The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-11-26 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY FORGERY.

The Gazelle des Tribunaux states that a forgery, accom-
panied with some extraordinary circumstances and skilful
arrangements, brought M. Peyre, alias Peters, before the
Court of Assizes of Paris on Friday last.
_ _ .

" Some years since a Frenchman, named Jean Courtois,
the issue of a family of needy cultivators in the department
of the Moselle, died in England, leaving a considerable for-
tune. The report of this circumstance having been circulated
throughout France by the press excited the desires of Peters,
who from that moment turned his attention to the manner
by which he might convert it to his advantage. In 1839 he
set out for England, appeared before a notary in Loudon,
accompanied by a person who represented himself as Jean
Courtois, and who, in the presence of two witnesses, signed
an almost unlimited power of attorney authorizing Peters to
administer the property, giving him one-third for his trouble.

" Provided viitlithi; document he returned to France, and
forged an agreement, by which an Englishman, named
Richardson, representing the house of Thompson, Allusen,
and Co., of Newcastle, purchased the right to Jean Conrtois'
property for 2,000,000 tons of coal, of the value of 23,000,000
of francs, to be delievered to Peters. This was not all. In
order to give this agreement an authentic appearance it was
necessary to have it legalized by the English consul, and the
difficulty was how to present himself in company with
Richardson, who did not exist. This was a trifle for cun-
ning Peters, who, taking advantage of an acquaintance which
he formed at the British embassy, succeeded in obtaining
the formality required.
" Towards the conclusion of June, 1840, Peters addressed
himself to M. Delamaire, at Paris, banker, and asked him to
undertake the sale of 2,000,000 tons of coal, which were to
arrive in a short time, as they had been shipped on board six
ships, and were then at sea. The agreement was produced,
perfectly regular, independently of which Peters had a pre-
possessing manner, which contributed to his success. M.
Delamaire, however, before he would engage in such a serious
matter, wished for references. Peters readily gave him every
satisfaction on that head, and wrote a letter. in his presence
to Thompson. Allusen, and Co. He at the same time in-
formed M. Delamaire that he required 8000 f. to pay for some
furniture which he had purchased, and which sum the banker
immediately' advanced.
" M. Delamaire was not the only person swindled in this
manner. Another merchant, M. Gallouin, imposed' on by
the same fraudulent msnceuvres, wrote to to his correspond-
ents, and prepared extensive stores in different countries to
receive the immense quantity of coal that Peters was every
day pretending to expect. He was even about to make him
an advance of money, when he heard he was in custody of the
police. M. Delamaire, finding that various creditors were
coming after Peters, and not having received any answer from
Newcastle, had him arrested.
" When in the hands of the police, Peters persisted in
maintaining the authenticity of Richardson's agreement, and
that he was really expecting the coals from Newcastle. He
produced letters, having the Newcastle post-mark, but it was
ascertained that the post-office stamp was forged ; that the
letters were written by Peters himself; and that no such
house existed at Newcastle as that of Thompson, Allusen,
and Co.

" On Peters's trial Mr. Pickford, the British Consul, de-
clared that no person of the name of Richardson accompanied
Reters, and that he only legalized the signature of the latter.
" Peters persisted in his system of denial, and declared
that he still expected the coals.
" The prosecution was conducted by the Attorney-General,
and the defence by M. Coral.

" Peyre, alias Peters having been found guilty by the jury,
was sentenced to stand in the pillory, to remain at the gallies
for nine years and to pay a fine of 150 francs."

FATAL ACCIDENTS AT SEA.—Mr. Robert Moon, one of
the Cinque Ports' pilots at Dover, went on duty on board a
large ship, to pilot her up the river, and whilst off the Nore
he was struck by the tiller, which knocked him off the poop,
and, falling on his head upon deck, a height of 10 feet, the
vertebrae of his neck were dislocated. He has left a wife
and nine children. A pilot, named Pilcher, who went up
the river with a vessel, states that the captain of the same
vessel was also knocked overboard and drowned.
HARTLEPOOL.—TWELVE VESSELS 'ON SHORS.—Our
correspondent at Hartlepool has furnished us in detail with
the particulars of the situation of the vessels which have been
stranded or wrecked on this coast, between Hartlepool and
the little watering-place at about three miles distance, Sea-
ton Carew. It was on Saturday afternoon that the wind
began to blow very strong from the E.N.E., and it continued
to increase in violence all night. On Sunday morning, and
during the day, a great many vessels were observed making
for the Tees, some of which succeeded in getting into this
port ; others, after vainly attempting to ride it out, were
driven on the Seaton sands. Those which came on shore on
the Hartlepool and Seaton sands are 12 in number, as follows :
—The Garland, of Sunderland, in ballast ; the Hartford, of
Weymouth, in ballast ; the William, a schooner, belonging
to Berwick, loaded with iron ; and the Reindeer, of Har-
tlepool, in ballast; all of which are not much worse, and
may be expected to be got off without much difficulty. The
Aerial, of Sunderland, and the Shannon, of Sunderland,
though considerably damaged, are expected to be got off.
The Albatross, Williamson, of Hartlepool, corn laden, is
also seriously damaged, but will be eventually got off. The
Lochiel, a little sloop, from Inverness, with pit props, has
become a total wreck. The Elisabeth, Newton of Boston,
coal laden, is also entirely wrecked, as is the Ahone, Strom!.
of Rochester, also coal laden, and the Exchange, Smith, of
Lynn, in ballast. Our correspondent includes the loss of
the Susannah, of Stockton, in his list, the particulars of
iso, owset
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wrecks principally to the bad management of the Hartle-
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