Star.
London, England, 1818-09-18 00:00:00

01,D BiIIZSY SEgSIONS.

TOIWERIZI ON Tug DANK OFIENOLAND.
Yesterday Joseph Turner was put to the bar, un-
der as indictment charging him with having uttered
a forged £1 note, knowing it to be forged.
The prisoner, a young pan, aged 21, begged of the
Court that he might be i„llowed to retract his former
plea of Not Guilty to the major offence, and plead
Guilty to the miner of having the note in his posses-
sion. The Jury were directed by the Judge to acquit
the prisoner on the charge of uttering, and he was
suffered to plead Guilty to the minor offence.
Thomde.lavey, aged 16, Willies's Quin aged 22,
and Jogai Waif, aged 17, were then severally put to
the bar, and were allowed to retract their former
plea of Not Guilty to the major offence, and to plead
Guilty to the minor offence. They will all, of course, ,
undergo the sentence of 14 years' transportation.
William Sadler, aged 20, was indicted for having
in his possession a certain foiled and counterfeit
bank note of the Governer and Company of the Bank
of England, knowing it to be forged.
Thomas Denham, a shoemaker, residing in Dean-
street,' Westminstet, deposed, that on the 16th of
July, about three o'clock in the afternoon, the priso-
ner came to his shop to buy a pair of shoes. The
price was 4s. and in payment a £1 note was given by
the prisoner. The name and address written upon
the note by witness, under the direction of the priso-
ner, were " William Sadler, 10, St. George's-place,
St. George's-row, ChelsrA."
John Silvester, an officer, proved the apprehension
of the prisoner. Verdict—Guilty.
As soon as the verdict had been pronounced, Mr.
Serjeant BOSANQUET observed to the Gentlemen of
the Jury, that perhaps it might be a satisfaction to
them to know that the prisoner had pleaded guilty'
,to this offence ; but had been induced to retract the
plea in order to undergo his trial.
Edward New, age'd 18, was put to the bar, charged '
with the capital offence of uttering forged notes, but
xt his request he was allowed to withdraw his plea
of Not Guilty, and to plead Guilty to the minor offence.
Jineph Longwood was next brought up, and charged
with the capital offence of putting away a forged £l'
bank note to John James, with intent to defraud
the Governor and Company of the Bank of England.
The prisoner is only 20 years of age, and notwith-
standing the advice given to him, he persisted in
pleading Not Guilty to the major offence.
Mr. Serjeant BOSANQUET, in opening the case on
the part of the prose:ution, observed that this was
the last case of this nature to be tried by a London
Jury, and he should have been glad if it had been the
first. There were but two cases of argery which re-
mained to be tried on the Middlesex side. He pro-;
ceeded to call his witnesses. •
Joseph Wild was, on the 14th of July, shopman to
Mr. James, a hosier and haberdasher, living at 72,
Holborn-brid je. On the 14th of July last, the pri-
soner at the bar came into his master's shop, and
asked for a pair of stockings for 2s. Elizabeth &g-
-land, the shopwoman, served him, and he bought two
pair of them. The prisoner gave a El note to her,
and she immediately gave it to witness. He asked
the prisoner his address, and he wrote upon the note,
" Smith, of Goswell-street." He observed upon the
Ifstee of the note, ‘, Jackson, Grub-street," and upon
the back, " Smith, Piper street.7' The note was
given to John James, the nephew of Mr. James, to
go to the Bank to see if it was a good one. Witness
asked the prisoner where he had obtained the note ?
and he replied'that he got it froth a gentleman out-
side, who told him to buy two pair of stockings.—
He detained the prisoner, telling him that when the
lad returned he should have the stockings and the
change, if it was a good note. The prisoner obser-
ved that the lad was gone a long while, and wished a
constable to be sent for to search him, as he was in a
hurry. Witness then asked the prisoner where lie
lived ? and he replied, at Mr. Theobald's, shoe-
maker, Thames-street. Soon after the lad and Mr.,
Christmas returned from the Bank, but previously
witness went out into the street and saw a boy wait-
ing outside. He brought him into the shop, and the
prisoner immediately said, " I don't know him."—
Witness then asked the boy whether he knew the pri-
soner ? and the boy said that he thought he had a
little recollection of him, but was not certain. When
Mr. Christmas came, the prisoner and the boy were
both taken to Marlborough-street. The prisoner
had previously said that Ills mother lived in Char-
terhouse-square.
The evidence having proceeded thus far, the pri•
sons expressed a wish to plead Guilty to the minor
offence.
Mr. Baron GRAHAM asked whether the pPosecu-
tors assented to the proposal ?
Mr. Serjeant BOSANQVET said, that *he was ex-
tremely happy that at length the prisoner had been
induced to plead Guilty to the minor offence, and he
felt persuaded that the prosecutor would willingly
accede to the proposal.
Mr. Baron GRAHAM thus addressed the prisoner—
" Young man, yo ar prosecutors have very humanely
allowed you to alter your mind even at the last stage
of your trial. Ido not wish to influence your mind,
but I really think it would be better for you to re-
tract your former plea."
The prisoner immediatly pleaded Guilty to the
minor offence, and was removed from the bar.
Mr. Baron GRAHAM expressed his satisfaction that
the young man last taken from the dock would not
be numbered among those unfortunate individuals
who had already been capitally convicted of a simi-
lar offence.