660. MICHAEL HYMAN proceedingsdefend was indicted for that he on the 11th of October instant, with force and arms, one piece of copper money of this realm called an half-penny, unlawfully and feloniously did make, coin, and counterfeit, against the form of the statute .

A second count. For that he on the same day one piece of false feigned, and counterfeit copper money to the likeness and similitude of the good, legal, and current copper money of this realm, called an half-penny, unlawfully and feloniously did make and coin against the form of the statute.

JOHN CLARKE < no role > sworn.

I went about twelve last Friday to No. 20, Keppel's-row , I was let into the house; and I saw the prisoner, and a woman that is here, in the kitchen, then I went forward; there was a kind of an area, and another cellar door that led into a vault, the vault door was railed up, we could not get in there, and on the long side of the vault was a necessary; I went there, and I found they had made a hole from this cellar into the necessary, and from the necessary into the vault, I went through the hole into the vault, and there I found a large press fixed, and a pair of dies in it, and this blank was between the dies, and round the press were these half-pence, which had the appearance of being coined in that press; after I had put the officers in possession of that, I went into the front parlour, where I found another pair of dies in a closet. In the room where the prisoner slept (as he acknowledged, and his waistcoat was there) I found two blanks, and more blanks were in the same cellar where the press was fixed; I took the prisoner into custody, and brought the large press away: they certainly had not been at work that day, that is most clear.

Court. Were the half-pence that were found round the press, good, or bad money? - They are bad.

Are they finished for vending? - They are struck, but not coloured.

Are they made to the similitude of a halfpenny? - Yes my Lord, all Tower halfpence are left bright, and these are not coloured at all, they use brimstone to bad half-pence, to make them look old and black.

(The blanks and dies produced to the Court and Jury.)

Court. Was there any instrument for cutting the blanks? - No my Lord, there was not.

CHARLES JEALOUS < no role > sworn.

I went to No. 20, in Keppel's-row, I saw the prisoner sitting by the fire writing something, and the woman wiping her hands on a wet towel; I followed Mr. Clarke backwards, by the side of the press I found these half-pence, they are quite coloured.

CATHERINE BROWN < no role > sworn.

I know the prisoner, I was a servant at No. 2, by Tottenham-court road; the prisoner was there sometimes, and sometimes not; there was a necessary that this gentleman speaks of, and there was no shutter between the necessary and the door, and he used to go into the necessary, and I saw no more of him; one day when he left the necessary door open, I did peep in, and I saw three in the place beyond the necessary.

What were these three people about? - I cannot say what the men were about, they were at a distance from me; there was a little girl, and she was putting something in, it dropped out, but I could not swear positively what it was; it was put into a large thing that stood up.

You have been examined before, and you know what you have sworn before, what did you see this girl do? - I saw the girl put some thing into the thing that stood up; the men were in the same place, at the same time: but I really cannot swear what they were about: they were there, and there was a noise, and there was something rattled, it was a thumping, something of that kind; the men were at a great distance, the part that I looked in at was quite different; I could see this great thing stand up in the middle: I have seen baskets come in at different times, they always had brown paper over them.

What were they like? - Baskets covered with brown paper, I never saw the brown paper off; they carried them to that place, which we call the back part of the house; the stairs came down there, and I was in the fore kitchen; I told them before the Justice, gentlemen I do not know what it was like.

Did you never see what it was? - I was a stranger to them, and they to me; they never shewed me, they never were lest under my care.

Court. Upon your oath, did you ever see what any of these baskets contained? - I have heard mentioned, they never shewed me.

Did you never see without being shewn? - I cannot say I ever did see, upon my oath, I cannot say that I ever did see; I might imagine what, but I never did see.

You never did? - I never did to the best of my knowledge.

Young woman, did you never swear that you did see them? - They told me so, and I told them that I made objections to it; they said, they did not stand to particulars.

Who told you what it was? - I heard the gentlemen at Bow-street say they were blanks, and when they gave me under their hands I made objections, I said gentlemen, as for these, I never saw, they said they did not stand to such particulars as that.

