The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-08-05 00:00:00

FORGERY

George Baxter Grundy, a respectable-looking young man
aged 11, was charged with having, at Manchester, in May
last, feloniously forged a certain warrant or order for the
payment of money, with intent to defraud Messrs. Jones,
Loyd, and Co., bankers.

Dr. Browne conducted the prosecution, Mr. Wilkins the
defence.

The prisoner was an under-clerk in the secretary's office of
the Manchester Infirmary, the treasurer of which kept an
account with the bank of Messrs. Jones, Loyd, and Co. On
the 7th of May last the prisoner went to the bank in question
and presented a check for the sum of £l3O. This was drawn
jn favour of Mr. John Kirkman, the secretary, and bore a
signature which purported to be that of Mr. Markland, the
treasurer of the infirmary. The clerk, to whom the cheque
was presented, had some doubts as to the signature, but he
was, nevertheless, preparing to pay the money when the pri-
soner produced another cheque for a similar sum. He was
asked what sort of money he wished to have, and he replied
a £3OO note. He was, however, paid in three bills of £lOO
each. He departed with the money. The gentleman who
received the cheques was so doubtful as to their genuineness,
that he went immediately to make enquiry on the subject,
when he discovered that they were forgeries. Information
was given to the police, and the prisoner was pursued. He
was traced to Leeds, where he was found at the Royal Hotel
in company with a female. He said to the officer who ap-
prehended him, that he was glad he was taken so soon. He
delivered up the residue of the money, amounting to about
£292. He was carried back to Manchester. Mr. Sauley,
superintendent of police at Manchester, stated, on cross-
examination, that the prisoner talked about having purchased
a lot of horses, having entered into a partnership to keep a
livery stable.

Mr. WILKINS addressed the jury for the defence, the
ground of which was, that the prisoner was not perfectly
sane, as he had possessed a sort of monomania for horses,
and had exhibited many strange indications of flightiness.
Mr. Wilkins called the prisoner's father and other witnesses,
who testified to his having evinced many strange symptoms
which led them to believe that his intellects were unsettled,
and that he laboured under sundry delusions. Amongst
other instances mentioned, was that of his having entered
into a contract with a groom to join him largely in horse-
dealing, that he had projected the taking of a farm and the
purchasing of several waggon-horses. On the 6th of May
the prisoner transmitted a letter to the Rev. Mr. O'Leary,
inviting the children of St. Jude's school to a repast of new
milk and buns in a certain field. He stated that be had also
ordered tea, &c., for the teachers.
His Lounsmr. said, the conduct of the prisoner might
have been somewhat flighty, but he was not in a state of mind
that showed him to be not accountable for his actions, though
those actions might be somewhat absurd.

The jury found the prisoner guilty.
Dr. BROWN said there was another indictment against the
prisoner, for having forged another cheque previously.
His Lordship deferred passing sentence.
William Hatton, aged 29, was charged with having in
May last forged a cheque for the payment of money, with in-
tent to defraud Messrs. Jones, Loyd, and Co., bankers.
Mr. Green conducted the prosecution, Mr. Wilkins the
defence.

The prisoner, it appeared, in combination with another
party, who has absconded, obtained payment of a cheque for
£3lO, drawn on Messrs. Jones, Loyd, and Co., in the the
name of Thomas. Kay, who kept an account with the bank-
ing firm above named.

The jury found the prisoner guilty.
The prisoner made some representations, which induced
his Lordship to postpone the sentence.

BURGLARY

Robert Horrocks, agei29,;;;Charged with having felo-
niously and burrlariously broken and entered the dwelling-
house of Thomas Hamer, and stolen therefrom a coat, a
cloak, and a shoe.

Mr. Wilkins conducted the prosecution.
It appeared, that on the night of the 6th of July last, Mr.
Hamer, who resides at Turton, retired to rest, fastening his
house in the usual manner. At four o'clock on the following
morning he arose, when he found that the house had been
ransacked, the drawers broken open, and several articles of
wearing apparel stolen. The house had been entered through
the coal-cellar, the grate of which had been forced up. The
prisoner was apprehended in Manchester shortly after the
robbery, with a bundle in his possession which contained part
of the property taken from Mr. Hamer's house. The officer
who took him into custody stated, in answer to questions put
by the prisoner, that he (the prisoner) pointed out two men
to him who he said had given him the bundle, and who ran
away when they saw the constable.

The prisoner, in his defence, said the men above alluded
to gave him the bundle to carry.
The jury found the prisoner guilty. Sentence deferred.
FELONIOUSLY RECEIVING.

Samuel Beattie, aged 23, and Joseph Holden, 30, were
charged with having burglariouslx entered the dwelling-
house of James Bothwell Barnes, Esq., at Great Lever, and
stolen therefrom certain silver spoons, forks, knives, and
various other articles. Mary M`Birnie was charged with
having feloniously received a portion of the property, know-
iag it to have been stolen. The two male prisoners pleaded
guilty. Mary M`Birnie pleaded not guilty, and was put on
her trial.

Dr. Brown conducted the prosecution; Mr. Wilkins the
defence.

It appeared that on the Bth of July last, during the ab-
sence of Mr. Barnes, of Farnworth, his house was broken
into during the night, and a large quantity of plate and other
articles of value stolen therefrom. A felon, from Kirkdale
Gaol, deposed, that he was a party to the burglary in ques-
tion, which was committed by himself, Beattie, and Holden.
He stated that they took the silver spoons, forks, and other
property to the prisoner's house. Subsequently she came
to them at a beer shop, and gave them five shillings. It was
proved by the evidence of John Richardson, a pawnbroker,
of Manchester, that on the 9th of July, the prisoner pro-
duced at his shop several of the stolen forks, which he sus-
pected, from the printed bills which had been delivered, were
part of the fruit of the burglary in question. He sent for a
police-officer and gave her into custody.
Mr. WILKINs addressed the Jury in behalf of the pri-
soner, but the Jury found her guilty. Sentence deferred.

