83. GEORGE SKENE proceedingsdefend was indicted for that he, on the 21st of November , feloniously did utter and publish as true a certain forged and counterfeited acquittance and receipt of money for 36 l. 8 s.; and that he feloniously did utter and publish as true one other forged receipt for the sum of 11 l. 10 s.; and a certain other forged receipt for the sum of 5 l. 16 s. 9 d.; and also a certain other forged receipt for the sum of 20 l. with intention to defraud our Lord the King proceedingsvictim . And

FIVE OTHER COUNTS for like offences, with intent to defraud different other persons.

The case was stated by Mr. Knapp.

JOHN BALDWIN < no role > . Q. I believe you are a receiver of the seven offices established by Act of Parliament, of which the office in Queen-square is one - A. Yes.

Q. Do you know the prisoner Mr. Skene - A. Yes, he was chief clerk of Queen-square office .

Q. At what period is it usual for you as receiver of the police offices to settle - A. I settle the accompt with them quarterly.

Q. I believe you receive from the chief clerk of the offices a statement of the salaries of the magistrates, clerks, constables, and others belonging to the office, and a disbursement of the rent and taxes - A. Yes.

COURT. All salaries and expences - A. Yes.

Mr. Gurney. They also send you at the same time an accompt of the fines and fees at that office - A. Yes.

Q. And then you receive from the treasury the balance necessary to enable you to pay the one and the other - A. Yes.

Q. Then I believe the clerk of the office comes to you bringing you the vouchers, and you settle with him - A. Yes; I give him a draft for the balance, with the exception of the three magistrates, who receive it at the bankers themselves.

COURT. What do you call the vouchers - A. The receipts for the money of the different persons.

Q. Did you receive that statement of salary and expences for the quarter ending the 10th of October last - A. Yes; I received that paper as a statement of the salary and expences.

Q. From whom did you receive that - A. I am not quite sure whether I received it of Mr. Skene personally, or whether it was left at my office at the Secretary of State's office.

Q. In whose hand-writing is it - A. I have no doubt it is his hand-writing; I have seen him write often.

Q.

"Police office, Queen-square, Westminster. The magistrates, clerks, constables, and others of the office Queen-square, for salary, expences, and rent and taxes, &c.; Sandy's stationer, 5 l. 16 s. 9 d.; Downes, printer, 11 l. 10 s.; Soulsby and Allison, coals, 36 l. 8 s.; and one quarters rent due at Michaelmas last, 20 l." After you received the accompt just stated, and had been furnished by the treasury to pay did the prisoner wait upon you by appointment to settle the quarterly accompt - A. Yes, he did.

COURT. You received the money at the treasury, at the Exchecquer office - A. Yes.

Mr. Gurney. Where did the prisoner come to you - A. At the Secretary of State's office, Whitehall.

Q. Did he then produce the several vouchers for the charges contained in this accompt - A. Yes.

Q. Among others did he produce to you the four receipts which are annexed to that - A. Yes.

COURT. The four receipts in question - A. Yes.

Mr. Gurney. In whose hand-writing are the bodies of these four receipts - A. There is no doubt they are Mr. Skene's hand-writing.

Q. Did you pay the prisoner the balance of the accompt including these four receipts - A. I did, taking them to be right charges.

Mr. Serjeant Best. This gentleman has been some time clerk in the office - A. He was in the office before I was appointed receiver; he had one hundred and fifty pounds a year; his salary was raised the last half year to two hundred pounds a year.

Q. He brings these receipts to you before he has the money from Government - A. Yes.

Q. He had some monies in his hands of fees and fines - A. Yes.

Mr. Gurney. I was going to ask you - Had he a considerable sum of money of fees and fines - A. Not sufficient to pay that amount.

Q. What sum of money had he in his hands - A. Fees seventy-four pounds three shillings and eight pence, and fines thirty-four pounds, and the balance was two hundred pounds.

WILLIAM HOLMES < no role > . Q. Are you clerk to Messrs. Soulsby and Allison, who are coal merchants - A. I am: their names are William Soulsby < no role > , Simon Allison < no role > , and George Ward < no role > .

Q. Are you acquainted with the character and hand-writing of Mr. Soulsby - A. I am.

Mr. Alley. Have you any interest at all in the house - A. None at all.

Mr. Abbot. Look at that charge which has the name

"Soulsby," is that the hand-writing of Mr. Soulsby - A. It is not, nor is it the hand-writing of Mr. Allison or Ward.

Q. Is it the hand writing of any clerk or person belonging to them - A. I believe not.

Q. What other clerks have they to sign - A. Two or three besides myself. John Allison < no role > , the nephew, is one.

Q. Does your masters serve the police office in Queen-square with coals - A. We did.

Q. Do you know the amount of their bill for coals, ending at the 10th of October last - A. I can refer to the books.

Q. Here is an account that you yourself made out, I believe, from your books, just look at it - A. Yes, it is my hand-writing, I made that out from the books.

