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

EXTRAORDINARY FORGERY

The Gazette 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 London,
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 with this 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 Courtois'
property for 2,000,000 tons of coal, of the value of 25,000,000
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 manoeuvres, 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. Ile
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. Pick ford, the British Consul, de-
clared that no person of the name of Richardson accompanied
Weters, 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 games
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
be was struck by the tiller, which knocked him off the poop,
and, falling on his head upon deck, a height of 10 feet, the
vertebra 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 SHORE.—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 Abone, Stroud,
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
which we have before given, He attributes the heavy list of
wrecks principally to the bad management of tbe Hartle-
pool steam-boats. The Aerial, which is copper-sheathed,
is, we are informed, a very valuable vessel, just come off a
West India voyage ; she is the property of Mr. John Barry.
—Northern Times.

IMPORTANT TO TAILORS,—A curious trial, illustrating one
of the absurdities which still remain unrepealed on the statute-
book, occurred in the Court of Queen's Bench on Saturday.
A tailor, named Goodman, had brought an action for goods
sold and delivered against a person of the name of Moran.
The latter, probably under the counsel of some attorney of
" sharp practice," pleaded that the buttons were illegitimate,
and the button-holes breaches of the law, supporting his plea
by a statute of George I. passed in 1722, and still remaining
on the books, by which it is made nnlawful for any person to
use or wear buttons made or bound with cloth, &c., "or of
any staff whereof cloths or wearing garments are usually
made," under penalty of forfeiting 40s. for every dozen of
such buttons worn. The plaintiff's counsel obtained a rule
nisi on the ground that the act was not directed against t
ii-
lora making, but against persons wearing, unlawful buttons ;
and this important button case, which naturally recalls the
proposal of the facetious author of " Tristram Shandy," to
write a chapter on button-holes, will have to be decided with
due gravity in the Court of Queen's Bench. The act was
probably passed to protect the metal button manufacturers ;
but since that time a statute of George IV. has repealed the
law against the importation of buttons from abroad.
DZTERMINED SUICIDE.—On the night of the 7th instant,
Anne Carolan' widow of Joseph Carolan, who has been for
years addicted to intemperance, went to bed, as usual, with
her daughter, a girl of thirteen or fourteen years of age, and
the servant maid; and some time during the night she got
up and dressed herself unperceived, procured a hank of yarn,
put the noose of one end round her neok, and the other she
attached to the crook or crane of the kitchen fire-place,
which was not more than about four feet from the ground ;
and finding that that height would not suit her purpose, so
determined was she upon committing the rash act she had
meditated, that she very ingeniously bethought herself of
twisting or twirling her body around until she shortened the
hank of yarn ; and not finding that to answer, she contracted
her legs until she succeeded in her diabolical purpose. The
servant girl awoke some time before daylight, and, on miss-
ing her mistress out of bed, gave the alarm to the neigh-
bours, who found her in the situation described, quite dead,
with the under part of her clothes and portions of her body
burned. The jury found that the deceased died from stran-
gulation and hanging whilst labouring under temporary in-
sanity. The coroner ordered the police to have the body of
the deceased interred after sunset, without benefit of clergy.
—Drogheda Joarnal.

AN AFFRAY WITH SMUGGLERS.—The Ale-morial of Pau
relates that, a few days ago, a brigadier of gendarmery,
named Gasquet, and one of his men, Hiss, were on the
watch for smugglers near Mascuru, when they saw eleven
men, all armed with bludgeons, and nine of them carrying
packs, advancing by the road. Nothwithstanding the supe-
riority of numbers, the two gendarmes determined to do their
duty, and, advancing towards the band, summoned them to
lay down their burdens. This being refused, the gendarmes
proceeded to make a seizure, and Gasquet received a severe
blow with a bludgeon. He returned this with a shot from
his carbine and a lunge with his bayonet, but, being severely
beaten about the body, and wounded in the leg, and at the
same time believing that his comrade was killed, he con-
trived to escape into a wood, and thence made his way back
to the village. Hias fought with great obstinacy until he was
disarmed, and had no more means of defence, when he made
a feint and fell as if killed. The smugglers, believing him
dead, moved off, but on second thoughts retraced their steps,
and determined to hang him on a tree in terrorem. Hiss,
however, had contrived to drag himself into concealment
among some rocks, and thus saved himself from his intended
fate. Although the gendarmes fired only two shots, one of
the smugglers was killed, and two wounded in the shoulder.
All the survivors have since been captured, and are now in
custody.

