Star.
London, England, 1803-09-21 00:00:00

fR•YD ON THIL POST-OFTICI.

William Chajsot was indifted for that he, on the
17th of January lag, being employed by the General
Pat in forting and Ramping letters, being an office
of trod and confidence, did fecrete feveral letters
with intent to defraud, and thereby defrauding the
revenue of the amount of the pottage on them.
Mr. FIRLDING, leading Counfel for the protect'.
tion, Rated, that this caufe was one of the fir( im-
preffion, that is, it was oae of the fir& of the fort
that had ever occurred. Although there were feve-
rs' AEts of Parliament peculiarly applying to the pro.
tettion of the Pod-office, yet there was not one which
met the offence direaly. But, notwithßanding there
was no particular ACt applying to the offence, yet as
it was a breach of duty in a public officer, by the
common law of the land, it was a mifdemeastor, and
if the Defendant were cenvided of it, be would be
liable to fuch degree of ponifhment, within certain
limits, as the Court might think proper io
The prifoner was a perlon who had been in the em-
ploy of the Pnit-office, and one particular branch of
his duty was to fort letters which arrived on a Sun-
aay. The foreign mails Amity arrived on a Sun-
day, and by way of expeditin3 the delivery of the
town letters on a Monday, the prifoner was employ-
ed to fort them on a Sunday. But though they were
forted on a Sunday, the account of them was not en
tered into the Poll-office books until the Monday
morning; this gave the prifoner an opportunity of
withdrawing as many as he pleafed, without the de-
ficiency appearing. Thefe letters thus w withdrawn by
him, were afterwards, the next day, delivered by
him to an accomplice, another of the letter carriers,
who delivered them accordingly to their addrefs, and
received the pottage, as thoogh they had been regu-
larly iffued by the etffice, and the money thus frau.
dulently obtained they divided betwixt them. This
pradice was continued for a long time, until about
May lan, the accomplice, who had been difiniffed
for other caufes, feeling compuntlion for his former
condu&, difclofed the whole ttanfattion to the Pon
Matter General. In confequence of this communi-
cation, the prifoner was interrogated, aid he confef-
fed hia (hare in the guilt. It fortunately happened
that the accomplice kept a little (hop, and in the
books of his buflnefs had kept an account of all the
money they had divided on this nefarious traffic, fu
that they would be able to thew in a regular (cries
the produce of the fraud.
_ _

The Situation of the prifuner. and the nature of his
duty being proved by different witneffes from the
PoQ•ohcc,

Thomas Webfter, the accomplice, was called : he
Rated that he was a letter carrier, and that he had
received letters from the prifoner which he told hint
be had fettered in forting on the Sundays. The pri-
loner, he added, dealt at his Shop, and he kept an
account in which he gave the prifoner credit for one
half of the produce of pottage upon ferreted letters.
On referring to his book, he Rated the following
fume as the half produce on the following
Jan. 17, tl. 5.7 6cl.—Feb. t7s. 4d.—Feb. 8, 191.
,6, 591. cod.—Feb. 22, t3s.9d.—March
11. 9s. 6d.—March as, 411. 4d.—bfarch 30, 12s. ed.
—April 5, al. tas.—He had paid him five guineas,'
and four pounds, in part difcharge of thefe fums,l
and gave him credit for articles out of his &op to
make out the balance: He Rated, that his diA
was Wood-Rreet, and when he bad any letters out of
his own diaritt he delivered them to the perfons in
whore diftrid they were diretted, and be received a
deduaion in his account for the amount of the por-
tage. Letters fometimes were roil-Coned, and got
into the hands of the wrong carriers, and theft let-
ters paired as baying got into his hands by Inch a
miltake. On crofs-examination, be Paid he bad been
formerly fufpended for malprataice, and did not
make the communication until be bad been difesided
a year for other mifeondott.
The Itifpedlor of the Poit.office raid, the prifoner
eonfeffed that he had participated in the fraud, bet
denied the extent as Hated by the left witnefs.
Mr. Stow, the Superintendent of the Inland De
partment, and leveret others, captained in the molt
minute and explicit manner what was the routine or
that department, and how it was polLbis that frauds
might be committed. After letters have been forted
they are not counted, but the grors amount only let
down. The forcer receives no money, and the car
rites alone are ant-set-able; it is therefore impoittie,
in cafe of franc being committed by a foster with the
ailißante of a carrier, to detail it or make a charge
sgaisit a particular

There Were three Cottufel for the profecutiolisena
three for the prifonet, who diiplayed a great dea. a
irgenoity and l-g.l knowledge. /11r. Att.sr was
particularly happy in his crofs-examinati• it of the
ayprover ; and nisi& a very animated addrets to the
Jury on the danger of admitting -into out jurifpru-
dence the•precedent of an accomplice, being an evi-
dence, tilien unfupported by other evict-nce ab to at
*kali Ibme collateral circumitances, and when that
witnefs bad e%en openly acknowledged hi, own in.
famy.
Several very refpeaable witneffes gave the pr;fossee
an excellent chardter from their knowledge of blia
for a great number of years.
After a very able charge had been delivered by the
Recorder, the Jury deliberated tea minutes, in the
'box—retired for about a quarter a an hair,,, and re-
turned with a verdict of-7Aot