[list-cumbria] Carlisle Patriot, 13 Mar 1824 - Cumberland Spring Assizes (22)

[Petra Mitchinson]

Saturday 13 Mar 1824   (p. 1, col. 5 - p. 4, col. 5, and p. 1, col. 4)

 

CUMBERLAND SPRING ASSIZES. 

 

CROWN CALENDAR. 

 

UTTERING FORGED NOTES. 

 

[continued] 

 

Mr. THOMPSON's examination continued by Mr. ALDERSON.-After the examination was read over, and while Mr. RUTHERFORD was sitting at
the table with a note before him similar to that paid to MUSGROVE, which had been uttered by one John STEWART, the prisoner sprung
forward, snatched up the note, put it into her mouth, and before it could be rescued from her, nearly destroyed it. This note
witness had carefully compared with the one now produced; the date was the same, he believed, but the number different. In order
(apparently) to accomplish this, the prisoner had excited Mr. RUTHERFORD's attention by various violent declarations and
gesticulations, and thereby put him off his guard. An examination of the note had previously taken place, as to its being a forgery.


 

(The remains of the note were produced-they consisted of only a few very small pieces which had been forced from her mouth.) 

 

By Mr. COURTENAY.-He never heard prisoner say that she got the note from Martha BAILEY: she frequently said she had the pound note
of Sally WILSON. 

 

John STEWART proved that the prisoner paid him a one-pound note, on the 5th of Oct. purporting to belong to the Commercial Banking
Company of Scotland. This note he took with him to Scotland, sent it by his wife for whiskey, and it was returned to him as forged
from the Bank of Annan. He was afterwards before the magistrate at Workington, and so the prisoner destroy this note. 

 

Cross-examined.-He said the note was paid him for whiskey. He could not tell into how many hands it passed while his wife had it. 

 

Mr. RUTHERFORD, accountant in Mr. SCOTT's Bank, Annan, said he went to Workington on account of having received the forged note
which had been paid to STEWART, and was before the magistrate with a woman whom he believed to be the prisoner, but he was not
certain. The forged note lay upon the table at his right hand, and the female hastily approached the table, and the note had
disappeared, but he could not swear that she had taken it. He had previously carefully compared a note, received by MUSGROVE for Mr.
THOMPSON, with that which he received from STEWART, and they agreed in every respect, except as to date and number: both purported
to be of the Commercial Banking Company of Scotland, and he thought them forgeries. 

 

Cross-examined by Mr. COURTENAY.-When he first saw the note produced by STEWART, he thought it was really a good one; and if he were
deceived, well might an illiterate person be trepanned into taking one of the same kind. 

 

Mr. COURTENAY.-Does your Lordship think that the note is traced to the prisoner? 

 

Mr. Justice HOLROYD.-We are not now going in that direction; this goes to the guilty knowledge. 

 

Mr. THOMPSON.-In reference to the note passed to STEWART by the prisoner, she said she received it of a man whom she did not know. 

 

Mr. James DOUGLAS.-He had been in the employment of the Commercial Banking Company of Scotland 11 or 12 years, and had often signed
notes. John REID also often signs, and witness knew his handwriting. The signatures, "James DOUGLAS," and "J. REID," on the note now
shewn to witness, are forgeries, being engraved, not written: he had not the slightest doubt of the whole note being a forgery. 

 

By Mr. COURTENAY.-Half a dozen persons in the Bank sign notes. 

 

By the Court.-The paper of this note is quite different from that which the Bank uses. No one signs for another. 

 

Sarah WILSON.-She lives at Workington, near Jackson TODD's, and knows the prisoner very well. On the 9th of October, prisoner came
to her about mid-day, and borrowed a guinea-note of the Whitehaven Bank: and witness afterwards saw a similar note before the
magistrate. Before the prisoner went to Mr. CURWEN's on the evening of the same day, she said to witness, "Oh, Sally, I wish you
would say that it was a pound note you lent me." Witness answered, "You know very well that it was a guinea-note, Sarah." She
replied that she knew it was; but that she wished witness to say it was a pound note-she gave no reason. Afterwards, witness saw
prisoner in custody of Wm. BELL, constable, on her way to the Hall (Mr. CURWEN's), and she again asked witness to say that the note
lent her was a pound note. The note which witness did lend, was just such another as that shown her. (The guinea note paid to Mr.
THOMPSON by MUSGROVE.) 

 

By Mr. COURTENAY.-The poor woman's agitation was extreme at the time, for both she and her husband were in custody, and the charge
serious. Witness was also greatly agitated; but she remembered the words distinctly. She was sure prisoner did not say, "Oh I wish
you could say you lent me a guinea note," instead of would say. 

 

Wm. BELL, constable, of Workington.-He apprehended Sarah TODD on the 9th of October, and told her it was for passing a forged note
of the Commercial Bank of Scotland. She said, if any thing of the kind was coming against her, it would be from STEWART; he had not
at this time mentioned STEWART's name to her. Witness heard prisoner say to Sarah WILSON at the Hall, "Sarah, I wish you would say
in [sic] was a pound note you lent me." She answered, "How can I say so, when you know it was a guinea note I lent you." "O,"
rejoined the prisoner, "do that for me this time, it will not hurt thee." Prisoner asked witness to let her escape that she might go
and drown herself: and he also saw her seize the note from the table and put it into her mouth, from which he forced the few
fragments that had been produced in court. 

 

By Mr. COURTENAY.-She was in great agitation at the time, having left at home seven children. 

 

This was the case for the prosecution. 

 

 

[to be continued] 

 

 

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