The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-09-21 00:00:00

1►

OLIO MILS?.

rßAtlil ON TUN RIM&
Velterday W. Sathersi was indicted for wilfially.
nowingly. and felonionsly aceepting a counterfeit cer-
ifirate relative to certain Excise Tobacco Duties, with
ntent to defraud his Majesty of the duties. The pri•
(pier is a gentlemanly looking man, and holds a situ-
of,on in the Elwin.

Mr. Rot.t.sato opened the case for the prosecution,
• ard cal, d the following evidence :
Rihard Jones, Surveyor In the Tobacco Warehouse
Of The E.cise, had been 47 years in the Vompany's
service; all tobacco-was warehoused under lock of the
Excise and the London Docks. When a merchant
wished to get tobacio out of the warehouse, be ap-
plied to the office, is which the prisoner was a clerk.
T“haccoes are weighed, and a certificate is made out
in the weighing office; the merchant also makes out
an account, which is signed by the officer, and the
amount of duty being ascertained, the broker or mer-
chant pays it ; the collector then gives a certificate
that the duty is paid; the merchant then endorses on
the certificate the landing marks and numbers, the
import weight, the delivered weight, and the house
to which it is to be delivered. The witness thee de-
srribed the further course of procedure, and said, the
duty of the prisoner was to look at the signature, and
enter the permits in go ladaßir. nos,* po patties-'
lar attention was paid to the signatures, great care
was taken in comparing the weighing *ales with the
vertificates.—The prisoner was a clerk in the permit
s.-at, and has the weighing officer's notes in his pos-
session ; it was also the ditty of the prisoner finlike
ont the vouchers. On the 6th of July, witness, from
information he had received, made some inquiry, •
found that there was a double entry in the ledger. The
witness then went to Mr. Mayor's office with • the pri-
soner, and in the course of conversation, he said. " I
think I had better say nothing about MI" Witnesses-
mined the certificate with Mr. Phipps.
('roes-examined by Mr. ALLEr.—The prisoner had
been about four years ; knew a Mr. Want, who had
aliscontled, about a month since; the numbers of the
permits do not go in regular order; the permits were
put into a drawer to which other persons had access;
the prisoner had complained of Grant's conduct with
respect to the double No. of 198 ; the seat in which
the prisoner sat was railed in.

James Crouch, tobacco warehouse-keeper, in the
same office with the prisoner; was desired by Mr.
Jones, on Monday the 3d July, to go to the office on
Tower-hill, and receive the duties of the preceding
creek ; he handed over the account of the prisoner,
it was eighty-three boxes, 113,2321b5. ; it was the duty
of the prisoner to check his accounts, and if both were
right, they would agree ; the amount of the duty of
that week was 22,6461. Bt. ; - prisoner said to witness
the accounts did not agree, and the difference of 3271.
arose from a forged certificate, presented by Mr.
pant; the prisoner named the circumstance to Mr.
Jones ; witness knew Mr. Grant, with whom the pri-
soner appeared to be on terms ofiriendship; Grant, in
a conversation, said he knew he had paid the duties,
and that was all he cared about ; this took place mu
the 3d of July: next day witness made inquiry, eel
found there was not any signed bill milling with -the-
I ertificate; in the course of further inviry, the wer.
rant produced was found, the signature to which In
did not think was that of the collector; the warrant in
4rtestion was Nose in the drawer, and there was also
a bundle of vouchers of the preceding week tied up ;
the witness produced the ledger, and found there moil
an entry of 202 ; there are two entries of that number,;
the latter one having been subsequently made; saw
Mr. Sutheran making an entry on the Ist of August.'
from a loose leaf; on the Wednesday morning saw but'
ore entry of 202, but after Sutheran had been at the
hook, there appeared two numbers of 202. Witness
knows that a leaf bail been taken out of the book ; be-
lieves the leaf from which Sutheran was seen copying
was iu his own hand writing.

