The Sun.
London, England, 1818-01-19 00:00:00

OLD BAILEY, SATUji.pAY, JAN. 17.

• . • FORGERY. • • • ' •
. .
tl'i
llium Kelly,. only 45- years- of nge,.was indict-
ed capitally, for Itaging .and uttering •a 51; note,
knowing it to .he forged, with intent to defraud
the Governor and. Company. off the .'Bank of .Eng-
l'he prisoner .was brought up to plead :011
Friday, .and_ he persisted in. pleading
Guilty, al.-
thongh, it could-.not•.iti the remotest .degree
avaithitn.. He.wasecordingly put hy„and,hrought
up this morning to amend his plea. Still, 'how-
ever, he persisted in his former plea, by observ-
ing, " how can I plead not guilty, VOI C know

tlyserf to Ire guilty 'erns tiitti' prat to th 6
bar, nti` eharged, with another bOyi aged 17)
mimed Thomas •Spencer with having forged and
tittered a 51. note, knowing it to have beeil
forged. -
The short clrctimstante3 of the case were
these Stil November, thepriioner Ka'
ly, dressed as a plaisterer, went to the slid!) of
Mr. Braidley, a porlo.burcher of St. Martin's"
lane, and saying he tame froth his master, Mr.
Crace, a plaisterer in Long-acre; asked for change
of a 51. note; he dlitalneiV the eliange in'four "one
ponnd. nateiv -and the remainder in silver. 'Bosh
prisoners were, shortly afterwards apprehended,
and upon the person of Spencer were fonntl fir
one-Onion) noteS', tile() of whick-Mr. Braidley
identified to be those he gaveln- Kelly in change
and upon Kelly were found ISs. in The
sf. note was proved to have been forged, and Mr.
Grace proved that he 'never authorised the
pri-
soner• tozet.him change. ••
Mr. Justice ABBOTT summed up, and the Jury
found both the prisoners Guilty—Death.
Janies. Seckerscii a respectabte• weaver, residing
near -Pollatd's-row, ,Bethtial-green, was put tat
the bar; upon an indictment which charged hias
with bating feloniously forged and tittered as true,
knowing to he forged, a note:, purpOrthig to be
of the --value of:51. With intent' t 6 =defraud John
Scrace, or the Governor and Company of tile
Bank of England.
Mr. Serjeant Bosanquet, Mr. Rolland, aml Mr.
Reynolds, Were Counsel for the &anti, and Alessif.:
Aileron& Adolphus for the prisoner. Tl:e trial 'j
lasted front twelve o'clock at noon, until neathr...l
eight o'clock at night. The pristiner cliargea
with having uttered four other forged 51. notes, at
different periods. •
The evidence for !the prosecution was most
strong against the prisoner, he being positivelyo
sworn to by different persons uS havingpaksed tai
forged notes in' question. •Its appeared, however:
by the 'evidence of a number of respectable per-
sons called for the defence, that On the days 01$
which the prisoner was sworn-to have been p;is's'-'
log forged notes, he had been etnployesl in differ'
ent ways, -either in his business or•otherwise,.auti
the employment of his time oti those days was sa-
tisfactorily Accounted for; and lie feeeltetrlikei•
wise an excellent Character. It nisi) appeared that
a man like the prisoner had been engaged in pass-
ing
forged.notes.
Mr. Justice -PARK delivered a most elaborate
and clear-charge to the Jury, which, with the re-
capitulation of the evidence, occupied him above
an hour. He confessed that, at the conclusion of
clie.tase far the prosecution, 'he never, in Avi
Court- ofJustice,whilelie was at the-Bar, or sincei
he had the honour of filling his present situation,
had he heard so Strong a one, and he thotight no'
thinkthad Overturn it, or.get rid of the intritensd
accumulation of guilt. After the-defence had heeri
heard, however, it-assumed as very different cow'
p!exion ; and it would be for the Juty, Upon their'
snlentn consciences, to Say 'whethet• theinisd6d
was guility-or. not., He trusted • that God would
guide them to a right conclusion.
Tke Jury retired for ten minutes, and found
Verifier of Net Guilty. It 'was received with loud
approbation by -a very ern:wiled: Court,
William Abbot, a most iocotrigible louug 177
lain, was Pitt to the bar, charged, Upon inilictinots
with stealing three books, on the inoruiiik. ofthe
12th instant, from the .windnw of Mr; Josiah
Holmes, bookseller, • Stoke Newipgio3, his pt
perty. Mr. Atkins, a respectable shopkeeper,
residing withirra' few doors of Mr. Holmes, stated
that he saw- thiePrisoner, on -the 12th inst. go to
the• window of -Mr. Holmes's shop, and awl the
three hooks now produced : be immediately put?'
sued him' down the stairs and secured him' with
the priFpeily. ' - '

.Chairotan—,-" Have• you ally questions to pits
to this witness?"—.—Prisoner, carelessly—" Not 1.%i
Mr. tiohnes, being called, examined the books'
and stated that they weie'his property, and wtte-
placed'Un his shop window fur a ale on the morn'
ing of the 12th
Cl airtnan Haire'yof anninestion to pin td
Mr..l-lotnies 1."---Prisotter=" No." •

Chairtrun-- Have you any Witnesses here, or
defence to make

Prisoner—" 1 have no witnesses here that I
know of." • '
Chairman—" Have you, any defence ?"
Prisoner—" No, 1 have not."
The CiIAIRMA.N inquiredif the prisoner, *Nitta'
conduct had—been so very extraordin'ari'ly
&of-during the trial, was known by the Police.--'
There were very few Police Officers present. It
appeared, howevet', that it was not his first of
fence, ide he-had frequckntly been 'charged at Po-
lice Offices with robberies ; but from his yofitti
he had been detained in prison for a short period
and discharged, except in the last instance, *hers
he-Was-sent to the Marine Sriciity; and they seat
him on -hoard a vessel, from- wiiichlbe,cdritrh,td to
effect his escape a short time ago" which he ac—
knowledged to the Court with more effrontery
and impudence than it could scarcely be supposed
the most hardened practises of crimes could be
capable of.

The ry found the prisoner Guilty ; and the
Chairm Juan, in pronouncing sentence upon him,
diliired-That he had never'wituessed suchliarderieit
depravity ; that he appeared to have no regard
for the situation in which lie stood, and. evinced
the utmost UllCOliCeril. The Court, therefore,
thought it "was its bounden duty 'prevent bias
from committing offences. 01)011 the public for 'as
long a periOd as possible, awl therefore sentenced
him to be transported beyond the seas- for 141 g
term -of seven years.

• ' ' MARRIED. •
On Saturday last, at St..laines's,hurch, Major Keane.ltia
HuSsars, A. D. C. to Or-rstiierat Sir HussCY
and third sou of Sir John
,keane;2ll3ait. ;to Anne, third
daughter, and also John Wove, M.D. of Salisbury, second
son of Thomas Grove, Esq. of Fern, in the county of Wilts,
to Jean Helen, fourth daughter of Sir William Fraser, Bart.
11Jdford square.

. . -!.
. .
" • DIED. ,
On the 15th.iust. at liis.liouse, 4iclitricond, Surrey, if?, the
45th year of "lii'ilige, Edward J. Collins, Esq. leaving a dis-
consplate widuw and twelve eltililien to stepliqe his loss.

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