SERIOUS OUTRAGE.—On the night of Thursday last,
about nine o'clock, as James Musgrave and Wm. Roberts,
two gamewatchers, in the employ of the Marquis of West-
minster, were on the look-out for poachers, in the noble
Marquis's carriage drive, near Pulford Lodge, they saw two
men pass by, and go up the drive towards Eaton, whom they
suspected, from their appearance, were either going to shoot
or set nets for game. They did not then say anything to
them, but in the course of about an hour and a half, the
same two men returned, in company with a third person.
Two of them carried a sack ; and the watchers suspecting
that they had been poaching, immediately went up to them,
and demanded who they were, and what they had got in their
sacks. One of the men then threw his sack on the ground,
and succeeded in making his escape. Another allowed him-
self to be quietly captured by Musgrave ; but the third, who
is a very powerful man, immediately attacked the other
watcher, Wm. Roberts, with a large stick. The latter de-
fended himself with a gun, as well as he was able, against his
more athletic adversary, and a tremendous light ensued, in
the course of which the combatants were completely satu-
rated with blood. The poacher was now getting the advan-
tage, and severely beating the keeper about the head, when
the joint cries of himself and his comrades, attracted to the
spot two other watchers, Wm. Hurst, jun. and James Dry-
land, by whom Roberts was eventually secured. The men
were then taken into custody, and on examining the sacks,
they were found to contain eleven turkeys, which were sub-
sapiently ascertained to have been stolen from Mr. John
Snelson's, farmer, of Poulton, on the same night. We are
sorry to say, that Wm. Roberts, the watcher, lies in a very
dangerous state. The prisoners have been fully committed
for trial,—Chester Courant.

SUICIDE OP A WEST INDIAN MERCHANT.-011 Friday
morning last, at half-past eleven o'clock, an inquest was ta-
ken before Mr. Wakley, M.P., at the house, No. 9, Grove-
road, St. John's-wood, London, on view of the hody of
Grogan Mitchell, Esq., aged fl 4, a gentleman of independent
fortune, resident as above, who committed suicide by shoot-
ing himself. Mrs. Margaret 'Nelson deposed that she lived
near Cuckfield, in Sussex. Deceased was her uncle. He
had for twenty-eight years been a West India merchant, and
during that time resided at Tobago. About ten years ago,
having amassed a large fortune, he retired, and coming over
to England, had since resided in that house. Witness had
been staying there since Tuesday week last, and she then
came in consequence of having received anote from deceased,
requesting her to do so, and informing her that his female
servant had hung herself. On her arrival she ascertained
that the inquest on the body of the young woman was just
concluded. Deceased then appeared very much hurt at what
had occurred, but seemed in his usnal health. He was very
much acted with asthma, and could scarcely breathe, and
one whole night since bhe had been there he was so bad that
he sat up in an arm-chair by the side of the fire. On Tues-
day evening last, at which time he appeared perfectly collected,
be a
he made
will he
had made some
Ina paper.which she understood to
ago,
Which he said peo-
ple ought always to do when they were in good health. She
then, at his request, signed her name to it in two places, and
he afterwards sent for two other persons, who also signed
it. About ten minutes past eleven o'clock she was in bed,
when she was alarmed by some thing falling heavy, which
she did not think was in the house, but which the servant,
who slept in the same room with her, felt positive was, and
said she was afraid it was deceased fallen out of bed. Wit-
ness accordingly hurried to his room, and, on entering, was
horror-struck at finding him lying on the floor weltering in
his blood. Having raised an alarm, a policeman entered, and
a surgeon was sent for, who found that deceased had shot
himself, and was quite dead. Witness last saw deceased
alive at ten o'clock that night, at which time he was in bed,
and in answer to her question as to whether he felt comfort-
able, he said, " Yes.' Witness did not know that deceased
was possessed of a pistol. She had never heard him threa-
ten to destroy himself. On Monday deceased told witness
that, when half asleep and awake, strange fancies came into
his bead. The same night he was bled. Other evidence
having been adduced, the jury after a lengthened discussion,
returned a verdict, " That deceased was found dead of certain
mortal injuries inflicted on himself with a pistol, and, at the
tullea the suicide, he was insane."