Will you say that you made any objections to sign that information that you made? - Yes, I will, I said there is something here that is not as I spoke it, one thing in particular, feeding the dies; I never heard that till I heard it in Bow-street, I cannot tell what the other objection is.

Did you object to swearing about seeing the baskets? - I said the same then that I say now; that the baskets were carried out and in, I cannot tell what were in these baskets, they were baskets covered.

Was there any candle in the place where they were at work? - There was a bit of candle, I could not see what they were about, because the candle was very low, and by the side of a great thing.

Court. Who did you see in that place? - The girl was named Poll, the other man was named Castor, and the prisoner.

You was a servant? - I was.

Whose house was it, who occupied it? -

We were all servants, but it was Mrs. Peake that came to see us, and gave us what necessaries we wanted.

What had this man to do with the house? - I do not know, he slept in the two pair of stairs.

Who slept in the one pair? - I slept in the one pair of stairs, there was no bed in the kitchen; there were three beds, sometimes Mrs. Peake slept in the other bed; Mr. or Mrs. Peake were to pay the rent of the house to be sure.

Was there any fastening to this place where you saw them at work? - There was a bolt on the necessary, that was there when I went there.

When there was nobody there, how did it use to be fastened? - There was no fastening but a little door that stood against it, and it was not locked.

Then you could have gone in at any time? - Yes if I had any curiosity.

Did you never go? - No Sir, I had no business there.

What, and when there was nobody there and you was in that place adjoining, did you never go into that vault? - No Sir.

Council for prosecution. What was your master? - I do not know, we were all servants, I was a servant.

You said you were all servants, what was Michael? - I never saw him hired, he was there sometimes, and sometimes not.

Who are these all? - This Poll and Costar, and the prisoner, and me.

What business is your master? - Where master and mistress did live, they carried on cock founding, there was no business carried on at this house, I was a servant, and paid as such; I tell you all the business I know, I heard a noise sometimes; my place was to clean five rooms and make the beds, there were two beds commonly used; there were three beds in the house, the prisoner slept there, and Poll slept with me when she did sleep there.

What was Poll, was she cook? - We had a young child, but she did not stay a week, but when the rest went backwards, Poll went with them, and the prisoner went backwards with the rest.

How often? - I cannot tell how often.

Was it often? - Only once or twice.

Who went with him when he went backwards? - Sometimes Poll, and sometimes Costar.

You said you had an objection to sign this information of yours? - There were two or three things in it that was not just as I spoke them, and they said they did not mind particulars.

In the information you said that you saw these three people frequently at work, did you swear that? - If I swore it, it is more than I know of; I said I saw them go backwards, and making a noise frequently, they might put down what they pleased; I have seen things that they called meggs, it was like a halfpenny.

So you did not swear that you saw half-pence, but meggs; are these what you call meggs, look at them? - Yes Sir, such as that, I saw a few on the dresser in the kitchen.

You used to go to call them to dinner? -

I used to go to the back door to call them to dinner, because the necessary door was fastened, so far as I know, I always supposed it to be, because there was a bolt there, I have found it fastened sometimes.

Here is another thing that you swore, that you saw Coster and the prisoner bring in blanks, and likewise carry out halfpence? - I have seen them carry out baskets frequently.

With meggs in them? - There was something in them to be sure.

Mr. FLETCHER (Monier of the Mint)

Proves them to be counterfeits.

PRISONER's DEFENCE.

This woman has got a daughter, which I frequently came after to the house where I was taken from, I only laid there when I was rather late, and I was there last Friday week, I came there and she was not at home; she used to keep a house by Doctor's Commons, and I sat there in the kitchen, and this woman by me, she asked me to write two or three directions for her; I only came into the house after her daughter.

Court. Where do you live and work? - I served my time to a Hatter, and work there at this time, in St. James's, Duke's Place: I suppose my people will be here, if they know my-trial is on.

The prisoner produced no witnesses.

GUILTY .

Imprisoned twelve months in Newgate .

Tried by the first Middlesex Jury, before Mr. Baron EYRE < no role > .