Q. The amount for coals was seventeen pounds nine shillings during that quarter ending at the 10th of October, 1811; was that the whole of their demand for that quarter - A. It was for that quarter.

Q. Do you know whether any bill had been sent into the office for that quarter previous to the 21st of November - A. Yes, I believe so.

Q. Had you yourself made out any bill - A. Yes, I make out the bill for each office; I made that bill. It was generally sent by the post.

Q. Do you know whether it was sent by the post - A. I should believe so.

Q. Were you to be the person that put them in the post-office - A. Probably I might, but I cannot swear to it.

Q. To whom where the bills sent - A. They are addressed to the chief clerk of each office.

COURT. You send them by the post - A. Yes, addressed to Mr. Skene for that office.

Mr. Abbot. Had you made out any bill for such an amount as thirty-six pounds eight shillings - A. Not for that quarter.

Q. The bill was seventeen pounds nine shillings - A. Yes.

Q. Did you make out that bill for that quarter - A. Yes, I believe I did.

JOHN ALLISON < no role > . Q. I believe you are a nephew of Simon Allison < no role > , who is a partner of Mr. Soulsby the coal-merchant - A. I am.

Q. Are you clerk to them - A. I am.

Q. You are acquainted with their concerns and their hand-writing - A. I am.

Q. Look at that paper which has the name of Soulsby upon it, is that the hand-writing of Mr. Soulsby or his partner - A. No, nor is it my hand-writing, nor any person belonging to them.

WILLIAM SOULSBY < no role > . Q. Are you one of the partners with John Allison < no role > and Mr. Ward - A. I am.

Q. You are the first partner in the house - A. I am.

Q. Do you supply the office in Queen-square with coals - A. We do.

Q. What was the amount of your demand during the quarter ending the 10th of October last - A. I cannot justly say; I believe it was seventeen pounds nine shillings, as stated. Mr. Holmes is the ledger clerk, he is bettle able to speak to it than I can.

PHILIP CONSTITUTIUS DOWNES < no role > . Q. Are you the son of Joseph Downes < no role > - A. Yes.

Q. What business is your father - A. He is a printer; I am not in partnership with him; he is printer for the police officer Queen-square.

Q. Do you know the amount of your father's demand for that office for the quarter ending at the 10th of October last - A. I do not. My father is the person who makes the accompt out.

Q. Do you know your father's signature - A. I do.

Q. I put into your hand the receipt signed, J. Downes, is that your father's hand-writing - A. I do not think it is.

Q. That purports to be a receipt for the sum of eleven pounds ten shillings, do you believe that to be your father's hand-writing - A. I do not; the J is so very different. I do not believe it to be his handwriting.

JOSEPH DOWNES < no role > . Q. You are the printer - A. Yes; I print for the police office, Queen-square.

Q. What was the amount of your demand for printing for the office in Queen-square, Westminster during the quarter ending at the 10th of October last - A. Four pound fourteen shillings.

Q. Have you any demand now for the quarter ending at October - A. None at all.

JAMES SANDYS < no role > . Q. Are you in partnership with your son as stationer - A. I am.

Q. Did you serve the police office in Queen-square with stationery - A. Yes.

Q. What was the accompt of your demand for the quarter ending the 10th of October last - A. I cannot speak to that matter; my son keeps the books, his name is Michael Sandys < no role > .

MICHAEL SANDYS < no role > . I am in partnership with my father.

Q. What is the amount of your demand for the quarter ending at the 10th of October last - A. By the books I can tell; my account I made out, the amount is five pounds sixteen shillings and nine pence.

JOHN THOMAS < no role > . I am an apprentice to Messrs. Sandys and son; I know the hand-writing of the father and son, I have seen them write frequently.

Q. Look at that, and tell me whether you believe the word, Sandys and son, signatures to that receipt to be the hand-writing of either your master's - A. I do not believe it is.

JOHN LEE < no role > . Q. What business are you - A. I am a law stationer.

Q. Are you acquainted with Thomas Rider < no role > of Lincolns Inn - A. I am; I have known him more than thirty years. I am his law-stationer. I have had the opportunity of seeing him write often.

Q. Look at that receipt - A. I do not believe this to be Mr. Rider's hand-writing. (The receipts read.)

The prisoner left his defence to his counsel; called eight witnesses, who gave him a good character.

GUILTY - DEATH , aged 42.

[ The prisoner was recommended to mercy by the jury on account of his former good character .]

First Middlesex Jury, before the Lord Chief Baron.