Old Bailey, Monday, Dec. ...
The Times, 1824-12-07T00:00:00

d esoia t-eli!najg, arespectable-looking young man 22 years of age, was put the bar chargcdwilth uttering a forged ordefr on Sir ohen Perring anid Co. for 261L l8s. 5d., with intent to defraud thiem. rhere were other counts in the indictment varying the charge. Oliver Vylill stated that hie was managing clerk hi the banking. house ef Sir John Perring anid Co. Alessrs. Capper anid Nephews kept their cash account tUere. On theo3d of N(ovember, about three o'clock in the aftem~oon the riaoe cumintothebankand presented ac ChCsk. tdra.wn by S ;rsCpaper oin Sir John Perring and Co. for L8s. Sd. Messrs. Capper had miore tltan that sum in the bank at the time. Witness had some doubts as to the genuineness of thle clheck; but being apprehensive of appearing to isesitate to honour Messrs. Capper's check, he took out 1601. in notes from the drawer, and gave them to the prisoner. He showed the check to an- other of the clerks, and asked him if it was correct? The other, upon glancing at it, replied that all was right. Wit- ness was in the act of counting out the renmaining 11. 18s. Sd., when the other clerk upon farther examination of thie signa- ture, expressed his Aoubts respecting it. Witness asked the prisoner if he had had it of Mlessrs. Capper ? He said no; lie had received it from Mlr. Purdly of the Commercial Sale-rooms. The other clerk then went off to 'ilcssrs. Capper, to inquire of them if the check was genuine, and whilst he was absent the prisoner said that there seerned 0omething odd about this check. This observation strengthened the witness's suspicion, and he called for the notes which he had given the prisoner, who accordingly returned them. c told witness " he was a young nan out of employment, and had that mornling paid aporter of the Roval Exchange a sbilling to stick up a il ofTering his Fervices as clerk in a counting-house. He went to see if the bill was up when the portergave it back to him, saying the characters were too small, and advising hin to write an- other in larger characters. Whilst looking at the bill, a gentleman came up and asked him if that were his hand.writing ? He replied that it was. He then asked in whose service he had been? To which he replied, that lie had been for twe years in the service of Mr. Wil- lams, a tea-broker. The gentleman tlhen took him to the New York Coffee-house, and inquired if he could get a character; telling him that-he was Alr. Purdy, and had a counting-house in the Com- rnercial Sale-rooms. He gave him the check in question to take to Perring and Co., desiring him to bring hlim the cash to the New York Coffee-house." The witness took the prisoner irto a private roomn, where lie repeated his former statement, and told him of a circumstance in which he was concerned re- lative to a 2001. bill paid at lessrs. Williams's bank, Birchin- lane. He requested witness to send to the New York coffee- house, as a gentleman was sitting in the room at the time. Soan afterwards the other clerk and Ar. Capper arrived. the check was pronounced to be a forgery, and the prisoner given into the custody of an officer. The witness, in his cross-examination, admitted that if an artful person, who had rmade the prisoner hiis dupe, had fol- lowed him to iheBank and remainej outside, lie might escape when he perceived that the prisoner was detained. The other clerk corroborated this witness's testimony. Mtr. Purdy, of the Commercial Sale-rooms swore that he never saw the prisoner until he - saw him before the Lord AlUayor. Other witnesses were called, who proved the check to be a forgery. When the prisoner was apprehended, he produced a paper, on which was written "Mr. Pardy, Commercial Sale-rooms. X The prisoner, wheii called on for his det'ence, repeated his former account of the transactiovi, and stated that the gentleman who was in the coffee-room at the time he mentioned, had been discovered tbrough the exertions of Sir John Perrin6, and would be examined on hisi behalf. The prisoner evinced in ilis manner no incoinsidera. ble shiare of address. John Harrison, a porter on the Rowal Exchange corroborated that part of the prisoner's statement which related to liis payilig hini a shilling for sticking uip a bill, &c. John Tregonie, clerk to Miessrs. Lawrence and Co. of Watling- ling.street, stated, that he was at the New York cofftee house atabout tlhree o'clock In the afternoon, when a young man and an olderly gentleman came in, and took a seat in one of tle boxes. The elderly gentleman said, "You tell me you have lived two years in the house of -." (Witness did not hear the name.) 