The Proceedings of the Old Bailey

 

1448.   THOMAS WILDISH was indicted for that he, on the 28th of Day of August , at  St. James, Clerkenwell , feloniously did falsely make, forge, and counterfeit, and cause and procure to be falsely made, forged, and counterfeited, and willingly act and assist in the false making,

forging, and counterfeiting a certain promissory note for the payment of money , the tenor of which is as followeth:

No.  A. 1264.

No.  A. 1264.

I promise to pay on demand, to Mr.   John Pembroke , or bearer, 10 l. here, or at Messrs. Smith, Payne, and Smith's, in London.

Dover Bank, 18th Day of July, 1817. For Minet Fector, and Co.

 I. M. F. & Co. 10.

J. B. FECTOR.

Entered   John Boyton .

with intent to defraud   John Minet Fector .

SECOND COUNT, for feloniously uttering and publishing as true, a like false, forged, and counterfeit promissory note, with a like intention, he well knowing the same to be false, forged, and counterfeited.

THIRD AND FOURTH COUNTS, the same, only stating the prisoner's intent to be to defraud   Samuel Smith ,   George Smith ,   John Smith ,   Abel Smith ,   Samuel George Smith , and   George Robert Smith .

FIFTH AND SIXTH COUNTS, the same, only stating his intent to be to defraud one   William John Anderson .

  ELIZABETH ANDERSON . I am the wife of   William John Anderson , who is a straw hat manufacturer , and lives at No. 224 High Holborn. On Thursday, the 28th of August, about seven o'clock in the evening, the prisoner came to our shop, asked for a straw bonnet, and begged me to recommend him a good one. I looked him out one, which came to 23 s., and a box for 2 s. He said it was for a friend at Dover, and if it was not a good one, he should very likely be laughed at - he gave me a 10 l. Dover note. I said I should prefer a Bank of England note; he said,

"We prefer the Dover notes to the Bank of England." Having been at Dover, I knew Fector's house to be respectable; I did not know the prisoner - he gave me the note, and then Mr. Anderson just came home from a journey. I asked the prisoner his name and address? and he gave it to me as,

"   Thomas Williams , York hotel, Dover." He said he was waiter there. I wrote all this on the note, with my initials, before I gave it to my husband. This is the note - (looking at it) - I then handed it to my husband, went up stairs, gave him the purse, and he gave the prisoner 8 l. 15 s. Mr. Anderson put a string on the box, then the prisoner directed it, and went away with it. I have no doubt of his being the person - the gas was lit in the shop.

Cross-examined by MR. ANDREWS. Q. Had you any other persons in the shop - A. Some of the young people, also a lady and gentleman. My attention was called to the note on the Saturday. I said then I should know the man - I should know him any where; he did not give me the name of Wildish. When he gave me the address, he said,

"I am living as waiter there, and you had better put that on the note;" which I did. I had no other country note - our house is in Middlesex.

  WILLIAM JOHN ANDERSON . I am the husband of the last witness. On the 28th of August, about seven o'clock in the evening, I returned from Norwich - there are three gas lights in the shop, which were lit; the prisoner is the man that I tied a bonnet up in a box for - I had some conversation with him. He walked into the shop after me, and asked my wife for a bonnet - she took several out of the window. He asked her to recommend him a good one; he bought one for 23 s. I asked him if trade was brisk at Dover? He said Yes, Dover was brisk, but Kent was very flat. He then offered my wife a 10 l. Dover note; she asked him for a Bank note, but he said they preferred Dover notes. She asked him for his name and address; he said,

"   Thomas Williams , York hotel," which she wrote - he then said,

"You may say, waiter, for I live as waiter there." Mrs. Anderson went up stairs, brought me down the purse, and I gave the prisoner 8 l. 15 s. myself. I had seen the note, and put it into the purse, from which I took the money; I saw it was a Dover note - we had no other country note. I wished to direct the box for him, but he said No, he would do it himself. He appeared to write on it, but I did not see what he wrote - I am positive he is the man. I have no partner.

  BENJAMIN TIFFIN . In August last, I lived at the York hotel, Dover, as book-keeper, and principal waiter; I have lived there four years and a half. The prisoner did not live there on the 28th of August, or at any other time, either as waiter or in any other capacity. I do not know him.

  ELIZABETH CUBISON . I am the wife of   Richard Cubison , who is a straw hat manufacturer, and lives in Oxford-street. On Wednesday, the 1st of September, about eight o'clock in the evening, the prisoner came to our shop - we have gas lights. He asked for a straw bonnet; I took one out of the window, which he approved of. He asked for a box, which I got for him - they came to 1 l. 8 s. together. He gave me a 10 l. Dover note; I asked him for his name and address? He said if I would give him a pen and ink he would write it himself - (looks at one) - this is it; here is,

"Mr. Thompson, Snargate-street, Dover," which I wrote on it. I gave him 8 l. 12 s. in change.

