316 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1815. 
searching Mr. Blackburn’s house. 
These consisted of a number of 
stamps, which had apparently 
been cut off from deeds, and other 
instruments of different denomina- 
tions, from the value of 50/. to 
18d. There was also a small pa- 
per of gum found. Some of these 
were contained in envelopes, with 
an indorsement describing their 
contents, in Mr. Blackburn’s hand- 
writing. All those with the in- 
dorsement were described as spoil- 
ed stamps. There was also a kind 
of sketch or design of the words, 
denominating the value of differ- 
ent stamps, similar to the dies en- 
graved by Mr. Topham, and which 
had figures and writing. Mr. 
Atkinson said, he believed the 
writing part was in the hand- 
writing of Mr. Blackburn, but 
could not speak to the figures, or 
the words resembling printing ; 
but Musgrave, who had formerly 
been Mr. Blackburn’s clerk, said 
he believed the whole was the 
writing of Mr. Blackburn. 
The prisoner, after a pathetic 
address, called upward of twenty 
witnesses tocharacter, whostated, 
that they had known him a very 
considerable time, and that they 
always considered him as a man of 
the greatest honour in his profes- 
sion, and of the strictest integrity. 
Mr. Justice Le Blanc then 
charged the jury. 
The jury retired about half-past 
three o'clock in the -afternoon, 
and in about a quarter of an hour 
returned into Court, and pro- 
nounced the fatal verdict of guilty. 
William Bagnall, the elder, 
William Bagnall, the younger, and 
Thomas Bagnall, a father and his 
two sons, were placed at the bar, 
and tried under theact of the42nd 
of the King, for coiningand coun- 
terfeiting certain silver pieces, 
resembling the dollars issued by 
the Governor and Company of the 
Bank of England. 
Mr. Serjeant Bosanquet stated 
the case to the Court. By the Act 
of Parliament upon which the 
present indictment was framed, 
the offence with which the pri- 
soners were charged was punish- 
able with fourteen years trans- 
portation. 
John Foy, a police officer, de- 
posed, that the prisoners lived at 
No. 9, Seward-street, Clerken- 
well, and that he having received 
information from some of the 
neighbours whose houses over- 
looked Bagnall’s workshop, re- 
paired there, accompanied by his 
brother and two others. They 
waited till they heard the machine 
at work, and then two of them 
knocked at the front door, whilst 
two entered from behind. The 
elder Bagnall opened the door, 
and on securing him they found 
four dollars apparently new, and 
resembling those issued by the 
Bank, in ‘his hand. The eldest 
son was observed to drop six si- 
milar pieces on the approach of 
the officers. The machine, or 
press, was so heavy that to work 
it with ease and expedition, he 
believed would require the exer- 
tions of three persons. Besides 
the pieces found on the two elder 
prisoners, there was an iron tray 
containing one Spanish dollar, 
several with the impression ham- 
mered out, and a paper parcel 
containing thirty fit for currency. 
To the identity of these, as well 
as of the dies for making the im- 
pression, he could speak positive- 
ly, having made his marks upon 
them at the time. On taking the 
prisoners-into custody, the elder 
ee 
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