The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-09 00:00:00

CENTRAL CRI VIINAL COURT.

There aro at present 260 prisoners for trial ; but that
number will very probably be increased to about 350
before the Grand Jury are discharged.
Upon the Court being opened,
The Low) MAYOR said that he wished to allude to the
circumstance of the public being refused admission to
the galleries of the Court, which were the only places
where they could be accommodated without paying sums
of money, varying from five to twenty shillings, accord-
ing to the importance or interest of the occasion. He
thought that this ought not to be. The public had a
right to admission to a court Of justice, and no money
should be demanded from them.
The RECORDER said, undoubtedly, as a general rule,
the-public were entitled to admission, but at the same
time, care should be taken that order was preserved, and
the Court protected from inconvenience. If any rules
had been framed relative to the admission of parties to
the Court, it was a question whether, upon a sudden,
those rules should be interfered with without considera-
tion, or that the public should be admitted indiscrimi-
nately without some regulations for the preservation of
order. _

The Lonn MAYOR said that all that was required was,
that an officer should be in the gallery to see that the
persons conducted themselves properly. It was mon-
strous that when any caw of public interest, such as that
of Barber and Fletcher was brought forward, the public
should have to pay for admission to hear the trial.
Mr. Sheriff MusoaovE wished it to be distinctly un-
derstood that he was no party to the taking money for
admission to the galleries. The Sheriffs had the charge
of the Court, and were bound to keep order in it, and so
far they were responsible; but he had determined to have
nothing to do with the subject of remuneration, or the
receipt of Money for :the admission of persons to the
gallery.
The LORD MAYOR was not. aware' what was done with
tho money, but he believed that some portion of it had
been applied to the payment of the Lord Mayor's sword-
bearer. He, however, would not receive any portion of
it, and it was his d?sire that the public should be admitted
freely to the Court.
The RECORDER expressed his opinion that this was
hardly an occasion to discuss so important a question,
and he would merely remark, that the charge of the
CoUrt was vested in the Sheriffs, and it was their duty to
preserve order, under the authority of the Lord Mayor,
who was the head of the Court. There could be no
doubt that it was illegal to demand money for admission
to a court of Justice, and any persons who received money
would do it at their peril, and would subject themselves
to be indicted.
Mr. Sheriff Moox begged to be allowed to state that
he had nothing to do with the receipt. of money for ad-
mission to the galleries.
and the Grand Jury
In the course of the day, Mr. Under-Sheriff ANDERTON
weTreheslcroonrnv.ersation then dropped,
addressed the Recorder from the gallery, and said, that
although he had given directions that the doors or the
gall.,ries: should be kept locked, some one had opened
had paid money fur their
them, and severnl persons who were then in the gallery
The RECORDER gave directions that the person who
hadadmiinformed him that they
had received the money should be brought into the body
of the Court, and this was accordingly done.
In answer to questions from the RECORDER, this person
said that he took the money under the authority of Mr.
Dornton, who rented the galleries from the Sheriffs.
The RECORDER said there could be. no doubt that. he
was taking the money at the peril of being-indicted. •
Mr. Under-Sheriff ANDERTON requested the Court to
give an order for the restitution of the 'money that had
been receivel.
The RECORDER said he could not take upon himself to
make such an order, but tne parties who had paid it
had their remedy.
Mr. Under-Sheriff ANDERTON said he was informed
that the doors of the gallery had been f zee(' open by
order of the Lord Mayor. It was impossible fur the
Sheriffs to keep order in the Court if they were not par-
mitted to adopt their own measures for that purpose.
The RECORDER thought it would be better nut to dis-
cuss the matter any farther at that moment, particularly
as the Lord Mayor had left the Court. All that could
now be done was to' place an officer in the gallery
to preserve order, and the public would be admitted
without interruption.
THE WILL FORGERIES.

The following is the form in which the several parties
charged with being concerned in the Will Forgeries,
stand indicted in the calendar :
Thomas Griffin, 60, tailor ; William Henry Barber,
36, solicitor ; and Joshua Fletcher, 50, surgeon; are in-
dicted for feloniously aiding, abetting, and assisting a
female unknown, to personate an owner of certain stock,
called the Long Annuities, standing on the books of
the Bank of. England, to wit, the sister of ono John
Ste wart, ..&c.
Williar% Saunders, 47, fishmonger, Barber, and Flet-
cher, are indicted—Saunders for forging and uttering,
and Barber for feloniously uttering, a testamentary do-
cumentary writing, purporting to be the last will and
testament of Mary Hunt, deceased, with intent to de-
fraud our Lady the Queen. Fletcher is charged with
feloniously meeting, and procuring Saunders to commit
the felony.
Georgiana Dorey, 32, and Barber and Fletcher, are
indicted—Dorey for uttering a forged writing, purport.
ing to be the last will and testament of Eliza Burchard,
deceased ; and the other two prisoners are charged with
inciting Dorey to the commission of the offence.
Lydia Saunders, 38, and Barber and Fletcher are
charged upon a fourth indictment—Saunders with utter-
ing a forged paper, purporting to be the last will and
testament of Anne Slack deceased ; and the other pri-
soners, as in the former indictment, with counselling
and procuring her to commit the offence.
The trials are not expected to come on before Mon-
day next.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
(YESTERDAY•)

