The Sun. — 1834-11-29 (London, England)

OLD COURT.  Catherine Hellen, aged 46, and described in the Calendar as a widow, was indicted for forging and uttering a bill of exchange for 4,6631. 145., with intent to defraud Messrs. Drummond and Co., the Bankers.  Thomas Oliver—l am clerk in the house of Messrs. Drummond and Co. On Thursday the 9th of October, a letter was received which contained a bill of exchange, signed Stradbroke. His Lordship kept an account at our house. The signature to the bill was not in his Lordship's handwriting. The letter and bill I handed to Mr. Bush. Cross-examined by Mr. Clarkson—l am perfectly acquainted with the hand-writing of Lord Stradbroke. The signature to the bill does not resemble his Lordship's handwriting. Daniel Forrester—l am a city officer, and put a letter into the post-office, and afterwards proceeded to Weymouth by the mail. I went to the banking-house of Messrs. Williams and Co. I there saw the prisoner. She was in the act of writing a receipt. On perfecting it, I asked her if it was her name, and she said, "It is." I then asked her how she would wish to take it, when she replied, " In Bank of England paper, if you have got it." I then said, " I must beg of you to step into a back room, as I wish to ask you a question or two." She said, " I hope there is nothing amiss." I then showed her the letter and bill. She said, " The letter is my hand-writing, and this is also mine," laying her hand on the endorsement on the back of the bill. I told her she need not say anything which might tend to criminate herself. She said, " I can only speak the truth." I then told her that the signature of Lord Stradbroke was a forgery. She then replied, " I took the bill from an agent in France, living at Nantes, and his name was Pucey, that she was unacquainted with Lord Stradbroke." I inquired when she received the bill. She said the 16th of this month (October) ; and then said, " I mean the 16th of last month. I left Nantz on the 18th, and took it for a picture transaction." I afterwards went to Augustaplace, Weymouth, and discovered that all her property was packed up. On searching her trunk, I found a piece of blotting paper, on which was an impression corresponding with the writing on the bill. The Earl of STRADBRoxE—In October last I was in the habit of keeping an account with Messrs. Drummond and Co. The bill now produced is not in my handwriting, nor is it like it. I never had any transactions with a person of the name of Pucey, nor do I know any thing of the prisoner.  The letters and bill were here read.—Guilty. Frederick Peter Finnegan, a short ill-looking fellow, aged 28, was indicted for the wilful murder of Catherine Matilda Finnegan, his own child, aged twenty months, by drowning the said infant in a ditch near to the Surrey Canal, on the Bth of August. Elizabeth Barnes--I am a single woman, and living in Garden-row, Camberwell. lam first cousin to the prisoner's wife. I have not seen the child since her death. The prisoner and his wife were not living together at the time. They had separated about three months before. Mrs. Finnegan has another child which was only four months old. On the day in question I saw the prisoner and his wife in George-street. I heard the prisoner say to his wife, 4 I have murdered her." His wife said, 44 Oh God! where is my child ?" The prisoner said, " She is happy in heaven." At this time the prisoner had the infant in his arms. I took it from him, and said to him, " Fred, pray don't say so !" He replied, " Betsey, you think lam trifling ; I say lam not. She is happy in heaven, and wants no more earthly provision." There was no more said. He then kissed his wife, and she kissed him in return. He then left her, and she fainted away, and was conveyed into her own house, where assistance was procured, and she was brought to. The prisoner on that occasion had a hatband on his hat. On the following. day I saw him, and I noticed the hatband to be taken off, and he had shaven his whiskers off. On the Friday I noticed his hands ; they were dirty ; it appeared to arise from mud, which was dried on.  Cross-examined by Mr.