2. WILLIAM SMITH< no role > , aged 30, indicted for Forgery, was Son of the Reverend John Smith< no role > , Rector of Killmare , in the Diocess of Meath , in the Kingdom of Ireland . He might be about five Feet eight Inches high, had a good manly Countenance, and was well proportioned in his Limbs; he had a liberal Education, studied some Years at the University of Dublin, and was then articled to an Attorney of Reputation in that City; with whom he did not live his full Time; for his Father being dead, and wanting that Check upon his Conduct, which the Dread of offending him produced, he fell into idle and expensive Courses, and to supply his Extravagance was tempted to rob his Master, who had been but too indulgent to him. The Robbery being discovered, Mr. Smith was obliged to abscond, for Fear of falling into the Hands of Justice, and perhaps his Master, out of Regard to his Father's Memory, was willing to connive at his Escape, and made but slight Search after him.

Smith, now lost to his Friends and his native Country, went to Sea, and as he was an able Pen-man, got to be Captain's Clerk on Board of - Captain Webb Commander; where, it is more than probable, he learned the Art of forging Sea-men's Tickets, which was the Means of Subsistence he depended chiefly upon after he left the Service, which he was obliged to quit upon the Captain's discovering some Practices, that betrayed mean and dishonest Principles. There were no less than five of these Forgeries produced against him in Court, and recorded; and it is said many more might have been added. These were printed and dispersed into several Hands, a Copy of which Paper we think proper to insert in this Place.

Five notorious Forgeries, charged upon William Smith< no role > , alias George Sands< no role > , alias William Dawson< no role > , a Convict under Sentence of Death in NEWGATE .

THE first Charge against this William Smith< no role > , alias George Sands< no role > , (for at the Time of his attempting this villainous Design he went by the Name of George Sands< no role > ) was, for endeavouring, by an extraordinary Fraud and Contrivance, in Conjunction with one Walter Patterson< no role > , a principal Agent in an infamous Prosecution against the Honourable EDWARD WALPOLE< no role > , Esq ; to fix the horrid Crime of Forgery on the said Gentleman; for which Fraud and Contrivance, the said William Smith< no role > , alias George Sands< no role > , was committed to Reading Goal , on or about the sixth Day of last June, 1750 , in order to be tryed for the said capital Offence, at the then next ensuing Assizes, to be held at Abington .

At the Instance of Mr, Thomas Weekes< no role > , the said Smith, alias Sands, was brought up from Reading Goal to Newgate (by Virtue of a Writ or Habeas Corpus) and charged by that Gentleman with the having forged, his Name to a Bill of Exchange, for forty-five Pounds, drawn in his Favour by Mr. Thomas Bousfield< no role > , a Merchant in Cork , on his Correspondents, Mr. Jonathan Gurnell< no role > and Co. Merchants , in London .

A Bill of Indictment was found against the said Smith, at Hicks's-Hall , and he was arraigned at the Old Bailey last July Sessions, and pleaded Not Guilty; but upon the said Smith's Affidavit, that the Time was too short for the bringing some Witnesses necessary to his Defence, the Lord Chief Baron PARKER indulged him so far, as to order his Trial to be deferred till the following Sessions.

On Wednesday the twelfth of this Instant September , the said William Smith< no role > , being brought from Newgate to the Old Bailey , and called to the Bar, waved his former Plea of Not Guilty, and confessed the Fact; making at the same Time a very pathetick Speech, which was as follows.