ROBBERY AND ASSAULT

Jaynes Shipley, aged 18, and John Gent, aged 20, were
charged with having, at Warrington, on the 19th of March
last, assaulted and robbed John Hatton.

Dr. Brown conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Wilkins
the defence.

John Hatton deposed that he resided in Padgate, near
Warrington. On Saturday night, the 19th of March, about
twelve o'clock, he left Warrington to go home. On his way
home he called at his father's house at Manchester-lane. He
left his father's house between one and two o'clock. When
he got to Padgate, a low set man seized him by the collar,
and said, " Deliver!" Another came up and said, " Come
deliver up," striking him on the head with a thick imple-
ment of some sort. He was struck repeatedly, and at length
knocked down, his head bleeding profusely. While he was
on the ground his pockets were rifled. They took from him
ss. in silver, sd. in copper, his watch, tobacco box, &c., and
then decamped. He lay for a short time, and then got up
and went home. He was very ill next day.
It was proved by the testimony of other witnesses, that
shortly after the robbery, a quantity of blood was found at
the spot where Hatton had been robbed, in the midst of
which a small piece of a cart set or prop was found, and at a
short distance, in the hedge, the corresponding piece. This
prop had, during that night, been taken from a cart in the
neighbourhood. Some exceedingly bad characters were
called for the purpose of proving the connexion of the prison-
ers with the robbery.

The Jury found the prisoners guilty.
CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER
_

Cornelius Meeny was placed at the bar on charge of having
on the 10th of August, in the first reign of Queen Victoria,
caused the death of Andrew Hall.
Mr. Brandt conducted the prosecution.

The prisoner was formerly master of the American ship
Tallahassee, which sailed to New York, and the deceased
was chief mate. The charge against the prisoner was that in
the year 1837, he had so violently beaten William Hall about
his head and face as to cause his death. The prisoner had
never till now been apprehended, and in the interim the
principal witnesses had left the country. The only witness
now brought forward, was the father of the deceased, who
had heard the circumstance from his son. The latter was
under the impression that he should not recover, and the
question was whether the treatment which he received from
the captain was commenced before or after he becan-e con-
vinced that his death was approaching. Mr. Petrie, sur-
geon, was called. He said Hall lingered ten months in in-
tense suffering, and his death was the consequence of the
external injuries which he had received. The evidence was
not deemed sufficient, and the prisoner was acquitted.
ASSAULT AND HIGHWAY ROBBERY.

Daniel Coleshill, aged 26, and James Shipley, aged 18,
(convicted in the last case but one) were charged with
having, at Warrington, assaulted Thomas Dawson, and
stolen from his person divers sums of money and a quantity
of coffee. They were also charged with having assaulted
James Ellison, and feloniously stolen a sum of money, and
a quantity of garden seeds.
Dr. Brown conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Wilkins
the defence. The prisoners were put on their trial for the
robbery of James Ellison.

The -prosecutor is keeper of Sankey Bridge. On the 12th
of March last at midnight, he was going home, when he was
attacked by three men whom he could not recognise. They
knocked him down, kneeled upon him, and robbed him of
sixpence and two parcels of garden-seeds. The principal
witness in this case was John Miles, an accomplice in the
crime, who had also given evidence in the case against Ship-
ley and Gent. He swore that Mr. Ellison was robbed by
the two prisoners, whom he accompanied in the expedition,
Coleshill having proposed that they should get £2O and cut
off to Liverpool. He (Coleshill) put a stone into his hand-
kerchief, and they went along the road to Liverpool. They
allowed a man and a woman to pass unmolested, because
Coleshill said the woman would shriek so. They subse-
quently met Ellison whom Coleshill knocked down. They
rifled his pockets, and found only sixpence and two packets
of garden-seeds. They afterwards returned to Warrington,
when they met Gent and some women. Coleshill paid for
three quarts of beer with the sixpence. A woman, named
Jane Warburton, who kept the beer-house for John Bibby,
saw the party at the beer-house. Miles was contradicted by
the first witness called to corroborate him as to what took
place at the beer-shop. The prisoners were acquitted.
James was again placed at the bar, in company
with John Bibby, , aged 20. They were charged' with having,
at Warrington, assaulted Peter Rowson, and previously
stolen from his person sixteen shillings and a tobacco-box.
Mr. Hulton conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Wil-
kins the defence.
Peter Rowson stated, that he resided two miles from War-
rington. On the 18th of December last, at eleven o'clock
at night, he was going home, when he was assaulted and
robbed by three men. Some bright implement was pre-
sented
ance, his brains would be knocked out. They took from him
16s. sd. and his tobacco-box. He recognised John Miles,
the witness in the last case, as one of the three. Miles was
again the principal witness. He stated that the weapon
which was held to Rowson was a rasor. He (Miles) took
the-tobacco-box out of Rowson's pocket,
and he afterwards
ansold it to a man named Jefferson. The box was
produced
d identified.

Mr. WILKINS contended that the accomplice was not
acquitted both the prisoners.
tsautffiiocni,ently corroborated, and the jury, after a short consul-
His lordship deferred passing sentence on Shipley and
Gent. The court adjourned at six.