The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-06-21


itors, Brick Court, Middle Temple, he
will confer great obligation.
II suppose need scarcely tell you
that was the elderly gentleman with
the blue pocketbook. Well, as / say,
travelling abont from one place to AN
other, l did not see a paper regularly,
and therefore missed this advertisement.
In the meantime the assizes drew on
and George Hamilton stood In the dock
charged with felony. ! have the trial
in this paper before me. ] shall read TO
you the leading evidence, which was all
unfortunately against the prisoner. The
charge was, that George Hamilton did
feloniously attempt to pass forged ten
| pound note, knowing the same to be u
| forgery"
1.-THE elder Dibden was the flrst wit.
ness called up. He deposed that the
prisoner was his head clerk, in whom
had always placed the greatest conf
dence; that cash hox was left under
his care, containing generally limited
amount of money, principally for the
purpose of giving change; that larger
sums were also frequently deposited
there, If none of the principals of the
house were in the way to lock it up in
the money. safe; that on the morning
in question he himself had placed in the
cash-box two five pound notes and three
pounds in gold; that in the after
noon he wanted to pay some money
into the bank and the safe being de-
ficient of the sum he needed by five
pounds, he opened the cash.box to take
that amount therefrom; that instead of
the five-pound notes which he had
placed there he found ten-pound note,
which, when presented at the bank, was
declared to be a forgery that when he
asked the prisoner to account for the
note, he said he had received it from
stranger in exchange for the two five
pound notes; that on examining the
prisoners desk, he found one of the five
pound notes which he had placed in the
cash-box that morning"
"Cross sexamined-No one had access
to the cash. box but the prisoner, him
self and his son. Each had key
The lock was Chubb's patent, of the
the best description. He knew the five
pound notes by their being indorsed in
the name of William Day."
"The next witness was William Sim
mones, junior clerk of Messrs. Dibden,
Knollys & Dibden. He swore that on
the morning of the discovery of the
forged note he had asked the prisoner to
lend him sovereign; that the reply he
received was, j d lend it with pleasure,
but have not a sixpence to swear by
Had been two years in the Office with
the prisoner; never had any quarrel
with him."
Eleanor Parker deposed that she
knew the prisoner we'll he had lodged
with her the last eighteen months
Paid his rent quarterly-always paid
honorably, but used to be a little behind
hand. He was due her fully five pounds
at the time of his apprehension. Had
always paid her with good money, at
least none of it was ever returned to
her. Prisoner was out mostly all day;
usually spent his nights reading"
"This was the principal evidence for
the prosecution. For the defense, few
witnesses were brought up to testify to
the excellent character the prisoner al
ways bore. But his counsel took his
stand not against any of the facts,
which he allowed, but on the ground
that they proved the act of the prisoner
was done innocently and in ignorance.
"Just for moment consider, gentle
men of the jury he said. Here is
gentleman who for several years man.
aged the business of firm of attorneys,
large sums daily passing through his
hands. The utmost confidence has been
placed in him. Do you think-gentle-
men, put it to you in the name of the
common sense which beams this mo-
ment on your faces-do you think that
he would risk his position, honor, and
name for paltry ten-pound note? He
foolishly-yes, / say, very foolishly, and
without carefully examining it, took
note from complete stranger; and the
only excuse he can give for this is that
he thought that Doctors Commons was
the last place in the world swindler
would go cadging about in-and that the
stranger bore most respectable appear
ance For this act he deserves the re-
proof of his employer and that is all.-
AS to the evidence of the junior clerk,
must say that stronger could not be
| brought in favor of a mans character