'The yousij man said, "Yes." The other then asked when he had better call to inquire about his character? The young man replied, "Be- tween five and six o'clock in the evening, as they are now on 'ChanFe." The elder then put a paper into the ether's hand sav- iag, Go to Perring and Co.'s with this chleck, anti bring n;e te cssh here." The young man went avay accordingly, and in about a minute afterwards the other followed him. Witness never saw him afterwards. The convetsation,hesaid, wascarried on in a tone of voice louder than that which lie would have used were he conversing on a similar subject. Sr. Lambett, jun., stated, that the prisoner's father had lived in his father's employmnent for 47 years; and the prisoner had always maintained a good character until he was dismissed from Alr. Wil- liams's service about six weeks ago, in consequence of a transaction respecting a bill for 2001. Alr. Justice BAYLEY sumnmed up the evidence, and left it to the jury to say whether, on the one hand. the conversation which the pri- soner held with the other man in the coffee-room, and the affair of the bill, were not preconcerted, for the purposc of furnishing a case to mislead thejury in the event of a trial; or whether, an the other hand, the prisoner had been actually made tlheinnecentdupe or cat's- paw of some other individual ? The Jury deliberated for about a quarter of an hour, when they returned a verdict of Not Guilty. Theaprisonerbowed, and was retiring from the bar, when Mr. Justice BAYLEY called him back, and said to him emphatically, Young man, take care what ~your future conduct is." Levi Abralulms, a Jew, aged 25, was indicted for- a burglary in the house of Air. Frazer, No. 37, Norfolk-street, Strand, and steal- ing therein a shawl and P table-spoon. On the night of the day mentioned i: the indictment, two servant.girls were twakened in their bed by the barking of a little dog,-wblch was kept In the house, hear tbeir-door. Ore of them. got up, and on her going eut, the dog went and fay down li Cdea dat at the niot oi tbSe stairs. she tshen red this. edgt beai blt in a little time- Lsth Was again alarmad by the ioaise of the dog, and she heard some 1,erson snatch up the dog, as it were There *as a borrowed wiedow-light over herr bedrksm door, through which she paeidved Jibet;n wiich maved fwawtoards the kitchen. Shetgot up, and going datn sheperceined-a full light ii the kite,ben, and heard somne one isay "Husbh."> She inmmediattly taade towards lier own door, a2nd. screamed", Murder!, thieves!" As soon as she'got into her roon, she shut the door ant leaned against ir, while, by her -desire, her fellbw.aervant threw up the winsow ind called " Watch!I" TZhe watchman carne up and seined the prisDner, who was in the act of climbing oat of the ares. Some gentlemen and oTher watry mea came to his assistance, and, on searching the premnises~, they founid a stock, three centre-bits, a crow.bat', one of the sarvant's.slhawls,andoneofl Ir.Frazer9' spoons,in the area; andtkielit.. tle dog lying dead in the kitchen,with his head nearly severed from his body, vvhilst a carving-knife lay ori the -dresser dropping blood. A dark.Iantem was also found on the dresser,; and a bit of wvax candle in the waistcoat-packet of the prisoner, on whose right hanid end handkerchief there were mnarks of blood. In his def'ence, he said it would be only adding falsehood to crim togayhe was not an accomPlice ini the robbery, hut he haA not been thrther than the area. He had come to town., being out of work, about four weekts ago, anld mceeting with a person whom he at first took to be a gentleman, he promise to serve hzim, but he only led him awvay. W-ith res;pect to the marlks of blcod on his handandkerhie, h sad tey ad een occasioned by a bleeding of te nse,wits wich e hs ben ~litedevery day for the last 18 monhs.He ad o fices t cal, is aretsbeing in 'Ilanchester, and e nt hvIn th mens f bingng hemup to town. He there. The ury nheitatnglyretrneda vrdict of GiUWy. OLD BAILEY- hTarn-- n- s