Cross-examined by Mr. Adolphus.—Grant appeared
to be a respectable man; had seen the prisoner and
(;rant go out together; the prisoner was the I;rst per-
scr. to speak of the irregularity; it was this that set
11. e inquiry on foot, with respect to the No. 19S ;
the prisoner spoke to Grant publicly about the
&Ale numbers, and the latter immediately disap-
peared ; taking up the warrant in a cursory way, the
fidse signature might escape the notice of the witness;
tl.e prisoner was absent from the office some days be-
fore he was taken before a Magistrate.

Win. Paul, Clerk in the Tobacco Office, knew eke
prisoner's hand writing. The duplicate of a permit.
1.1:e counterpart of the warrant was in the hand-writing
of the prisoner. In the voucher there was a No.
as follows :—Philip Cabb, wheeler ; Waft. Mur-
doch, merchant anal importer, 2 hogsheads, 2183.
Recollects seeing the ledger in the hands of Sutheran.
At that time it corresponded with the voucher, and
acre was then but one number of :202. .
Alexander Grant, a broker, of George-street, Tower-
Lill. In the course of his business cleared great
quantities of tobacco. On the 26th of July directed R.
Giant to clear live hogsheads of tobacco, and was fur-
r;;,l,ed with a check for 3031.195. on Mcssrs.Latlbroke
to pay for the sane. The amount df the duty on one
hogshead was 303/. 16s. duty, 2s. rent, and Is. dock•
yard. The duties on the other four hogsheads, 1135/.
Is. 2d. The whole amount paid was 1139/. 2d. On
the 31st witness went to the office for the purpose of
clearing some snuff, and learnt front Mr. Crouch what
Lad happened. Went to the of on Tower hill, but
could not find the duplicate of the warrant. Ac-
quainted Mr. Crouch with the circumstance, who in-
formed him that the certificate was supposed to be a
forgery. Oa returning home met the prisoner at the cor-
ner of the street in which he lived. The prisoner
asked witness where Robert Grant was, or where his
friends lived, as he " must see him, and would see
hint'?" Witness informed him where Grant's mother
lived, anal being requested to accompany him home,
observed, that the' was going to Clapham, and could
riot. Witness, from what he learned, vent iu.pursuit
of Robert Grant, but did not find him, nor• had he
ever seen 'him since. The date on the warrant was'
not 'Robert Grant's hand-writing. • • The witness had
twice paid the duties, once to Grant, an't,ince to the
Excise. On a subsequent interview the Priii7nre asked
the witness if any thing Mere hail been discovered??
and was answered in the. affiyinative ; on rapist he re-
piied, "What an unforttutate Jiang it is fur wee." The
p.isoner also obserstskthitt be ovi Kobe* *apt bad
•

twee DOW stoney transitedens,- and that
(Oran) led rather a dissolati lite.
• Francis Fhb, tobaeconist, of St. Jerotit4pet
a dewed the check their house, given
the duties.
Mr. Alerisder grant proved the figs —tott
back of the check to be in the hand-writing.
Grant.
James Smith, collector of the Excise, penved.tha.
signature, purporting to be his name, lust to he ist
hand-writing.
Mr. Wright; clerk to the Comptroller of the limdeew
proved that the name of Wright was not his signivire.
Mr. Kennedy, of the Louse of Ladbroke and Co..
was called to' prove the payment of the cheek;
could not say, to whom it was paid.
Mr. Gillman, also a clerk in the same house, proved'
giving a note, numbered 10,461, for St, ationgst
others, in payment of a sum of 1,43 W. Os. Yd. -
William Hetherington proved receiving this note at
the Bank.

";"

James Ball, servant to Kr. Absolent, tailor, proved
receiving the note of the prisoner in payment of a
bill, on the 26th of Jelly last.
The case for the prosecution being closed, dye pri-
soner was called on for his defence. He declared his
innocence, and accounted for baring the Si. sole in
a. ".

raving that he rooefrad it froiftlintst
payment of a delis due from him to the prisoner,
about the time of the forgery.

A considerable numberofrespectable persons gave
the prisoner a most excellent character.
Mr. Justice lltcu•anstix summed up, and theJntyit
after consulting for half an hour, retired, and on their
return found the prisoner Guilty.