OLD BAILEY, Monday, April...
The Times, 1824-04-13T00:00:00

JohAn Ifill [Vgstaff was indicted for forging an order, purporting to be drawn by Willitm Ridley and Ge., fbr the payment of 2501. on John Bond, Sons, and Pattison, with intent to defraud Beajami. Bond and others. In a second count, he was charged wit uttiering the check with a knowledge of its being forged. In two other coirts he was charged with lorging and uttering the check with intent to defraud *Villiamn Ridley. lThe tliac prove against the prisoner were precisely those stated in Tlte Timesof Tuesday, Mlarch 23, when his examination too'k place at Bow-street. lt will be recollected that the prisoner had been a carpet-manufacturer, and was outlawed under a commissiorT of bankruptcy. Having slept at the Old Hummums on Friday nrighit, the 19th of Mlarch, in the morning, he sent to the Temple for a ticket-porter, whom he despatched to the banking house of Messrs. Boand and Pattison,withacheck purporting to bedrawn upon them by A'V. Ridley and Co., tbr 2501. with written directions also to, engage a seat in the Brighton stage, taking him up at the Elephant and Castle. The check being discovered, in consequence of the absence of a private mark, to be a fbrgery, Mlr. Pattison accom- panied the porter to the Old Hummums, but the prisoner was not there. fie, iowever, sent a messenger in the course of the day to inquire if the porter had returned, and being informed that he had, and that a parcel was left with the landlord for him, the prisoner drove up in a hackney.coach, and was shown into a room, where Bishop the officer was waiting fir him. He gave his name *' Sa- muel Tomkinson ;" but admitted that he bad sent a check into the eity that morning. Ile stated, however, on beinS told that it was a forger", that he got it from a AMr. Smith in the Strand. Bishop then offered to accompany him to M1 r. Stith's ; but the prisoner declined, merely saying "it is of no consequence." On beiDg searched, a paper aud phial, containing oxalic acid, were fbund upon his person. Uponr his examination before Sir R. Birnie, he gave hiis teal rame. When the case for the prosecution closed, thte prisoner read a written defence of some length, in which he stated, after alluding to the painful situation in which he stood, as charged with a crinme of which he knew hiimself to be innocent, that he filled the important relations of husband, father, brother, and onlv son to aged parents that he had procured the oxisdic acid merely to trysomeexperiments, in consequenceofhavinggseen a p2ragraph in a newspaper, recommend- ing it to be used in punch; th eha useda falsenamebecausehehad been outlawed uncter his comnmission, andarewardof'1001. ofieredfor iis apprehension; and finally, that he had received the check from a fr. timith, on behalf of a ir. Pullen, a bill broker, who was in- debted to hini, but that, notwithstanding the most diligent inquiies, he had been unable to discover or trace him. The prisoner's Counsel then called dte following witnesses:- Thomas WVilkins stated the various places to wvhich he liad gone in search of Smith, Pullen, and a person named Fawcett, non! of whom he had been able to find. Henry Palmer swore that he knew Smitli, who professed to dis- count bills, and used to meet himn at the Colonial Coffee-house, where he generally did business. lie owed witness 301. In the middle of March last, he saw a check for 2501., drawn by Ridley and Co., on ilessrs. Bond and Pattison, in Smith's hands, at the BayTreeCoffe-house,which very munch resenibled thatnow producred. On his cross-examination the witness said that he had lived for the last three weeks in llercules'-buildings, Westminster-road; he had previouslv resided for three or four months in the NVaterloo-road, and for four months befbre that in the House of Correction, where he had been confined by the Court of King's Bench for a transuction respecting a bill of Sir Thomas Champney's. Thomas Little,a carpet-manufacturer,in the City-road, had known the ptisoner 30 years; his age was 31; was acquainted with his hand.svriting, and did not believe the signature to the check to be his writing. He always considered him a most honourable man. In reply to questions put by the learned Judge, the witness said he did not know the hand-writing shown to him to be the prisoner's. (This was the direction written by the