Star.
London, England, 1829-07-27 00:00:00

Applitialvazoir dp)v • GANG of BAD COIN
MANUTAITOREIIB.

_

Within these few days, a Mat extensive party of
wholesale venders of counterfeit money have been de-
tected at Birmingham. About a month back, Mr. Powell,
the solicitor of the Mint, received information that s
traffic in spurious sovereigns, half-sovereigns, and silver,
WAS carrying on in Birmingham, to such en enormous
extent, and with such daring impunity, that the venders
would not supply a less amount to the utterers than fifty
pounds' worth, for which they charged at the rate of
three bad sovereigns for one genuine ; and these were
generally purchatied by persons who immediately pro-
ceeded with them to Ireland, where they.put them off
with surprising avidity. The venders of the base coin,
viz. James Garner, proprietor of the Three Stags Inn, in
Navigation-street ; John Davenport, die-sinker, Jane
Wilson, John Holland, and Catherine Ryan, have, how-
ever, been taken into custody, and their apprehension was
effected in the following manner. Two men who came
from Cork were engaged by Mr. Powell to purchase the
base money. Having obtained an interview with Garner,
and informed him that they wished to purchase some
" queer uns," it was agreed that the agents should deposit
421. good money in his hands ; and the following day, at
a certain hour, they were to meet him at the two-mile
stone out of Birmingham on the Worcester road, when
he would give them 32 counterfeit sovereigns, 64 half
sovereigns, and 180 half crowns, making 861. 10s. in
bad money. The next day at the hour appointed the
two men went to the spot, and there found the primps,
waiting for them. Garner, upon seeing them, took them
down a bye lane on the road side, and on reaching a
small brook that ran across the road, he pointed to a
sward, and said, " there it is—remove that turf, and
you'll find the property that belongs to you." The men
removed the turf of grass, and found the bad money un-
derneath, wrapped up in separate papers. Garner then
walked with them two or three miles on the road, and,
wishing them luck, left them. The bad money was im—
mediately carried to Mr. Powell ; and Garner, a few
days after, while presiding at a dinner, was taken into
custody. He was examined before Mr. Spooner, the
Magistrate, and was committed to Warwick for trial.
Davenport sold to the same men 20 bad sovereigns,
28 half sovereigns 240 half crowns, and 720 shilling',
amounting to 65/. 19s. for which was paid 30/. good-
money. Jane Wilson and John Holland sold 30 bad
sovereigns, for which 10/. were paid. Catherine Ryan
had made a purchase of one of the prisoners of 26 sove-
reigns, 475 half crowns, and 830 shillings, with which
she was proceeding by the Magnet coach to Liverpool,
intending to proceed by the packet to Ireland. At Wal-
sall, however, a lady, a fellow-passenger with the prisoner,
missed her purse, and the prisoner was suspected of hay-
ing it ; the guard searched the bundle she had in her
possession, when the whole of the bad money above-
mentioned was found. She was brought back to Birming-
ham, and is now in Warwick gaol with her companions.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF MURDER.

Last week Sir Richard Birnie received a communica-
tion from the office of the Secretary of State for the Home
Department, informing him that a man had been landed
at Portsmouth from the Thetis transport, arrived from
Trinidad, and lodged in gaol, on the charge of having
committed a murder in the town of Ayr, in Scotland, in
the year 1825. In consequence of this communication,
Sir Richard issued his warrant, and intrusted it to Ellis,
one of the principal officers, who went off at once to
Portstnouth, and returned next morning with the person
accused in custody. He is a good-looking man of colour,
about thirty years of age, and was dressed in very light
apparel, suited to the climate from which he had so re-
cently come, and a straw or chip hat ; he was then taken
lbefore Sir Richard Birnie for examination in the course
of the morning : the circumstances which gave use to
the accusation against, and apprehension of, the prisoner,
were as follow :—At the latter end of the year 1825, a
man of colour, supposed to be about 25 years of age, re-
sided in Ayr, with his wife, and passed under the name
of John Johnson. In consequence of some jealousy on
the part of this John Johnson as to the conduct of his
wife with a farmer residing near Ayr, named John Dow,
who had been in the habit of visiting the family, repeated
quarrels took place, and on one of these occasions the
man John Johnson armed himself with a knife, and way-
laying Dow on his road home, ripped his bowels open,
and he was found dead on the following morning. John-
son absconded immediately after the murder, and eluded
all pursuit, although a reward of 2001. was offered for
his apprehension ; he was then generally understood to
be a seafaring man, and it was ascertained that he bad
'bade his way to Leith, and embarked on board a trading
vessel bound to the West Indies.

