Carlisle Patriot, 20 Aug 1825 - Westmorland Summer Assizes (2)

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Saturday 20 Aug 1825   (p. 4, col. 5-6)

 

WESTMORLAND SUMMER ASSIZES.

 

APPLEBY, 16th August, 1825.

 

[continued]

 

MARY ANNE QUINN, aged 22, charged upon oath, with having feloniously disposed of and put away at the Burgh of Kirkby in Kendal, certain forged and counterfeited promissory notes, for the payment of money, purporting to be notes of the Commercial Banking Company of Scotland, for the payment of one pound each, with a knowledge of the same being false, forged, and counterfeited, with intent to defraud the said Commercial Banking Company.

 

The capital charge was thrown out by the Grand Jury.

 

Messrs. ALDERSON and DUNDAS for the prosecution; Messrs. BLACKBURNE and ARMSTRONG for the defence.

 

Mr. ALDERSON, in stating the case to the Jury, said, the indictment contained a variety of counts. The prisoner had conspired with a person called TELFORD, who died in prison, for the purpose of bringing a number of forged notes into Westmorland, with intent to defraud different persons. Since the death of TELFORD, the offence with which the prisoner was charged assumed a different complexion, and the capital part could no longer be sustained. The prisoner is a native of Belfast; and he, Mr. A., would call a witness, named HARRISON, who was employed to go to Ireland, to gain information of the forgeries, and who was introduced to the house of the prisoner's father. TELFORD (with whom he got acquainted) was there, as well as the prisoner at the bar. After the return of HARRISON to this country, he received two letters,—one from Belfast, the other from Carlisle,—which induced him to go to Kendal in August last. In that month, the prisoner and TELFORD, who also came to Kendal, and took lodgings at the house of a shop-keeper, in Strammondgate. The prisoner remained in the house; but TELFORD went out from time to time. TELFORD made a bargain with HARRISON for a number of false notes; the money of the latter was marked, and the former being apprehended on the instant, the whole of the money so marked was found upon him. In order further to identify the prisoner with TELFORD, he would call a witness who saw them walking together on the Kendal road, between Penrith and Shap.

 

James DONACHY sworn.—I live at Penrith. In August last, I saw TELFORD and a woman walking together on the road towards Eamont Bridge. I knew the former by eye-sight; but did not know the woman. The woman had a reticule, and the man an umbrella.

 

Robinson PENNY called.—I live at Kendal, and kept a shop in Strammond-gate in August last. On the 19th of that month, the prisoner, and a man who was afterwards taken up, came to my house, and took lodgings for the night. TELFORD went out several times; but the prisoner did not go out to my knowledge.

 

Elizabeth PENNY sworn.—I am wife to last witness. TELFORD and the prisoner said they were come to meet a person from Liverpool. They had a little black bundle. The woman had the bundle, and always kept it about her. On Friday morning, the prisoner was sleeping with her head upon the table, and when TELFORD came in he said, "My wife, she's always sleeping." He did not remain more than two minutes until he went out again. The prisoner said she had walked a long way, and was sadly tired; that her husband dealt in silks; and that they had left a trunk at a house upon the road.

 

W. BAINBRIDGE examined.—I am clerk in Mr. WAKEFIELD's Bank. On the 20th of August last, I watched TELFORD and HARRISON, and saw the former give the latter a small bundle. I then went to PENNY's. Prisoner was there; she endeavoured to run off, and threw away a small bundle. I opened it: its contents were 75 notes of Forbes and Co. I took her to the Bank, and she told me TELFORD had a trunk at a house upon the road, out of the town. She agreed to go with me to the place, and as we went along, she was continually walking with her hands beneath her cloak; on coming to a stile, she desired me to walk forward, as she had occasion to step aside for some purpose. Having suspicions, I kept my eye upon her and saw her drop something. I gave a labouring man directions concerning it, and the prisoner and I went forwards in a cart which had come for that purpose. We went to the Stock Public House, and when we came there, she said it was not the place, and that she had forgot where it was. On our return, the working man gave me this tin case; it contained 70 Forbes and Co. 66 Commercial Bank Guinea Notes, and 85 Leith one pounds. The black bundle found in the house contained 75 one pound, Forbes & Co., which appeared to be from the same plate as those found in the tin box.

