Title

The wretched man Sly, the engraver...

Author

Author not identified

Source

Australian (Sydney)

Details

9 December 1829, p.3, col.4–5.

Publication date

9 December 1829

Type

News

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Full text

The wretched man Sly, the engraver, continues in one of his condemned cells upon the chain. He was doomed to death Saturday sennight. His offence is already pretty well known; and if the man be really guilty, he richly deserves hanging. The oath of the informer, Byfield, goes to tax him with being the fabricator of the plate used in the recent forgery of one pound notes, of the enterprising firm of Cooper and Levey. Sly was an excellent engraver, and might without distressing himself, had no liked, have earned at his trade from 3 pounds to 4 pounds per week; but such is the perversity of Human nature! We do not know that the plate has been found as yet. Sly’s identity, we think, reacts principally, if not wholly, upon the oath of the informer Byfield. He has not obtained the reward, however, which Messrs. Cooper and Levey so promptly offered; but Mr. Barnes, of Parramatta, who was instrumental in tracing out the putters off the forged notes. Sly is visited daily by a clergyman in his cell, two of his children, and an odd friend or two.

…The notorious Byfield, who was the principal witness against Sly for forging the Waterloo notes, has been fully committed to take his trial, upon a charge of stealing from Mr. Neave, R. P, late pilot at Port Macquarie, a silver watch, with a gold chain and seals. From the depositions it would seem that on the watch and its appendages disappearing from Neave’s dwelling, where Byfield, Sly and Jones were, two months back, suspicion lighting upon Byfield since then, a warrant was obtained, by virtue of which Byfield’s premises were searched, when under a false bottom which he had to a chest, the watch was discovered, with two others, also suspected not to have been honestly come by.

[Australian (Sydney), 9 December 1829, p.3, col.4–5.]
 

Last Updated

13 Aug 2012