registrations
in which false statements had been made, had been al-
ready detected ; some made with the view of obtaining
succession to property ; but there had also been cases of
false registration among the labouring classes, of the
places of death, in order to gain interments in certain
districts or parishes. False deaths had also been regis-
tered in order to defraud burial societies, and the certi-
ficate of the Registrar used in order to obtain money
from these societies." After stating that the work went
on to mention other means of fraud, Mr. Clarkson called
Mr. Seton, the same gentleman who produced the two
former wills. He now produced a will purporting to be that
of Miss Eliza Burchard, of Cooper-street, Westminster,
afterwards of Rostock, Meeklenburgh, Germany, after-
wards of Bond-street, Bath, and 8, Broad-street, Bristol,
and of other places, spinster. The will appeared to be
in the same handwriting, and the same in appearance
as the others.
Mr. Cox called—Was partner in the firm of Messrs.
Jennings, proctors, Doctors' Commons. Believed it
was in 1841 he first became acquainted with Barber.
On the 9th of June in that year he called on him, ac-
companied by a female. He received from Barber an
account of the testatrix. Received from him also the
date of the death, 21st of March, IS4I. He received
from him the amount for which the will was to be proved.
and believed he filled up the usual Stamp-office certificate
for that amount under 2,000/. He sent the probate to
Mr. Barber's office. There had been a small adminis-
tration transaction with him in the same month. He
received from Mr. Barber a cheque and the probate to
the amount of 401.
Cross-examined by Mr. Chambers—Could not recol-
lect the description of the female, whether she was a
lady-like person or not, who accompanied Mr. Barber.
Was originally introduced to Mrs. Barber through a
brother of his (Mr. Cox's).
Mr. Noble called—Was assistant-accountant at the
Bank of England. On the 22d June, 1841, remembered
a person coming to receive some dividends on Three-
and-a-Half per Cent. Stock, accompanied by a female.
He produced an order from the authorities of the Bank
to return to the Bank the amount that had been given
up to the Commissioners for the Redtiction of the Na-
tional Debt, and to transfer that stock again to the par-
ties applying for it. The account purported to be that
of Eliza Burchard. No dividends had been received on
that stock since 1823. The dividends due amounted to
446/. ss. He distinctly recollected Mr. Barber as the
yerson who accompanied the female. There was a Mr.
:Hill, of the Stock Exchange, who attended to identify
Mr. Barber. He attended on his (witness's) application,
according to the usual custom of the office. Delivered
afterwards a direction to the chief cashier for the pay-
ment of the 4461. ss. to Mr. Barber, in the presence of
the woman who accompanied him.
Cross-examined by Mr. Chambers—The course of
business is, when they (10 not know at the office the per-
son who applies for payment, they procure an identi-
fication of the person from another party—such as a
stock- broker for instance. In the present case Mr. Par-
her was identified by Mr. H. Hill, the stook-broker.