ptisoner to take a seat for him in the coach, &c.; and also the description of notes and change that the porter was to have received for the check. which the prisoner had written on the back of the check. Both had 'been written in the Dbrter's presence. Several otler witrnesses were called, who gave him a most excel- lent character, down to about 15 or 18 nmonths ago, since when (the period of liis bankruptcy) they had lost sight of him. Alr. Justice PARK, having summed up the evidence very n.i- nutely, the Jury retired for about half an hour, when they returned witlh a verdict of ruilty. Stephe,t Harman was indicted for receiving three 51. Bank-notes, well knowing them to have been stolen by some evil-disposed per- son or persons unknown. There was another count, describing the property as pieces of stamped paper; and another as pieces of paper only, of the value of 3d., and partof a greater number. the notes in question were part of those which were stolen from the BaUoon coach some time ago, when on their passage to Binning- ham, to be re-issued by A1 essrs. Taylor and Lloyd, ofBirmingharn, after they had been taken up by Messrs. Hanbury and Co., of Lombard-street, where they had been made pa,yable. The prisoner, it appeared, went into three linen-drapers shops on different davs in March last; in the first he succeeded in paying off one of the notes in payment of a piece of linen; in the second he left the note behind hiin, having thought proper to decamp while the pro- prietor went out to make inquiries respecting it; whilst the third at- tempt proved fatal ; for the shopman having expressed his reluctance to take a country note from a stramger, but offered to send the goods he had cheapened and his change to his residence, the prisoner took up the note in some agitation, and, saying he could get it changed in Covent-garden where he was known, he went away. The shop- man, however, followed him, and perceiving tlat he deviated from the direction of Covent-garden, he went up to him, seized him, and insisted upon his returning with him to the shop; upon which the prisoner put the note into his mouth, and swallowed it. He was inally given in custody to a police-officer. In each of these three places be hard given a false nume and address. He was found giAUy; but a point was reserved for the 12 Judges.- namely, whether these notes, they hainng been paid and satisfied by Miessrs. Hanbu y and Co. at the time they were stolen, were such documents or propertyas would, under the statute, sustain the in- dictment. wfiltiaon BvtIteteJwaa was inoictee ior steaeing a quanuty ot platc in the dwelling-house of Samuel Pratt, his master. The prisoner was hired by the prosecutor, who is a trunk.maker in new BoRd-street, to act as porter and wait at table. The plate in question having been missed the prisoner was suspected of purloin- ing it, and given into custoay. He subsequently confessed that he had pawned it. The Jury found him Gsity. The prosecutor recommended him to mercy on account of Iis former good chlaracter. hr. Justice PARx promised to forward the recommendation; but expressed a doubt chat, in consequence of the nature of thecase it would be attended with any effbet. There were o-her indictments against the prisoner, but the Court did not think it necessary to procced upon them. (Before Air. ARABIN, for the REconDrRa) WiwLirn Gough, jun., was indicted for stealing a horse from hit father, *'illiam Gough, sen., who stated that he was a green grocer, and having left his horse and cart in Henrietta.street, on t*he morn. ing of the Saturday mentioned in the indictment2 whilst ha went into Covent.garden, to mske his market, on his return he found that they had been taken away. He discovered his property on the following Alonday in the possession of a maln Vamed Ml)'Daniel. A woman was called to prove thattbeptisoner hadsold the horse to At'Daniel, for 4L 19s.; but having first stated herself to be I'DaJniel's wife and afterwards his sister, her testimony re- ceivedrnoc'redit; ana Air. Arabin said he was strongly disposed to commit her for perjury. The Viisosr inhis defencesaid, thathehadoriginally boughtthe horse himself and havig left it ith his father 'whilst he went to sea, he consieed hebad,v right to treat it a his owt upon-his reA tura home. The ju ry ritdrned a erdict ofacg"k7th OLD BAILEY, ilo,idioy, April 12.