 

Cross-examined.—It was a little after nine o'clock in the morning when I went to PENNY's. The prisoner was searched at the Bank by FAWCETT, governor of the house of correction, and CARRADUS, the police-officer.

 

William WHINFIELD sworn.—I am a labourer, and found a tin box on the 20th of August last, according to the directions of Mr. BAINBRIDGE.

 

John HARRISON examined.—I was employed to go to Ireland in February, 1824, and was at John QUINN's, at Belfast. TELFORD and the prisoner were there. I asked them if they had any bad guinea notes of Dobson's Bank, of Huddersfield. John QUINN, prisoner's father, told me that TELFORD had become a partner. I bought 40 notes, and then came to England. I received a letter from Belfast about June, in answer to one of my own, and another from Carlisle; in consequence of which I came to Kendal on the 19th of August last. I met TELFORD there by accident, as I did not expect to see him until the 20th. He said he was glad to see me, and gave me five notes as a sample. I marked them, and those produced are the same. I gave them to Mr. BANKES; I received some money from Mr. WAKEFIELD's bank, and £10 from Mr. BANKES: this money was marked. I made a bargain with TELFORD, the following day, for bad notes. He preferred provincial notes as payment. We went towards the Bridge: he left me for a moment, and when he returned he gave me a brown paper parcel, which I gave to Mr. BANKES. The money I paid to TELFORD was marked.

 

Cross-examined.—I have been at QUINN's house, but our conversation took place before none but the family.

 

James BANKES called.—I am a solicitor at Wigan, and was instructed to employ HARRISON to go to Kendal. I received a brown paper parcel from him and have had it ever since. I was present when TELFORD was apprehended. The money given HARRISON in the morning was a £10 Kendal, and a £10 Bank of England note.

 

Cross-examined.—HARRISON is a weaver at Wigan; but I have no particular knowledge of him.

 

George HERMITAGE, clerk of Mr. DOBSON's Bank at Huddersfield; James Seaton VEITCH, of the Commercial Bank; and George LAING, of the Royal Bank of Scotland, proved the different forgeries.

 

The Jury returned a verdict of Guilty.

 

His Lordship then addressed the prisoner in an admonitory speech, and forcibly pointed out to her the evil consequences which would result to her if she persisted in such courses as she had hitherto followed. Herself and the person with whom she had been connected, had been extensive wholesale dealers in forged notes. Had TELFORD lived to have taken his trial that day, her situation would have been different, and probably she might have answered with her life for the offences of which she had been guilty. In consideration of the imprisonment she had undergone, he was not inclined to protract it to a much greater length if he could be assured of her acting with propriety afterwards. His Lordship paused here for a moment, apparently expecting an assurance to that effect from the prisoner. She said nothing, and his Lordship then sentenced her to Three months' imprisonment.

 

The father, mother, and brother, of Mary Ann QUINN, were sentenced to various terms of confinement at the late Carrickfergus assizes for forgery; TELFORD, with whom she cohabited, died in Appleby gaol a few months ago, her uncle was executed for forgery at Lancaster about six years since, and she herself was under sentence of death at that place for the same crime.

 

BURROW v. HEELIS.  S. J.

 

This was an action of trespass brought by the plaintiff against the defendant, who, it is said, justified as the servant of Lord Thanet, to try the question of a right to a parcel of waste land, within the Borough of Appleby. The plaintiff and defendant in this cause are nominal, the Mayor and Corporation of Appleby and Lord Thanet being the responsible parties. The record had been brought down for trial last summer assizes; but the parties, from some cause or other, refused to pray a tales, and the cause stood over as a remanet. At the spring assizes, the record was again brought down for trial; but the absence of the High Sheriff, or his Deputy, prevented the matter from being gone into. At the present assizes, the record was again brought down; but the parties, from some local circumstance, again refused to pray a tales, and the cause remained a remanet again. Mr. SCARLETT, it is said, had been retained, and from some inexplicable circumstance did not attend, which created very great surprise.

 

LOUGH v. REDHEAD, a libel cause, did not come on: it is expected to be tried at Lancaster.