Star.
London, England, 1819-04-10 00:00:00

LENT A SSI2'ES.

SURREY.

The Assizes for the County of Surrey termi-
nated on Wednesday evening, when eleven prisoners
received sentence of death, eight of whom were re-
prieved before the Judges left the town, and three
wereleft for execution, namely, Wilson, Burnet, and
Curtis. These men have been convicted of robberies,
wider circumstances of peculiar atrocity and formed
part of the " Borough Gang," that have so long been
a terror to the county. The whole of the convicts
from Kingston arrived on Thursday night at the pri-
son in Ilotsemonger-lane.

SOMERSET ASSIZES.-TAUNTON.

TRIAL OF WILLIAM KEMP FOR FORGERY.

William Kemp, late a grocer and banker in Bath,
was indicted for having forged a promissory note for
£:500 ; and for uttering the same, knowing it to be
forged, with intent to defraud Thomas Flowet and
John Cuff.

Mr. CASBERD opened the ease on the part of the
prosecution. The offence, the Learned Counsel said,
with which the prisoner stood charged, was a capital
offence; but he felt it nece-,s7.ry particularly to direct
the attention of the Jury to the different charges
against which the prisoner would have to defend
himself. The prisoner was charged, first, with having
forged the note in question ; next, with having pro-,
cured it to be forged; and last, with having uttered
it, knots ing it to be forged. The prisoner was a• man
who had filled a most respectable situation in life.
lie had resided at Bath, where, during many years;
lie had carried on the business of *a grocer; and his
s access in that trade was such, that he was afterwards
induced to become a banter. In the year 1814, he
gave up his business as a grocer in favour of a per-
son of the name of Flower ; and at that time the pri-
soner assigned to Mr. Hewer the whole of his stock
in trade, and book debts, for the sum of £9OOO.
mode in which this £9OOO was to be paid would be-
come a material object for the consideration of the
Jury. The Sum was to be paid by Mr. Flower by IS
promissory notes of /ZOO each. One of these notes
was to be made payable -at the end of each successive
week ; so that, at the-expiration of 18 weeks, the
whole would be discharged. The transaction in
question took place in May, 1814. Tke notes bort
date the Qath of May, 1814. ; they were delivered fo
Mr. Kemp, and paid by Mr. Flower. At this time
the prisoner was inhabits of very close intimacy with
aAfr.Cuff, a chyinist and druggist, residing in Bath.
Mn Cuff bad lent certain sums of money to the pri-i
sorer, and the latter, b 7 way of security, had made
available to him the next presentation to a living in
the county of Wilts. In the month of July. 1814;
the prisoner applied to Mr. Guff to advance him-a
Eicher sum of money ; or, if it should not be con-
veuient•to lend the money, to become joint security
with him -in a promissory note to the amount of
4;760, with which last proposal Mr. Cuff complied ;
and the prisoner, as security to Mr. Cuff, deposited
with him two of.the promissory notes • which he had
re...eived from Mr. Flower. At that time, therefore,
Mr. Cuff had not only the next presentation to the
living, but the deposit of these notes, as security for.
the money he had lent. Scon after Mr. Cuff` pre
up one of the promissory notes he had received,
thinking that without it be had sutEtient sechrity ;
and the prisoner soon came to Mr. Cuff with the
following proposal :—He said, that the note whkh.
Mr. 'Ca stilliield was made payable at toe early it,
period -for hfr. Flower'sconvenience, and begged that
Aft. Cuff would take in coximage for it another mote
of Mr.:Mower's Which had a longer' tittle to run.--
I'olr. Cuff 'Changed the note, and the note which was
then greets by the ptisimer to ,714 Cuff &rand thei
glound of the present prosecution. This, 'which
would be proved to be a-forgery, was then reed:—
as. Maq 18,4014—Mew* weeks after date, I prciatios to pay
to Mr. W. Kemp, or his order,. five hundred pounds for tra/se
re/aired. , • " THOMAS FLOWER."
" Payable at Messrs. Fry and Son't, Bankers, London."
This note, the Learned Counsel said, was never
drawn by Mr. Flower. It became due in August,
1814. It was not, however, until October last that
Mr. Cuff, who held the note, was called on to make,
good the promissory note into which he himself had
entered, at the desire of the prisoner. Mr. Cuff then,
became desiruus to make this, the apparent, note of.
Mr. Flower, available. He applied to Mr. Flower
on the subject, the consequence of which was, a re-
ference to the Mayor, at the Town Hall, when the
parties were bound over to prosecute, and the note
• was impounded. These were the circumstances b 1
the case; and not only the uttering bat the forging
et. the note would be proved. The note was not
ci-ra•.vn by Mr. Flower, that was plain. By whom
thea was it drawn? A witness would be called who
would tell the Jury, that, at the instance of the pri-
soner, he, that witness, drew the body of the note ;I
and it would be shewn, beyond doubt, that the sig-
nature was not the signature of Me, Flower. Whe-
ther that signature was or was not forged by the pri-.
soner,lt would be for the Jury to decide.
, Mr. Philip George said, that be was Town.Clerkl
of Bath; that he was present when the prisoner was
examined before the Magistrates; that he had in his
possession the note which *as the subject of that exa
mir.ation. Witasessproduced the note.
Mr. Samuel. n said,, that he was formerly, a
Clerk to Mr. Kelp .; knew the body of the hotesibieh
was presented to him tehe note in *question} to be Itcsi
own hand'-writing: •ile' wrote it at the desire of• Me.
Kemp. This was beheeen the 25th of May and 9th
August, 1814 ; had lived in the ethploy of Mr.
.Flower; knew his' hand-writing ; the signatdre to the
note -was not Mr; Flower's ; the endorsement upon
the note wait in the hand7writing'of Mr. Kemp.
'roses,esainined.—Mr.keinp and 'Plower mar-
ried sisters ; Mr. Flower bought Mr. Kenny's butinees.;'
Mr, Flower gave eighteen bills of £5OO each, and'hel
gave a bond fat' for thegood-will oftbe busi-
ness; witness had, never seen the bend: He drew Out
the body Of eilehteewtrotes by-Mr. Kenitra direction.
"The first' time: gisci Mt. Kemp, after he left his
service,' was %lea Mt. Kemp suriendered• to hil
•lemunission, - •

Dii-;John Cuff said, that he was a chymist and
residing ipj3ath. mad Icjiowp Mr. Kemp
iiol:whenhe first I•espensberixi him in besinest, he
to/xi grocer. M2l-ii.inp took to the banking betii.
ness in Mar, "lions Money trameietkeis bad
passed between tihnicif.and Mr. no *w the
eLoner in July last ; cal ,101) Via to'sst,