The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-08-02 00:00:00

THE LATE FORGERY ON THE NORTH
AND SOUTH WALES BANK.-TRIAL AND
CONVICTION OF THE PRISONERS.

Yesterday, John Gore (Tilias Brown) and Matthew
Mudd were tried before the Recorder, at the borough ses-
sions, charged with having obtained the sum of £3OO from
the North and South Wales Bank, in this town, by con-
spiracy and forgery.

The facts of the case will be in the recollection of the
public, having already appeared in the Standard. They
are briefly as follow :—On the 11th of January last, a man
named William Simpson, who returned from Australia in
December, placed in the North and South Wales Bank
the sum of £3OO, for which he obtained a deposit receipt.
He subsequently sailed for Messina, leaving the de-,
posit receipt with a person named Eliza Richardson
(whom ho then represented as his wife). Some
time after the prisoner Gore (alias Brown) came
to Liverpool, and found out Simpson's wife. He re-
presented to her that he was well acquainted with Simp-
son, and that they came from Australia together. Brown
was received as Simpson's friend, and ultimately got pos-
session of the deposit receipt. He took it to the bank, and
the prisoner Mudd, who is a boarding-house keeper in this
town, having stated at the bank that Gore's name was
William Simpson, Gore signed the name of " William
Simpson" on the deposit receipt, and the £3OO was then
paid over to him, out of which he paid Mudd £lO for
stating at the bank that his name was Simpson. On
Simpson returning from sea, the case, which had frequently
been before the magistrates, was again heard, when Simp-
son altogether denied Gore's statement, and said that he
had no authority whatever to sign his name to the deposit
receipt. On this evidence both prisoners were committed
for trial.

When the case was last before the committing magis-
trate, Simpson was subjected to a severe cross-examina-
tion by Mr. Smith, solicitor. of London, who appeared
on behalf of the prisoner Gore, with the object of proving
that Simpson was concerned in an extensive gold dust
robbery, which took place near Rio Janeiro, on board
the Lady Flora (the vessel in which Simpson returned
from Australia to England). Simpson denied that he was
at all connected with that robbery, adding that when he
left Rio Janeiro, the prisoner Gore was in the hands of
the authorities there, charged with being a party to this
robbery.

Mr. BLAIR appeared for the prosecution. The pri-
soner Gore was defended by Mr. TINDAL ATKINSON,
and Mr. SlazoN defended Mudd.

The learned counsel on behalf of the prosecution briefly
stated the leading features of the case. Simpson, after
being absent from England for many years, came home
in December last in the ship Lady Flora. Before leaving
Melbourne he paid the sum of £440 into the bank of
Australia at Melbourne, receiving for it a bill upon the
Australian bank in London. On arriving in England, he
met with Eliza Richardson at Colchester, and proposed
marriage to her. He came over to Liverpool with her to
get married. During his stay in Liverpool he resided
with Captain Brown, a friend of his. Whilst in Liverpool
he did not get married, but cohabited with Eliza Richard-
son. Captain Brown went to sea, but put into Beau-
maris, where Simpson went over to see him, Eliza Rich-
ardson accompanying him. At Beaumaris, Simpson made
up his mind to go to sea with Captain Brown, and gave
Eliza Richardson £2O, and also left in her keeping until
his return, a deposit note for £3OO, which he had paid
into the North and South Wales Bank, in this town.
The learned gentleman having gone over the various facts
of the case, proceeded to substantiate them by the exami-
nation of various witnesses.

The first witness called was William Simpson, who re-
capitulated the evidence he gave before Mr. Mansfield, the
stipendiary magistrate, and which has already appeared in
this paper.

Mr. TINDAL Ancricaoir subjected the witness to a
lengthy cross-examination, but failed to shake his testi-
mony with regard to any of the material facts of the case.-
The witnPsss stated, in answer to the learned counsel,
that during the passage home on board the Lady Flora,
there was a great deal of gambling going on. Witness-
took part in the gambling: sometimes he won, and some-
times he lost. The gold dust ro bery was discovered
when the vessel was at Rio Janeiro. Was not on board
the ship• when the disturbance•about the robbery first took
place. Was ashore at Rio, and heard of it after he came
aboard again. Witness never heard that some of his
friends with whom lie had gambled had committed
the robbery during the night. Knew a man named
Crawcaw, who was on board the ship. Had heard
that Crawcaw had been convicted for stealing a
portion of the gold dust. Witness had gambled
with Crawcaw. Did not know how much gold dust
was taken. Did not know if there was an inquiry at Rio.
When at Captain Brown's, in Liverpool, witness passed
off Eliza Richardson as his wife. Intended to have made
her his wife, but had not time. Thought he lived with
Eliza Richardson about three weeks. Had not time in
three weeks to make her Mrs. Simpson. Did not know how
many years it was since he went to the colonies. Had
a very bad intellect. Never gave her authority to get
money on the note. Told her if she wanted any money
the bank would perhaps advance her some. If not on
the note, did not know on what the bank was to advance
her money. Thought she might borrow a little money
from Mrs. Brown if she wanted money, while witness
was away, and witness would be answerable for it. Never
made such an arrangement with Mrs. Brown.
Re-examined : Went out to sea with Captain Brown
through having known him, and to obtain a better
knowledge of navigation. It was after he got to Beau-
maris that witness made up his mind to go with Captain
Brown. Captain Brown had put into Beaumaris by stress
of weather. When he went on board the Lady Flora, at
Melbourne, had £67 in money, besides the bill on the
bank for £440. He lost all that on the passage, and then
borrowed some more. He lost it by gambling. Gore
gambled with him. He was told that Gore and Crawcaw
were both concerned in the gold-dust robbery.