Q. Had you any conversation with him - A. I took the note up, read it, and said,

"Snargate-street; do you know any person there of the name of Marsh?" he replied

"Yes, there are two of them." I said, they were relations of mine. He said,

"I am going there, have you any commands?" I said No. He took the box, said

"Good evening," and went away. I put the note in the desk with others, but I had no other country notes whatever. I gave it to my husband next morning with other money.

Cross-examined by MR. ADOLPHUS. Q. You have no doubt of his being the man - A. No hesitation whatever.

  ELEANOR HOLLAND . I am assistant to the last witness. On the 1st of September I remember the prisoner coming to the shop, and being supplied with a bonnet and box - he paid a 10 l. Dover note. I heard her ask his address; he asked for a pen and ink, which she gave him, and he wrote his name on it. I am certain he is the man.

  ROBERT ESSEX . I am a jeweller, and live in the Strand. On Wednesday, the 8th of September, about eleven o'clock in the morning, the prisoner came to my shop; he wanted a pair of table-spoons, I served him; he selected a pair at 1 l. 18 s. He gave me a 10 l. Dover note, I gave him 8 l. 2 s. in change, requested him to write his name and address on the back of it, and gave him a pen. He wrote in my presence,

"   Charles Webster , saddler, Milton, Kent." I put the note in the till with others - I had no other country note. It remained in my possession until Monday morning. This is the note (looking at it). I have no doubt of his person.

  RICHARD HODGE . I am servant of Mr. Craig, who is a linen-draper, and lives in Oxford-street. On the 10th of September, about nine o'clock in the evening, the prisoner came to our shop - our lights were lit. He bought a shawl for two guineas, and paid me a Dover 10 l. note; I gave it to Mr. Pike, the clerk, and received the change from him, which I gave to the prisoner. I did not mark the note. It was payable at Smith, Payne and Smith's. I am certain the prisoner is the man.

  EDMUND PIKE . On the evening of the 10th of September I found a 10 l. note in the till. I do not exactly remember receiving it from Hodge. We had no other Dover note. I kept the key of the till all that day.

Q. Was it your hand that put the note in the till - A. I cannot say. The till is in the desk where I sit; it is not kept locked. If I am not there any one may get change. I found the note in the till, and observed

"Johnson, Snargate-street," on the front of it, and

"   Thomas Webb , Deal," on the back.

Q. Did you ever see a 10 l. Dover note before - A. Not to my recollection. I paid the note away on the 14th to Mr. Woolrich, Old Change. We had other country notes, but not Dover. This is the note (looking at it).

  HENRY WOOLRICH . I am a warehouseman, and live in Old Change. I received a 10 l. Dover note from Pike, and marked it - this is it (looking at it). I put T. C. for the initials of Craig, and the amount I received, 101 l. and 14 - 9.

Cross-examined by MR. ANDREWS. Q. Was there any other Dover note - A. I believe not.

  SARAH JONES . I live at No. 110, Goswell-street, and lived there on the 1st of September. The prisoner came to lodge with me on the 1st of September, and remained with me for ten days afterwards. He went by the name of Wildish.

  SAMUEL MACKIE . I am clerk to Mr.   John Minet Fector , banker, of Dover - he has no partner. I am the filling-up clerk, and the only one. We make our notes payable to Pembroke, and draw on Messrs. Smith, Payne and Smith - we number the notes. That uttered to Anderson is forged in every respect; it is not Mr. Fector's signature - the filling-up is not my writing. Boyton is the entering clerk, it is not his writing.

Q. Was any note of that number issued that day - A. There is such a number of that date, that is a 20 l. note, but no 10 l. of that date. The other notes are also forged in all their parts. I write the word Pembroke on the notes, it is not printed - the engraver leaves no tracing for it.

  JOHN BOYTON . I am entering clerk at Mr. Fector's bank, he has no partner. The notes are forged; the writing is not mine. I enter the particulars of every note myself; such a note as this was never issued - the other three are forged, they are not off the plate of the house. The word Pembroke is engraved in these notes, in ours it is written. In all these notes there are tracing lines for the names, which is not the case in ours.

  THOMAS GREENHALL . I am cashier to Messrs. Smith, Payne and Co. The firm is   Samuel Smith ,   George Smith ,   John Smith ,   Abel Smith ,   Samuel George Smith , and   George Robert Smith .

(The note was here put in and read.)

Prisoner. I leave my case to my Counsel.

GUILTY . - DEATH . Aged 25.

Second Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Justice Park.