The Statesman.
London, England, 1815-04-04 00:00:00

4sslgEs.

TORKS4IRIL •
• TRIAL 0? Tfithiae itql4F:vv RIGHT.
The Prisoner *as charged With aiding and abetting
Joseph Blackburn, in removinti stamp from a deed
;which bad been executed, aed affixing it to a new
.sser, with intent to defraud the revenue.
Mr. Nei stated that this was a prosecution
founded on the Geo. 111. which makes it a felpny,
though not a capital one, to remove any stamp from
'any deal or instrument which had been erieceted or
-used,antd affixing it to any other deed or instrument,
whit kntent to defraud the revenue. The deed to
. which this prosecution refers was. deed of conveyance
anti mortgage, .on which had been affixed a stamp
taken pit from cami'other instrument.
Mr. David Dewpoit stated, that he was the owner
of the estate to which the deed in question (which
was handed to hint imipectiou)sefers, and which
be had received is the title deed of that estate at the
office of Mr: Couplaild, wtiere it had been left fOr
him 13061'4. was registered.
• Mr. John Crosby stated, that be had received the
deed in queslion at the office of Mr. Blackburn, and
that it was given to him by Jaques, in the presence
of Mr. Blackburn.

J~~~ ~.

George Jaques stated that be bad been clerk to
Ur. Blackburn in 1810, knows Christopher Scott,
who was a client of Mr. Blackburn's, remembers his
being employed about the month of May in that year
to prepare a conveyance, which was likewise to
'Oonlinoe a `mortgage. Witness being shown the
deed referred to, said it had been engrossed by him ;
dt voissisted et' three skins of. parchment.; the 'first
•skin wits bought of the stamp distributors, and had
*man, upon it of the value of 21. 101. Witness
-kiwis; the Prisoner Wainewright, he came frequent-
ly' to Mr. Blackburn's office; witness saw him there
,ahnott daily, and there appeared to be a consider-
able intimacy subsisting between them. • Wain&
.wright was•st Mr. Blackburn's office a little time be-
fore tiro deed of Scott's wit prepared,. when Mr.
Blackburn observed that he was in want of a stamp
for 41. 10.. for a deed and mortgage, and that he had
only a stamp foe 24.105. Mr.'W., in reply, Said,
Ahat•Mr. Blackburn might very easily cut a 21. stamp
from • another skin, and affix it, under .the other
stamp,.as lie did himself, or was in the habit of doing.
Mr. Blackburn then searched for a skin, on which
there was a two pound stamp, and which he cot offs
4t was a skin which had been used before, an old
deed which had a.two pound stamp open it; by an
old deed, he said, he meant a deed which bad been
before executed : the stamp was entirely cut from
the skin• by a pair of scissors. Wainewright also
.stated that he always scraped the parchment before
he affixed the stamp to it, which he was in the habit
of doings On this suggestion, Mr. Blackburn, as-
sisted by Mr. Wainewright, scraped the parchment:
the stamp was then affixed to the deed. The whole
was done in the officei at the desk of Mr. Black-
burn. Witness at this time had been about a mdnth
in his service. Witness then proceeded to stile the
ogees of •the parties to the deed; which was a deed
of-conairyance. and which also contained a mortgage.
It was not his hand the affixed the stamp to the deed;
ba might.hise assisted in scraping the parchment on
-the sty nips. Witness knew it to be wrong atthe time,
.bet he denied that be was the person that first sug-
gested it; never mentioned such a thing, never had an
idea of such a thing until it was suggested by Mr.
.Wainewright. This deed was executed by all the
parties, in the presence of the witnessand Mr. Black-
burn, w h., attested it as the subscribing witness; all
the signatures were in the hand-writing of the
respecting. parties. The old stamp was affixed'to
the deed with a composition of gum, or something
of that kind, whicb,was produced by Mr. Waine-
•wright.
Witness was cross-examined at great leogth by Mr.
Scarlett; being asked whether he was riot dis-
charged from Mr. Blackburn's service for embezzling
his property, said, he was absent two dr three weeks
on account of some money he owed. to Mr. Black-
burn, who would not• permit him to return to his
office until it was paid. 'Die debt he admitted to
have arisen from money which he hod received on
Mr. Blackburn's account, and which he had .iot ac-
counted for to him. Witness was then asked whether
he was not subsequently discharged from Mr. Black-
burn's office.for the same reason as lie had been be-
fore suspended for. He stated, that in the summer
of 1814, he weal to Buxton, with the leave of Mr.
Blackburn, asidion his return he found that Mr.
Blackburn had,gone to liarrowgate, where he re•
rnainrcl two or three weeks, etcept Coming over OD
the market-day to attend his officei when he had an
opportunity of an explanation with Mr. Blackburn :
he told the witness he shoold • not enter into his
service sureiu until be had paid a balance of 491. 18s. Od.
which Mr. Blackburn charged him with having re,
ceived on.his account; but witness dehied that he
owed him any such sum. It was ow this account
that he was not again employed in Mr. Blackburn's
service. • : 1

Mr. Abraham. Smith is one of the principal
'tampers at the Stamp-office ; having examined the
deed, he stated that the upper stamp for 11. lOs. wlts
in the same state in whit% it had come from the
office, but that the two poind stamp had been ro-
mov.d from some other instrument and affixed to it.
Iluth the stamps were genuine bat if the latter had
been a Ili ced to the skin in the office, the stamp would
hare made an impression cptite through the parch..
meat. Witness had not the 'least doubt bet that
that stamp had been Offrxed lathe paecliMent after it
had left the i:tamp.lffice.. •
• , William Kippen, Seq. Secretary to the Stamp.
office,, haring lined the - with
lion bah) -
and bud
.the slam'
-subsea
.tinily einem
parchment
• • 4iorceptiblf
could at
blot beet
.thistifittirWit:pit
• Affixed ta'
The r
i/...l.ttbca.
".41f4Inktetigfil

• t.

*Wier diri

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