The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-03-29 00:00:00

FORGERY

John Shore, aged 41, and Thomas Wilson, aged 51, were
charged with having, at Manchester, feloniously forged and
uttered an acceptance upon a bill of exchange for X 36 14s 6d,
knowing the same to be forged.
Mr. Brandt conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Wilkins
defended Shore. Mr. Brandt did not press the case against
Shore, and Mr. Wilkins was relieved.
Thomas Logan stated that he was an innkeeper, in Man-
chester, and he used to deal in mouselinea de laine. Some
time since the prisoner at the bar, Wilson, was indebted to
him, and in payment of his account he gave him a bill to the
amount above specified, which purported to have been ac-
cepted by Shore's sister. It was sent to London at maturity
and dishonoured.

It appeared from the cross-examination of Logan by the
prisoner, that the bill was given to Logan to discount it, but
he, to use his own terms, ",stuck to it, thinking that three
names were better than one.'
The jury found Wilson guilty; Shore was acquitted.
Wilson was sentenced to seven years' transportation.

ASSAULT AND HIGHWAY ROBBERY.
James Brown, aged 23, a respectably-dressed young man,
was charged with having at Manchester, on Monday even-
ing, the 13th December last, feloniously assaulted Benjamin
Johnson, and robbed him of the sum of £230 in bank notes.
Mr. Armstrong conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Whig-
ham the defence. •
Benjamin Johnstone, the prosecutor, stated that he carried
on business in Bridgewater-buildings, Manchester. On the
morning of the 13th December he was at the Talbot Inn. At
a quarter-past five o'clock he went to his warehouse, unlocked
the safe, opened the drawer, and took out a roll of Bank of
England notes, amounting to £230. He pinned the fob in
which he placed the notes with a large pin. He went to the
Talbot, and left it about six o'clock. When within five yards
of Tipping-street he was surrounded by men, not less than
three, who seized him on all sides, by the throat, mouth, and
arms. He was rendered insensible almost instantly, and
when he recovered there were two men taking him up. One
of the men was an old acquaintance, named Foster. He
found that his fob was cut off, and his safe key was lost, and
all his property. Could swear that he neither paid nor re-
ceived any notes from the time that he got £ll5 from Messrs.
Hargreaves and Dugdale. Was certain that he possessed in
that roll of noees two £2O notes, which had been in his pos-
session more than a fortnight. One of them had been cut
in two, and badly joined together.
Cross-examined by Mr. WHIGHAM.--I had received the
£ll5 on the 10th. Had three or four small bottoms of
brandy, filled as high as the glass would hold with water.
The place where I was knocked down was a darkish place.
I know nothing of the numbers or dates of the notes. 1 can-
not swear to the persons who attacked me.
By Mr. ARMSRRONG.—Had an impression that the pri-
soner was one of the parties, but could not swear to it. Could
not say whether it was reality or whether he had dreamed
it afterwards, but it seemed to him that he recollected the
grasp on his throat to have relaxed, he opened his eyes and
saw a face—it was that of the prisoner ; the grasp was again
tightened, and he again became insensible. He had great
difficulty in swearing to the prisoner at the police-court. He
described the prisoner exactly to an individual before be was
taken into custody.
Frederick George Green, a boy, apparently about twelve:
Knows Mr. Johnson. Saw him at the top of Tipping-street
on the morning of the 13th. Saw four men knock him down
and then run, and one stopped and got upon him. The three

men who ran had their backs to me. I went up, thinking the
man was going to kick him. There was a lamp round the
corner. The man who was upon Mr. Johnson saw me,
turned round, and ran as fast as he could, leaving Mr. John-
son on the ground. The prisoner is the same size as one of
those that ran away. Mr. Foster came up and assisted Mr.
Johnson. He was very much hurt. He could not speak—
he was groaning.