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE

FRIDAY, 26TR NOVEMBER

ARRlVED.—Champion, from Alexandria—Black.eyed-Susan,from
Beirout—Bether, from Marseilles—Shannon, Stevenson, from St.
Petersburg—Sofia, from Messina—Hope, from Wexford—Perseve.
ranee, from Killala—Fairy, from Sligo.
OFF THE PORT.—Mary, from --; Halifax, from --, and Red
Rover, from Cephalonia.
Jenne Louisa, hence, at Rouen
Matilda, Turner, sailed from Havre, for Liverpool, 13th Nov.
Ceres, Vernes, hence, at Helvoet-
Elizabeth, Duff, from Denia, at ,Scilly, and sailed 18th Nov. for
Liverpool.

Renard, Wetherall, sailed from Scilly, for Malaga, lgth instant,
and put back 22nd, with loss of yard and main boom, and head da-
maged.
Mary Ann, Redfern, from Sligo, a Donaghadec, for Liverpool,
after being on shore at the entrance of the harbour, but without
damage.
Ivanhoe, Simpson, from China, at Deal.
Jenny Jones, Wakeham, from Taganrag, at Standgate Creek.

NOT VERY PARTICULAR.—A gentleman advertising, in a
Welsh paper for a wife, says that, as he is not fastidious,
" any lady from 25 to .50, or even a few years older, or any
widow under 36, having no more than two children, may
apply."

APPLYING IN TIME.—A certain " enumerator" in the
Denbigh district of the St. Asaph Union, on being paid by
the Superintendent Registrar -for his past services, solicited
the office for the next census in 1851.

