The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-27 00:00:00

THE WILL FORGERS.

We copied from the Observer of last Sunday, into our co-
lumns, the circular which had been issued by Barber's soli-
citor, inviting the signatures of parties to a petition to the
Crown, praying for a commutation of the sentence of that
convict. We have since heard that, notwithstanding the ac-
tive exertions of Barber's legal advisers, and the high opinion
which one of them frequently expressed of his client, not
more than six signatures have been procured to the instru-
ment. Barber, however, is a man of such sanguine tempe-
rament, that there is reason to believe that he is still not
without hopes that something to soften the horrors of his
sentence may still be effected. Up to the moment at which
the verdict of the jury was pronounced he fully anticipated
an acquittal; and even after the whole Court heard it dis-
tinctly issue from the mouth of the foreman, he could scarcely
consider the fact a reality. He has been already clothed in
convict's dress, a degradation which Fletcher as well as he
appeared to feel most severely. In regard to the respite of
Barber's sentence, we have not heard any rumours of alte-
ration on which the slightest dependence is to be placed,
and the month, to the conclusion of which we mentioned,
in a former article, his actual embarcation was to be de-
layed, must by this time nearly have expired. An applica-
tion was made to the jury to sign a recommendation in
Barber's favour, but it was declined. The greater number
of the jury, we have been informed, were fully prepared
to give their verdict at once ; but there were two or three
jurors upon whom the address of Barber's Counsel had
made an impression. The jury, in consequence of this dis-
agreement, retired, and they all, with the exception of a
solitary juryman, were very soon ready to return to the
Court to utter their decision. The eleven assentients being
firmly convinced of the guilt of all the prisoners, placed the
letters and other documents in the hands of their fellow-
juryman, stating that they were anxious he should consider
them by himself, and he accordingly adjourned to a separate
part of the room, from which he afterwards returned in tears,
and declared that he felt it impossible to withstand the con-
viction of guilt which the papers forced upon his mind, and
a verdict of guilty was accordingly, as is well known to the
world, pronounced against the "individual for whom a
_ such
struggle had been made. In adverting to these trials
.again
we cannot help contrasting the efficiency of the oldtK police,
e, as
exemplied in the persons of the two Forresters,
de-
tective portion of the new police. It is believed by those
who are well qualified to judge, that if the new force had been
employed in the investigation of these nefarious frauds the re-
•
salt might have been very different
and there can be little
doubt that many of the curious intricacies which tended 80
much to the establishment of the guilt of the parties involved
in the conspiracy could never have been brought to light.
In illustration of this remark, it is asked by those who have
taken a deep interest in the investigation, what probability
there would have been, after the apprehension of Barber and
Fletcher, that the new force would carry the facts, as re-
garded the other offenders any further. The fictitious
Emma Slack had been for three weeks in a lodging in
London, and on inquiry it was found that the occupiers of
the house were unable to say who she was, what place she
came from, or whither she had gone ; and, in fact, all the
information they could give was, that she was evidently dis-
guised, which made the mystery more impenetrable. The
course, it is believed, which would have been adopted by the new
police, judging from their practice under similar circumstances,
would have been to send a circular, giving the best descrip-
tion they could of the party, to the different station-houses,
and that they might have done to eternity • the matter
would have remained in statu quo. It could only have been
by the tact of individuals who have been educated from
early life in extraonlinary investigations, and who are pos-
sessed of singular perseverance, steadiness, and skill, that
any discovery could have been reasonably expected. The
course which these intelligent officers pursued is worthy of
remark. The inquiries concerning Barber's connexions ap-
pear to have been first undertaken ; no facts transidiring,
the way was paved to the connexions of Fletcher. No pre-
sent apparent connexions of the latter could be found an-
swering the descriptions of the parties. The Forresters,
therefore, had to look to associates of a former day, and here
was found one in the person of a Miss Richards, of Bath,
who, although apparently having discontinued any ac-
quaintanceship for many years, did not escape the vigilance
of these able men. The judgment here shown has been fully
established by the facts as they were afterwards brought to