James Ward

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C H on 27th March 2024

Old Bailey Online JAMES WARD. Royal Offences; coining offences. 15th August 1836 Text type Trial account Defendants JAMES WARD Offences Royal Offences > Coining offences Session Date 15th August 1836 Reference Number t18360815-2000 Verdicts Guilty Punishments Transportation 2000. JAMES WARD alias George Reaf was indicted for that he, having been convicted of unlawfully uttering counterfeit, coin, did, on the 21st of July, unlawfully, unjustly, deceitfully, and feloniously, utter and put off to John King the younger, a counterfeit shilling, well knowing it to be counterfeit. MESSRS. BODKIN and CHAMBERS conducted the Prosecution WILLIAM WILLIAMS . In October, 1834, I was assistant to the town-clerk of Monmouth—I produce a copy of the record of the conviction of James Ward, which I have brought from the present town-clerk's officer—I was present when Ward was tried—the prisoner is the man (read) CHARLES BARBER . I am a green-grocer, and live in Jacob-street, Bermondsey. On the 6th of July, the prisoner came to my shop between nine and ten o'clock, and purchased half an ounce of tobacco—my wife served him—he threw a bad shilling down on the counter—I took it up, looked at it, and gave it to Evans the officer, who came in before the prisoner left—the prisoner then said he did not want any tobacco—I had given him the change, and the tobacco was in his hand—Evans took him away. Prisoner Q. Was it you or your wife who took the shilling from me? A. It was me—you laid it on the counter, and I took it off—I did not put it into the till—I gave it to Evans—he gave it me back again, and I marked it—my wife gave you the change which was 6 1/4d JAMES CHRISTOPHER EVANS . I am in the police. On the 6th of July, I saw the prisoner standing opposite Barber's door—I watched him, and saw him go into the house—Mrs. Barber was serving and Mr. Barber was behind the counter—I went in about two minutes after the prisoner, and asked Barber what the man had given him—the tobacco laid on the counter—Barber threw down a shilling and said, "A bad shilling"—I examined it, and saw it was bad—I told Barber to mark it, and I then took possession of it—I have it now—I searched the prisoner and found one goods shilling and three good sixpences in his pocket, and 6 1/4 d. in copper, and about half an ounce of tobacco—I said, "I think you are passing bad money"—he said "No, I am quite a different sort of man; look at my hands, I work hard"—I said, "Where do you work?"—he said, "At the Railroad"—he said, this was all through drink—that he had been drinking—I could find no bad money on him and let him go—I kept the shilling. JOHN KING . My father keeps the Three Compasses, in Bermondsey-new-road. On the 21st of July the prisoner came to my father's house and called for half a pint of porter and gave me a shilling—I put it to my mouth and bent it and immediately found it was bad—I showed it to my mother—she put it on the counter and told him it was bad, and he knew it—he said he was a poor hard-working man, and had just taken at in his work, and pointed up the Kent-road—not in a direction to the Railroad—he did not drink the beer—I followed him out till I saw Wilkins, a policeman, and pointed him out to him—he followed him and I went home—Wilkins showed me the shilling next morning. Prisoner Q. Did you not take the money out of your mother's presence for ten minutes, and come back and say it was bad? A. He was not in the house ten minutes—I took the shilling into the parlour and showed it to my mother—I told her it was bad, and she came out and told the prisoner so—I did not show it to any body else—I bit it before I showed it to my mother—I am sure it is the same shilling that I had back. WILLIAM WILKINS . I am a policeman. I was in the neighbourhood of Bermondsey, and saw King following the prisoner on the 21st of July; he told me why he was following him—I told him to return home, and I followed the prisoner a short distance—I then stopped him and asked him what he had done with the bad shilling he had offered at the public house—he said he had thrown it away in the sewer by Bermondsay church—I searched him, and found a shilling concealed in the wristband of his shirt—it dropped from his wrist—it was a bent a shilling—I took him into custody—he said on the road that the had taken it taken it of Tim O'Leary, a gangsman at the Railroad—I have the shilling in my possession. Prisoner Q. Did you take the shilling out of my clothes or out of the mad? A. It was quite dry where you dropped it—it was under a shelter—I saw it drop from your wrist. TIMOTHY LEARY . I am an excavator. The prisoner worked for me, on the 21st of July, one day, on the Greenwich Railway—I never paid him any money—one of the men lent him 2 1/2d., but no money was paid him. CHARLES BARBER re-examined That is the shilling he offered me, and which I bit—I am quite certain. JOHN FIELD . I am inspector of counterfeit coin to the Mint. I have examined both the shillings—they are both counterfeit, and have been cast in the same mould. GUILTY . Aged 24— Transported For Life.

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Dennis Nightingale on 19th April 2015

Born - Cavan County Ireland.Crime -Altering Base coin. Single.