THE TEA TRADE, Nov. 22.—The deliveries of tea last
week were rather less than in the preceding eight days, being
438,0541 b. The market was tolerably steady up to Friday
last, when the public sales commenced, and from the large
quantity pressing forward it has since been rather depressed,
and the range of prices is, for free trade parcels, id. to ld.
per lb. lower on this day week. Company's Congou, which,
when we last wrote, was Is. 10d. per lb., is now ls. 9d. to
Is. 91d. per lb., cash. The public sales have been in progress
again to-day, and have been going off heavily .
INFANT LABOUR.—An infant, in the parish of Snenton,
near Nottingham, was taken from a free school which was
bept by benevolent ladies. She was put to work by her
mother, at home, being employed in drawing lace, when only
21 months old. She continued at that work two years, and
is now at such work, working daily from six o'clock in the
morning to eight o'clock at night, being allowed only a quar-
ter of an hour each for breakfast, dinner, and tea. The
mother pays this infant one penny at the end of the week
by way of encouragement. She has three or four children,
and, when excusing herself for thus treating her infant, she
said, " If 1 do not thus make my infant work, I should have
to go to the workhouse I"—The Fleet Papers.
THE NEW COURTS OF EQUITY IN LINCOLN'S INN.—
These courts, designed for the new Vice-Chancellors Wig-
ram and K. Bruce, have, in the short space of eight weeks,
been completed and rendered fit for immediate occupation.
The exterior of the building is of brick, plain and unassum-
ing, without the least attempt at architectural display. The
entrances are of ample dimensions, and well calculated to
afford every facility of ingress and egress, and also to secure
good internal communication between the courts. The in-
terior appears commodious, light, and convenient ; and the
simple, though neat, unostentatious,-decorations, have a very
pleasing effect. The tables, &c., are covered with deep
crimson cloth, the curtains of drab moreen damask. Though
far from gaudy, the whole presents a grand appearance. On
Sunday the Lord Chancellor, their honours, the Vice-
Chancellors, and several friends, inspected the buildings, and
were pleased to express their approbation of the excellence of
their construction, as well as of the extraordinary expedition
with which the builders (Messrs. Cubits) had completed
them. It is understood that sittings will take place there,
for the first time, on or about the 2d of December.
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION IN A COAL-PIT AT BARNSLEY.—
On Wednesday morning about thirty-six colliers had gone
to work in the coal-pit belonging to Messrs. Day and Twi-
bell, of this town, when an explosion of coal gass took place,
which destroyed a great number of persons in a moment,
and burnt a number of others, several of whom, it is feared,
will not recover. Amongst the sufferers are E. Walton, W.
Walton, and C. Walton, three brothers; B. Hinchliffe and
C. Hinchliffe, two brothers ; C. Hinchliffe, uncle to the two
precediug men ; W. Scholey, It. Walker, J. Overend, D.
Thompson, J. M`Carthy, J. Peas, C. Crow, J. Mitchell, and
J. Deakin and C. Deakin, father and son, all of whom are
dead. The coal-pit adjoins the town, and the news of the
misfortune spread amongst the relatives of the unfortunate
workmen. Wives came to the mouth of the pit as the men
were drawn up to know the fate of their husbands, and chil-
dren that of their parents, and an awful scene it was. The
fire so disfigured them by burning off their eyebrows and
whiskers that the women:at first could not recognize their own
husbands and childeen. Lamentation and woe overpowered
some, whilst others rejoiced at again meeting their friends.
The accident has spread a gloom throngh the town. The ex-
tent of the loss is not ascertained with certainty, but it is
hoped that there will not be many more cases of a fatal
character.

SCARBOROUGH, Nov. 19.--(Extract of a letter.)—l have
just witnessed an appalling accident, the fatal results of which
are wholly, and without any abatement, owing to the crimi-
nal apathy and negligence of the authorities of this town.
After a stormy night there was, at ten o'clock this morning,
still a hard gale and a heavy sea, the wind E.S.E., when a
small sloop, apparently of 25 or 30 tons, was descried making
for the harbour. She had laboured through the waves till
within a very short distance (a few boats' lengths) of the
pier and of safety. when a heightened gust of wind and an
enormous wave overset her in an instant. Her crew, con-
sisting of two men and a boy, held on as long as their strength
in a tempestuous surge permitted. The poor boy was visible
the latest, still holding up his hands as he sank. In a very
short time they had all disappeared. Had the life-boat be.
longing to this place been in readiness, every one of them
could have been saved. But it was twenty minutes after the
accident before the life-boat touched the waves ; and so
hopeless was then the effort that, after proceeding about
half-way towards the spot where the already broken frag-
ments of the vessel were floating, she returned back again.
THE EXCHEQUER BILLS.-It has long been foreseen that
the exchequer-hill affair must provide some employment for
the courts of law, and that all holders of spurious bills, find-
ing that the government refused in any way to acknowledge
them, would- seek that other remedy. The name of Lord
Strangford has been already before the public in this affair,
and no one doubts his protestation against any knowledge of
or participation in the original fraud. But this, unfortu-
nately, does not wholly protect his lordship from the conse-
quences of having induced parties to invest their money in
these bills, which afterwards, on investigation, turned out to
be spurious, and it is currently stated in the city that lie has
been served with a notice of action by Messrs. Coutts and
Co.' connected with some such bills, of which that house
has become possessed. In what manner his Lordship can
have become responsible does not appear, and hence the sub-
ject is expected to exercise all sorts of ingenuity on both
sides, on the part of the gentlemen of the long robe. The
exchequer bills held by Messrs. Coutts and Co., are under-
stood to amount to £4OOOO. There are other houses and
private individuals in similar circumstances, but we have not
heard that any other step of that kind has been taken, and it
is believed they are waiting for the result of the approaching
trial of Rapallo at the criminal sessions, and in order to see
by what kind of evidence the charge against him is supported
by the govern alcntr— Timq.