James Foster, a warehouseman, stated, that on the evening
of Monday, the 13th December last, he was proceeding down
Tipping-street. Heard a groaning and found a man. With
another gentleman he lifted him up. The first words he ut-
tered were—" Oh, Foster, is that you?" Did not know him
at first, as his face was bloody, dirty, and disfigured, Ac-
companied him home. It was the prosecutor, Mr. Johnston.
John Johnston, son of the prosecutor.—ls in the habit of
collecting money for his father. Received the sum of £ll5
alluded to by his father. It consisted of £5 and £lO notes.
They were rolled up and put into the safe.
Samuel Sykes, cashier to Messrs. Hargreaves and Dug-
dale, of Manchester, proved the payment of £ll5 to Mr.
Johnson's son, in £5 and £lO notes. Had received the money
from John Topper. Received from Topper £135. Paid
£ll5 to Johnson's son in fives and tens. Paid about three
£5 notes to Johnson. Paid on Saturday, the 11th, to
Grinishaw two £5 notes. On the morning after the robbery,
Johnson's son came and mentioned the robbery. I was
asked if I had any of the notes which I had received from
Topper in my possession. 1 could not tell him : I thought
I had not, but I found afterwards that I had one note which
corresponded with the memorandum which Topper had got
from the branch bank.

By Mr. WIIIGITAM.—T had received £135 from Topper.
I paid young Johnson £115; I paid two £5 notes on Satur-
day, and had one remaining, which Was also paid away. I
must also have paid away one other £5 note to make the
number. I do not make memorandums of the smaller
notes, but Ido of the larger ones. The moment Topper
brought in the £135 from the bank, I paid £ll5 to John-
ston, without mixing them with any others.

John Topper, cler-k in the employ of Messrs. Hargreaves
and Dugdale, proved that they went with a cheque to the
Branch Bank of England. Received nine £lO notes and
nine £5 notes. Delivered the money as he received it from
the bank, to Mr. Sykes.
Alexander Balfour, a teller at the branch Bank of Eng-
land, in Manchester, (produced the cheque presented by the
last witness) paid nine £lO notes, nine £5 notes, and odd
shillings—producing his book. The book contained the
numbers of one bill in each. The first number of the fives
was 5861, and of the tens 85,389. Another clerk made a
memorandum of all the notes.

Cross-examined.—All the notes were in a drawer together.
The notes which are received the day before are put in a
drawer together for re-issue.' They are not consecutive
numbers, but are given out in consecutive order as they are
arranged—the lives from their heap, and the tens from their
heap.

Re-examined.—Mr. Todd, the clerk, who makes the
entry, hands them over in the order in which they have
been received. Has it in his power, by examining with
Todd, to discover the numbers of all the notes paid.
William Winter Todd, a clerk in the Branch Bank of
England, gave evidence as to the mode of entry. He then
gave the numbers of the eight succeeding ten pound notes,
commencing 85,389,
and those commencing 5,861 (the five-
pound notes). The latter were 33,422, 19,357, 8,101, 29,737,
10,479, 84,812, 37,960, 37,959.
On cross-examination, this witness gave much evidence
as to the course of business, displaying an admirable system.
George Grimshaw, a blacksmith, proved the receipt of
two notes—No. 37,960 for £5, and No. 37,959 for £s—from
Mr. Sykes. He afterwards gave them up to Mr. Lomax, a
police-officer, on Wednesday the 22d of December. These
were the two notes which Mr. Sykes said he paid away, and
which were not of the parcel paid to the younger Johnson.
Benjamin Boathe, a surveyor, of Manchester.—On Tues-
day night, the 14th December, was in the neighbourhood of
Clarendon-street, about a quarter past ten. I heard a cry
of " Murder ! " behind me. I went to the spot, and found
the prisoner at the bar with several men. He was on the
ground, and the other men were kicking and abusing him.
I went to his assistance, and they ran away. I told him I
thought he was much hurt, and asked him if they had robbed
him. He said No—he had his money in his fob. I asked
him if he would know the men. He said Yes, be knew
them, but would not give any information about them. I
said that was very odd, and he told me it was no matter to
me, upon which I said I would detain him till a police-officer
came. On hearing mention of a police-officer, he burst from
my grasp and ran away. I pursued him, and caught him
calling out " Watch ! Police-officer Rooke came up. I
told him the circumstances, and he took the prisoner into
custody.