GUILDRA4L.
Charles Freeman, otherwis‘ rather, was brought up
in the custody of Daniel Forresto for re-examination,
charged with uttering, at Messrs, Child's, the banker's,
a forged cheque for 55/. 10s. 2d.; purporting to be drawn
by Mrs. M'Pherson, of Cadogan-place, whose trustees
have an account at the bank, and permit her to draw.
The evidence already published was read over, to the
effect that the prisoner presented the cheque as the busi-
ness was closing; that it was paid, after some scruples
as to its genuineness, with three 10/. notes, a 51. note,
and the rest in cash; that the prisoner changed one of
the 10/. notes at a hatter's in the Strand, in payment for
three hats; that two of the hats were sent to Mr.
Kebble's,No.3, Dean-street,Soho,where the prisoner was
found by Daniel Forrester on Wednesday night last, the
cheque having been uttered on the 12th of March.
Daniel Forrester now stated that he could carry the
.case a little further, by tracing another of the 10/. notes
to him, and showing that he went to the banker's.
Sir P. LAURIE asked the prisoner if any one was de-
fending him?—The prisoner replies), no.
Sir P. LAURIE asked if he meant to employ any per-
son.—The prisoner said he could not afford to do it.
Sir P. LAURIE asked if he admitted or denied the
charge.—The prisoner replied he denied everything, ex-,
cept that he bought the hats.
Sic P. LAMS, Wing looked M the cheque, expressed

some surprise that it was paid, as there were inaccuracies
in the spelling of common words.
Mr. Shepherd, the banker's clerk, said there were
many such genuine cheques paid at banking-houses.
The imitation of the lady's signature was good.
Alexander Austen, a bookbinder, residing in King-
street, Long-acre, stated that he knew the prisoner, and
met him about three weeks ago, about four o'clock, on a
Tuesday. He said he was going to take some money,
and should not be above five minutes. Witness accom-
panied him to the door of the banking-house close to
Temple-bar, which the prisoner entered. Witness
waited for him twenty-five minutes, and then left, as it
began to rain. fie saw the prisoner again the same
evening, and was invited to be one of a small party; be
intended to dine at the White Lion, Drury-lane. He
accepted the invitation, and dined on the Thursday fol-
lowing.
Sir PETER LALTItIE desired him to state who was
present.
The Witness—There were Mr. Perry, a journeyman
printer and comic singer; Mr. Kebble, a picture frame-
maker; Mr. Willett, a tailor; Mr. Bartlett, a coffee-
house-keeper; and three others whom he did not know.
Richard Watsc•n, apprentice to Mr. Kebble, deposed
that he asked the prisoner about a fortnight ago to lend
him a few shillings. The prisoner gave him a 10/, note
to get change, and he got it changed at Mr. Rippon's,
No. 400, Oxford-street, a licensed victualler.

Mr. Rippoa identified a note produced by Forrester
from the Bank as the one he changed for Watson on
the 16th ult., and Mr. Shepherd identified it as one of
the not,s he paid to the prisoner in cashing the forged
cheque.
Mrs. MTherson stated that the cheque was not signed
by her. The prisoner was in her service for about a
year, and left four months ago. She once sent him with
a cheque for his own wages to Child's.
A second charge was then entered into.
Mr. Frazer, a clerk from Messrs. Child's, proved the
payment of a cheque for 351. 16s. 9d., purporting to he
drawn by /Sirs. M`Pherson on the 19th of February. He
did not remember who received it. He marked the num.
hers of the notes he paid on the back of the cheque.
The 5L note produced was one of them.
James 'lodge, the landlord of the White Lion, Drury-
lane, stated, that he changed the note produced for the
prisoner on. the 19th of February, and paid it on the
same day to the brewer. He did not know the prisoner
at the time, but found he was known to a young man
who frequented his house. He made the prisoner write
his name and address on the back of the note.

Mr. Keblole, of Dean-street, said he had known the
prisoner fro m his boyhood. Ho believed the cheque and
the address on the back of the note to bn in the pri-
soner's havAwriting.
Mrs. M'iPherson proved the cheque was forged.
Sir PEM'R LAURIE inquired of the banker's clerk if
the crime c f forgery was increasing or diminishing?
The witaa-ess said it was increasing.
The prisoner boldly denied that he hai uttered either
of the cheques.
Sir PET2EM LAURIE thought the charge was very
clearly made out, and committed the prisoner for trial.