In September, 1828, the prisoner was at the island of
Trinidad, and one morning he was viewing the soldiers of
the garrison drawn out for the usual parade, when a pri-
vate of the 54th Regiment of Foot stepped from the ranks,
and pointed out the prisoner as the person who had coin-
mitted the murder already described. This private soldier,
on being questioned as to the ground upon which he
charged the prisoner with so serious an offence, said he
was a native of Ayr, and was in that town whetr.the
murder of John Dow was committed, and he knew the
prisoner to be the man Johnson who perpetrated thedeed,
,and immediately afterwards absconded. His statement
was so positive, that the prisoner was taken into custody
and lodged in gaol. The examination of the private
soldier was taken upon oath before the Council, in the
presence of the prisoner, and he swore positively to him
as John Johnson, the murderer of John Dow. Upon this
evidence the prisoner was recommitted to prison, and de-
tained until the arrival of the Thetis Government tram,-
port, on board of Which ship he was• put in custody, and
the vessel having to touch at other ports out of the direct
passage home, she only arrived at Porftunouth in the latter
part of the last week. The prisoner, when apprehended
at Trinidad, strongly declared his innocence, and said
that hie name was not Johnson, tuft Stevens, and that he
never was in Scotland in his life. The soldier, however,
was extremely positive as to his identity', and mentioned
so many circumstances corroborative of the truth of his
statement, that the Council had no alternative but to send
him to Orent Britain for trial.

When Wore Sir Richard Rimier yestefday, the ptisonei
still denied being the man, and made the followidgstate-
ment :—" I never was in Ayrshire in my life. f em
thirty yeats of age, and was born in the isle of Mane
Ante I have now, as I belieVe, to wife and children &-
Mg. My name is John Stevens, Mat dot John John-
son. My father and mother, whet* names were also
Stevens, were phintela it the Wand of Trinidad, and
iti 181& th fatho died, and I *erg out to that island*
the eatiieat Mid"( of My ditothet, to asst. t hat it Ella
Mattagenient of her estates.. I left my wife in the cani
of my holm and btaineati which Was. that of * Weak
aM doting ail fesidahlee at Tyinrafad I kaida MOW RP
giattiodesottlioney tit to wife; fat' the ntfoott of
snd the children. I have the atildtiVite of too) roooo6i-
able inhabitants of the isle of Man in my hand, declaring

that I am the person f have described; that I never was
known'aCapasmfaring man ; and that my wife and chil-
dren are now residing there in the way I have Mated. I
again declare that I know nothing AMA this supposed
mipler; that I never was in Scotland in my life; and
that I have been confined eleven months, and dragged
from Trinidad to this country most unjuitly."
Sir R. Binde said he was very sorry if ail was the
case; but the information before him was so positive, that
he must send him into Scotland, where the principal wit-
ness resided, in elder that the charge might be tho-
roughly investigated before the proper authorities.
The prisoner was then given back into the custody of
Ellie, who had eiders to convey him to Ayrshire, there to
be suljeeted to that inquiry before the Sheriff Deflate for
the county, &billy denominated " precognition." • Ellis
left town with the prisoner last evening, and, on his de-
parture he was very cheerful, and said it would soon be
found that he *si air innocent man.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
STANFORD RACES—Coscatnoto.
A Sweepstakes of 50 so*. each h. ft. for Stiles then three yrs. old;
to carry let. 41b. each. New Wk.
Ur. Greenlet ch. I. Rarlfa
Ur. flaitXs eh. f. Joie

One drawn.
Mat& for 30 soy. &raisin mile.
Mr. Flotbaat's b. g. Asti-Cadtolie, 3 yrs. l.
General Grosvenor's et. e. Gayety. 3 yrs
SO row. gives by the Marc& of Paster.
General Grosvroor's eft. e. Daystar. 3ys 1 t
Colonel Klog's b. os. Betty Martin. 4 yrs lt dr
Mr. Fllstbasn's b. g. Anti.Catlsok. 3 yrs

Mates for Si My.
M. Uwe. b. m. Miss Panay. aged . ... • i
Mt. Honon's gr. m. Kate, 4 yn