Year: 1873

was adjourned Tor some time IN order that the jury
HIS Lordship gave briei outline OF the general
character OF the prisoners proceedings and the
circumstances Under which the account was orr.
ginally opened with the Bank OF England BY the
prisoner Austin Bidwei, and OF the circumstances
under which the forged bills were subsequently
there might have been a little want OF caution on
the part OF the bank authorities, but 1t should not
oe forgotten that he was recommended by re-
considerable sum OF money-sl, ,200-and THESE
were circumstances well calculated to aliay suspl.
cu to him The to tsay tsay
the statement OF mcdonnell was true;
that Ausan Bidwell had repented, and
aifair. His Lordship next proceeded to deal with
the case OF Noyes. who, he said, was represented
to have been merely the clerk or innocent agent,
and the jury would have to consider whether upon
the iacts, they could come to the conclusion that
this was his position. AS to his being stranger,
it was quite clear that this could not be trne be-
cause 1t was proved that he was telegraphed to by
the prisoner, Austin Bidwe, in August. and again
in December peremptory order was sent 10 III MN I'm
to come to England by the next Wednesdays
steamer, and /. was evident that he ala start IN
q great hurry, because he brought no luggage
with him, and nothing at all except small
valse IL also appeared that Austin Bidwell
had engaged room for him at the hotel,
and had told the landlady that he expected a
friend, and when he arrived he was introduced by
the name OF Brooks. He then called the attention
OF the jury to what took place at the dinner on the
Christmas Day, when, according to the evidence OF
friendly and intimate terms, and 1t was Tor the Jury
TO consider how this state OF things was consstent
with the suggestion that Noyes was stranger to
the other prisoners The learned Judge then called
the attention of the jury TO the other material
points in the evidence, and concluded by leaving
the case IN their hands.


THE VERDICT.


The jury retired at quarter-past seven O'CLOCK 10
deliberate. They returned into court IN about
twenty minutes, and found all the prisoners
guilty.


hav had ANYTHING whv Judgment should
not be passed upon them.


The prisoner (Austin BdwelD asked whether he
that he might lay before the Court some incidents
OF his past life. He could however, only speak or
time wasted and Of opportunities & thrown Sin away
therefore he should not press the application He
desired, however. to take that opportunity or
making the only reparation in his power to one
gentleman, Colonel Francis, and to express his
sorrow at the wrong he had done him. Wnen ms
resentment had passed away he hoped that Colonel
Francis would believe that he sincerely repented
OF what ne mad done.


Macdonneil next addressed the Court and said
say with respect to the verdict, but he wished to
say few words in reference to the prisoner Hills


Mr.. Justice Archibald told him he could not be
permitted to do that.


Macdonnell went on to state that all he wished to
say was that Hills knew nothing whatever OF the
forgery, and all that he was told was that It was
their Intention to Introduce some shares Of depre
cated American mines on the Stock Exchange


GEORGE BIDwELL



complaining that all his own property had been
taken away from him, and he was without shil.
ling. He inquired whether Ais LOrdshlp could not
make an order that some portion CT this property
should be returned to himy


Mr.. Justice Archibald said he had no power to


BEGGING FOR MERCY.


George Bdweil then said that so far as he was
concerned. he did not ask for mercy, but he did
ask for mercy tor his brother He was twelve years
younger than himself, and he might never have
been in the position he now was but 1or him. He
nai ina fvpnur rinho VVif0 n Va md
he entreated the Court to have mercy upon him
and give him another chance.


and he said he would not deny that he
knew his fellow prisoners when he came to Lon
don, but he declared thai he never knew that
tody. He admitted that he knew that
he 1t to s placing Ons IN
mines upon the Stock Exchange. He
declared emphatically that he knew nothing about
whether there were not some mitigating circum-
IN MS e. He ~ r, SAYING that


THE SENTENCE.


Mr.. Justice Archibald then addressed the
prisoners, and said that although they were only
charged in the indictment upon which they had
been convicted with forging one bill OF exchange
charge made it quite clear that they had
all been engaged in in scheme scheme Of



conception, Its magnitude, and the skill with
which it was carried out, was completely un-
paralleled. He could not see any mitigating cir
cumstances in the case OF any one OF them. They
were not pressed by want, but had the command
of considerable sum OF money, and they were
not persons who might, perhaps, have been ig-
norant oil the terrible consequences In q com.
mercial community like this that were likely to be
Occasioned by such acts as those OF which they
had been guilty. Their crime was aggravated by
the fact that they were men possessed OF educa-
tion, who could speak several languages, and who
must have been well aware OF the nature and
effect OF what they were doing, and the
serious shock that was likely to be given to
commercial credit by the course they were
pursuing. Those who acted IN such manner
must expect when they were reached by the arm
or tn law, to receive terrible retribution at its
hands. So far as they were concerned, he could
not see any distinction in their cases, and II he
could have conceived any case OF forgery worse
than theirs he would have considered whether he
might have been justified in refraining from going
to The full extent Of the law in the present instance
He was unable to conceive a worse case, and ne
therefore felt 1t to be his duty to order each of them
to be kept in penal servitude 1Or life and he also
made an order that each OF them should pay one
fourth OF the expenses OF the prosecution.


The prisoners who exhibited a most detected
and downcast appearance, were then removed.