The Express. — 1853-08-13 (London, England)

GLOUCESTER, FRIDAT. The examination of Dr. Smith alias Sir Richard Hugh Smyth, on the charge of forging &number of documents for the purpose of proving his alleged title to large estates in Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wilts, was brought to a close at nine o'clock last night before the Rev. Dr. Jenne, Master of Pembroke, and a magistrate for Gloucestershire. The inquiry was conducted at the County Prison, where the prisoner has been confined ever since Wednesday afternoon on the charge of perjury on which Mr. Justice Coleridge committed him. Mr. Gray appeared to conduct the prosecution. Ns counsel or attorney now appeared for the prisoner. No lees than eight witnesses were examined after our report was despatched last evening. Mr. Robert Cocks, jeweller, of Oxford-street, gave details of the prisoner's application to him to engrave fabricated jewellery. Mr. Cocks was croa,-examined by the prisoner and said the Bandon crest was copied by him from a book of the peerage which he showed to the prisoner. When the prisoner brought the miniature to him he ordered him to put at the back of it a rim of brass, and to make good a part of the frame which had been broken off, instructing him to do the work in such a manner that it might look as if it had been done 60 years. After it was done the prisoner complained that it looked like new work, and witness then did something to it to give it an older appearance. Mr. John Roberts deposed that he was for forty years clerk at Messrs. Mill's Bank, at' Bristol. Was well an. (minted with the writing of Sir John Smyth, and believed the signature " John Smyth," appended to the document "A" (the deed of 1822) was not his genuine signature. It was not at all like Sir John's signatare in 1822, but looked like an imitation of his writing about the year 1846 or 1847. The signature " James Abbott ' he did not think was that of James Abbott, the steward, as set up. He knew Abbott's writing well. Mrs. Edwards, widow of William Francis Edwards, who died in September, 1846 (and who was represented as en attesting witness to the deeds of 1822 sad 1823), deposed that the signatures were not those of her deceased husband. Mrs. Honor Dobson, whose husband (he died last year) was represented as another attesting witness to the throb. gave 'bailer testimony as to her husband's writing. She et one time thought the signatures were like her buslmadre, hat not so now. One of the signatures wee spelt with tete b's. Her husband never so signed his name. Noah Crook, of Bath, deposed that he went to schen to the prisoner in 1814. The prisoner was then knows as Thomas Provis, and witness never knew him by las other name. The prisoner (his schoolmaster) had a mak on his neeko-a scrofulous kind of mark—he believed on the right side of his neck. He had no doubt the primer was the man. He was then about 24 years old. [The peP toner has just such a mark upon his neck es the wham described, sad this is the mark by which he was khans& as having been under sentence of death in Usimereer imi for bone stealing.] Ann Heath, daughter of John Provis, of Wanahrthm, and aged 62, stated that her father had two sons by Ne wife—John and Thomas. Her brother Join was the eldest, and the prisoner was her brother Tana. Ith aver entirely lost sight of him. Ors ass samba whoa the prisoner called on her, he asked hie Is he bit have the likeness of his brother John. that haw, except by hearsay, that he had assumed the am of Dr. Smith, until after her father's death. Remembered, was about 13 years of age, aceempanying her &WM Bat► ea the occasion of the prisoner's learns's. He son tins GAM Thomas Provis, and was married to Ass Whitish. ♦ eon of thee marriage named Frederick comae aathaelly to her father% He is sines dead. Crossimarnined by the prisoner—Had heard that prisoner (Thomas Provis) had been in Ilehester gaol for horse•eteelp ing, and did believe that that Thomas Proofs, who was se in Boaster gaol, Thomas Provis who was married at Bath, and the prisoner was the same person. Believed he was bora in 1792. Mr. W. Rawood, clerk in the Prerogative Court of Can. tsrbury, produced the will and codicil of the late Sir Hugh Smyth, dated July 19, 1814, and, in reply to the prisoner, expressed his belief that it would have been impossible far a person to ►ave taken impressions of the seal and :signstare of the will while it was at Doctors'-commove. This cloned the examination of witnesses. The prisoner then, having been cautioned by Dr. Jesse in the usual manner, made a statement to this effeet—that being unprotected by legal advice, he did not feel himself ' justified in entering into any explanation respecting any of the circumstances which had been deposed to, except that be stasidered that the proofs in support of the illegal of the documents had not been in the present inMaas proved by any evidence, nor the facts of the drewfag, signing, or sealing by him of the deeds, or of his passeam of them, except of the document marked " 13 " (the deed of 1823), and considering the evidence given before the Judge of the genuineness of the signatures not being onspowered by the testimony of the witnesses examined Mew the magistratesjhe left the matter to the magistrates' essiietetion. He declared himself not guilty of the ebeepa, and if he was committed on the charge of absolute and punitive forgery he should consider himself unjustly committed.  The prisoner was then family committed for trial ea the charge of forging and uttering the documents ; and so ended this strange cam.  IluxnAßY.—The Augsburg Gazette stab" on the authority of a letter from Petah, that M. Fan, the former Provost Marthalof Comorn, has hanged himself in his cell in the military prison at Peeth. The reason given for his suicide is that as be was accused of having participated in the well known Comets plot of lut year, the object of which was to liberate the political prisoners and to get pos. erosion of the fortrem. It appears that he laid violent hands on himself fa order not to be obliged to compromile any of hie sestatplitee by hie ententoes.