William Henry Rooke, a police-officer, of Manchester.—
I was on duty in Clarendon-street, on the night of the 14th
December last. I saw the last witness pursuing the prison-
er, and took the latter into my custody. I searched him. I
found a sovereign in his hand, and £32 10s. in sovereigns
and half-sovereigns in a watch-pocket which was in his
trousers pocket. The fob was used as a purse, and had been
cut from a pair of trousers. I also found £4 18s. 6d. in
silver in his pocket. I asked him where he had got so much
money, and he said he would let me know that to-morrow. _

Coinelius Riley, a provision dealer, of Manchester. I
knew the prisoner at the bar. I always knew him by the
name of Michael Miles. I have known him five or six years.
On Monday evening, the 13th December, at eight o'clock,
he called upon me to pay me a small balance of 175., which
he had owed me since 1837. He asked me if he did not owe
me an account. I said yes. I showed it to him. He said
it was correct, and offered me a £5 Bank of England note.
I took it to Mr. William Gibson, provision dealer, and he
gave me five sovereigns for it. 1 gave the prisoner the
money, and he gave me ten shillings. He said he would not
pay me there, but would go out and pay me. We went to a
public-house, and he showed me a £2O note. It had been
cut in two, and was not put together straight. I had it in
my hand. We went into the street, and he there paid me
ten shillings. He said he had a good deal of money on him.
William Gibson, provision dealer, of Manchester. proved
that, on the evening of the 13th, he changed a £5 note for the
last witness. The name Riley was written on it by witness's
daughter. (Note produced and identified.) It was about
half-past eight o'clock.
The note was read by the clerk of the court. It was num-
bered 10,479.
Ellen Hackett, wife of Cornelius Hackett.—On the even-
ing of the 13th December last saw the prisoner at the Wheat
Sheaf with Riley. I saw him produce two notes, which he
said were Xlo notes. He produced a £2O note. I had it in
my hand. He asked me to cash it. It was pieced in the
middle. He wrapped it up in a small compass and put it in
his mouth. He drank a glass of wine with it in his mouth.
He took it out of his mouth and put it in his pocket. He
showed four sovereigni. He changed one to pay for a glass
of wine. He put the other three into his boot. He after-
wards threw them on the floor, and subsequently put them
in his pocket. I have known him by the name of Michael
Miles usually.
Ellen Jones proved that the prisoner went to the shop at
which she serves on the mornir, after the robbery, and pur-
chased a pair of boots for 145., changing a£s note. He left
his old boots. The £5 note could not be traced. The old
boots were given to Mr. Beswick.

Mr. Beswsick, superintendent of the Manchester police.—
I saw the prisoner at the bar at the Manchester police-court,
and applied for him to be remanded. He said he had re-
ceived the money from his father-in-law at Stockport. He
subsequently said he did not know where the house of his
father-in-law was. (A pair of shoes produced.) I received
them from Ellen Jones, the last witness. There were marks
of blood upon them, and the marks are visible now.
Cross-examined.—He did not say his father-in-law was
a hawker, and that he resided at Carlisle.

Mr. WHIGHAm addressed the jury at considerable length.
He did not deny that the prosecutor was robbed, and that he
suffered considerable violence, but who it was that committed
that offence was still a mystery. He contended that what-
ever suspicions the jury might entertain, they had no evi-
dence on which they could convict the prisoner at the bar.
The jury, after a few minutes' consideration, found the
prisoner guilty.

His LORDSHIP questioned •Mr. Beswick as to the previous
character of the prisoner. Mr. Beswick stated that he had
been frequently before the court at Manchester for felony,
but had not been convicted.
His LORDSHIP sentenced the prisoner to 20 years trans-
portation.

It was ordered that the money found on the prisoner should
be returned to the prosecutor.

SLEALING A LETTER,

Henry Edward Weaver, a handsome and respectable-
looking youth, aged 17, convicted on Saturday of having
stolen a post letter, was sentenced to seven years' transpor-
tation.