Ey the COURT.—Witness paid the money back in Lon-
don which he borrowed on board. He paid it out of the
sale of some gold which he purchased before leaving
Melbourne. With the money he borrowed, he afterwards
won all his own money back again. As security for the
money he borrowed he gave the gold.

ELrza. RICHARDSON was the next witness examined
by Mr. Blair, and amongst other statements, she said that
when Gore came to her lodgings, he asked her if Simpson
had left any money with her ; she replied that what be
had left was in her care. He also asked her if Simpson
had left her any money on the bills in London, and she
said he bad not.
In cross-examination by Mr. ATKINSON, the witness
stated that Gore introduced himself to her as Mr. Brown.
Had never seen him before. Witness came from Col-
chester with Simpson, to become Mrs. Simpson. Could
not say whether there was not time for that. Never went
with Gbre anywhere. Knew where Chester was. Was
at Chester at the races, and saw Gore while she was there.
Did not go to Chester with him. Came home to Liver-
pool with him and another gentleman, and three more
ladies. That night came home to her lodgings. Only
passed one night in Chester. No one slept with her that
night—would swear it. Slept by herself. It was after
she had been at Chester, and seen Gore there, that he
went with her to the bank, Could not tell how often she
was at Gore's lodgings. He was often at her's.
The other witnesses examined were the officials from
the bank, who spoke to the fact of the prisoner Mudd
stating that the prisoner Gore was " William Simpson ;"'
that Gore afterwards signed " William Simpson" on the
deposit receipt ; and that, on his doing so, the £3OO was
paid to him.
Mr. ATKINSON and Mr. SIMON then addressed the
jury on behalf of their respective clients ; and witnesses to
character having been called for Mudd, the learned
recorder summed up the.evidence, after which . . .

The Jury found a verdict of guilty against both
prisoners, but recommended Mudd to mercy.
The RECORDER then, proceeded to pass sentence, first
on the prisoner Gore. He said he had been found guilty
of a very serious offence. After having dishonestly got
possession of a document, he went to a bank where. a man
had deposited his money, and stated that he (the prisoner)
was the man ; and, although he was told at the time
that the authorities at the bank were not satisfied
that he was the person who had deposited the money,
yetplrepent;ishhinegdiidlisnowticked
purpbouste,. onßatiniekerosthweroulhdandn,evheer
this
and.pelperael weresseo
t,ltaast
representation,
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wub
leodnaptpei
pireemairt, permitted to do as
went and sought out another man to aid him in accom-
plishing
prisoner had done. His case was aggravated by
the circumstance, that he was on friendly terms with the
otherHe
a safe,
prisoner,biyf pSimpson.confidence
tthe
woman, and so contrived to defraud the man. In towns
such as this especially, these offences must be met by the
most severe punishment ; and the sentence of the court
wit
h
was, that he must be transported for seven years. The
recorder next proceeded to dispose of Mudd. He said, it
was exceedingly painful to him, to have to pass sentence
on a man who had had such a good character given him
by several gentlemen in this town : a man against whom,
it would appear, up to this time no offence could be urged.
At the same time, it was of the utmost importance, when
money was to be obtained from a bank, that nothing
should be done which was not straightforward and
right. By the course the prisoner had pursued,
along with the other prisoner, he had clearly
been guilty of doing that which was not right,
and in consequence of this, £3OO had been wrongfully
taken from the bank. He was bound, in such a transac-
tion as this, to pass a heavy sentence. He should not
pass on the prisoner the same amount of punishment
which he had done on his companion, who had allured
him into the commission of this offence. At the same
time he must pass a severe sentence. The sentence of
the Court was, that he he imprisoned and kept to bard
labour for nine calendar months, and in addition to pay
a fine of £lOO. _ _

Some sensation was caused in court at the termination
of the trial, which occupied several hours, by two officers
of the metropolitan police force, who had been in
court during the whole of the day, stepping up
to the principal witness, Simpson, and taking him into
custody by virtue of a warrant which they shewed him.
The warrant charges Simpson with being one of the
parties concerned in the gold dust robbery on board the
Lady Flora, referred to in the trial. We are informed
that a legal opinion has been given to the effect that the
warrant is illegal and cannot be acted upon,