VESSELS ENTERED FOR LOADING.

(SINCE OUR LAST PUBLICATION.)

EAST INDIES, CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, src.
Potter, 334 Calcutta, Cotesworth & Wynne
Aden, II Ponsonby, 339 China, T & J Brocklebank

AFRICA.
Barhara, R Jeffes, 491) Vernando Po, J Ridgway &Co
Cestrian, 380 Africa, W A & G Maxwell & Co
Canton, 11 M Cockburn, 481 Sierra Leone, Chapman &Ce

NEW SOUTH WALES.
Ocean, J Ward, 560 Port Philip and Sydney, M'Leod & Co

WEST INDIES AND MADEIRA.
Invoice, W Proudfoot, 156 Hayti, Eshelby & Co
Prances, E Corkhill, 413 Barbadoes and Madeira,

Barton, Wain & Co
Sisters, H Short, 141 St. Vincent and Nassau, Claypole & Son

SOUTH AMERICA.
Coekermouth Castle, W Bell, 231 Rio Janeiro, J N Wood &Co
Indian, I) Craighead, 229 Pernambuco, Imrie R Tomlinson
Rimac, W Sproule, 214 Valparaiso, TR J Brocklebank

UNITED STATES.
Mearns, J Drynan, - 754 :Mobile, Rankin, Gilmour /4 Cu
Corsair, W Hailaoil, 527 Nosy OrNan§, PoCke & 1300
Elizabeth lienfleY, 0 C Hpnt, 542 SaVannah, Cannon & Co
Robert Burns, J Messenger '296 Ap 'l' alachicola, J N Wood &Co
Sarah,Nels
Nelson Village, G Barclay, ' 384 Savannah, &II Murray
England, B L Waite, 731 New York, Baring Bra &CO
417 Philadelphia,
.Barff & Cr

-
Elizabethßentley, J Hunt, 548 Mobile, Cannon, Miller &Co

EUROPE.

Arrow, H Richards, 79 Charente, JD G&lyenni:ciax&emiSivnoeg.
Provident, J Bell,nr
Columbia, tstearner) C H E Judkins, 611 Halifax and Boston,
Fernandes, J X Contente, 196 Lisbon, Vianna & Jones
Catharina, C H Vaulman,
94 Rotterdam, Bah;, Bchrend & Co
Sultan, G J Barrow, 65 Azores,
211 Bilboa, Bahr, Behren &Co
Pet, W Shotton, )07 Bourdeaux, Campbell & Rudd
Gesina, L G Buhs, 70 Bremen, Bahr, Behreud &Co
John, A Smith, Charleston, J Gordon & Cr

—Gibraltar, Cotesworth & W
James Graham, J Graham.ynne
Lady Rowley, H Wright, 72 Lisbon, J Glynn & Son
Le lisperance A Michaud, Nantes, Bahr, Behrend & Co

DUBLIN CORN EXCHANGE, Nov. 23.
We have had a fair average supply of Wheat at market this day,
and prices for all descriptions remain unaltered. The greater por-
tion of Oats now corning to market appear in very bad condition—
good samples met a free sale, while middling and inferior descrip-
tions were extremely dull. We note an advance of 6d per cwt on
Oatmeal. Bakers' Flour without alteration in value—inferiors
and thirds a dull sale.