Edmond King

135

C H on 21st February 2024

Old Bailey Online EDMOND KING. Deception; forgery. 17th August 1835. Text type Trial account Defendants EDMOND KING Offences Deception > Forgery Session Date 17th August 1835 Reference Number t18350817-1864 Verdicts Guilty > Lesser offence Punishments Transportation 1864. EDMOND KING was indicted for feloniously forgoing, on the 23rd of June, an order for the payment of 10l., with intent to defrand John Gilpin.—2nd COUNT; for uttering, disposing of, and putting off the same, well knowing it to be forged, with a like intent.—Two other Counts, stating his intent to be to defrand William Masterman and others. JOHN GILPIN . I keep the the Mitre and Dove, in King-street, Westminster. I have known the prisoner some years as a customer coming to my house—I do not know what he is—he came to my house on the 13th of June, and asked me to accommodate him with a bed for a night or two—having seen him often before, I said I would—he stopped until the 23rd of June, and that morning he brought me a cheque on Masterman's for 10l.—he told me it was given to him by Mr. Smith, the night before, but it was too late to get it cashed—he said Smith lived at No.14, Lincoln's-inn-fields—he wished me to let him have a few pounds on the cheque, as he had to meet some friends at the Zoological Garends, and had not time to go to receive it, and I could keep the rest against his bill—he gave me the cheque—I let him have 5l. on it—he owed me 1l. 18s. 2d.—he went away, and a I saw nothing more of him till the last day of the month, when I took him into custody at Knightsbridge—I delivered the cheque to Hart, to get it cashed—he returned the same cheque to me—when I took the prisoner, I asked him how he could act so wrong as to give me the paper which was good for nothing—he said he would go with me to No.14, Lincoln's-inn-fields, and clear up his point at once—I went with him, and no such person ever lived there—he was in custody—the officer was with us—this is cheque he gave me. THOMAS BRAND . I am casiler to Masterman and Co. This cheque was presented about the 23rd or 24th of June—I returned it, writing on it "No account"—we have an account with Thomas Smith, of Bermondsey-grange—it is not his writing—I do not know the prisoner at all. THOMAS SMITH . I am a tanner, and live at Bermondsey. I bank at Masterman's—this is not my handwriting—I know nothing of the prisoner. DANIEL DAWKINS . I am a policeconstable. I accompained Gilpin to the Guardsman public-house, and took the prisoner into custody—he said Mr. Smith, of No.14, Lincoln's-inn-fields, gave him the cheque—we went there, but could find no such person—he then said Smith gave it to him, near Temple-bar, as part of some money he had got on some estates of his; he being his attorney—I searched him at the station-house, and found on him part of a sheet of a paper corresponding with the paper the cheque was written on, in every particular—the water-mark agrees in the creases. Prisoner. The prosecutor says I had 5l.; it was only 4l J. GILPIN re-exmined. I had given him 1l. the Saturday before—I gave him 4l., and said, "This is 5l." Prisoner's Defence. About the 28th of June, I went to the Innertemple, to see Mr. Hill, an attorney, and while inquiring for him, I saw a person named Smith, who said he had removed from there, and he did not know where—that he himself was an attorney, living at No.14, Lincoln's-inn-fields, and would be happy to do any thing for me—I agreed to meet him on the following Monday, when I met him at four o'clock in the afternoon—I told him I was entited to some money in the funds, belonging to my sister and me, and wished his advise as to selling the stock out—he said if it was in the funds it was easily done—he left me, and in a quarter of an hour returned with what he said was a power or attorney, which I signed, and gave it to him to take to Mr. Brooks, a stock-broker, who had done business for my family many years, with instructions to sell the stock out—when he got the power of attorney, he asked how long I had been in town—I told him—he asked how I was off for money—I said I was very short, and was about writing home for some—he said he would supply me, and asked if 10l. or 20l. would do, and said he would give me a cheque on his banker—he left me a few minutes, and returened with the cheque, written on a half sheet of paper—I parted the paper, and put the cheque into my pocket—on the following morning I bad to go to the Zoological Gardens, and asked the prosecutor to give me cash for the cheque—after going to the Zoological Gardens, I went to Knightsbridge-barracks—I was formerly in a regiment—I stopped at the barracks all night, and next morning I went to Mr. Brooks to know when the stock would be sold—he said a person, answering Smith's description, had been with the power of attorney, but he declined to act on it, not liking Smith's appearance—I said he had given me a cheque for 10l.—he said it might be all night, but he did not like the appearence of the man—a few days after, the prosecutor came with an officer, and said the cheque was bad—I explained how I got it, and proposed to go to Lincoln's-inn-fields, to see it Smith resided there, but could hear nothing of him—had I been guilty, I should not have had the half sheet of paper about me—I could have no possible motive for committing the forgery; for the prosecutor would have lent me the 5l. without the cheque—Mr. Brook's can prove Smith's calling on him. DANIEL DAWKINS re-examined. I found the paper in his pocket-book—I have compared the cheque with the water-mark—I believe they were one and the same sheet of paper. Prisoner. I admit it—I tore it from the paper myself. JOHN GILPIN re-examined. I should not have lent him the 5l. without the cheque—he showed me documents of property which he said belonged to his father—I thought it all right. GUILTY of uttering. Aged 33.— Transported for Life.