Title

The forged notes of the Bank of N.S. Wales ... lithographic execution.

Details

Sydney Gazette, 11 June 1833, page 2, column 4

Publication date

11 June 1833

Type

News

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Full text

The Forged Notes of the Bank of N. S. Walse. - The public are indebted to Mr. George Thornton, wardsman in the Sydney Police, for the timely discovery of the forgeries on the Bank of New South Wales. Being in the shop of of Mr. Nash, haberdasher in Pitt-street, on Wednesday night last, he accidently took up a note which Mr. Nash had a few minutes previously received in payment ; being well acquainted with the stile of penmanship of Mr. Potts, of the Bank, the clumsy execution of the figures immediately caught his eye, when he unhesitatingly pronounced his opinion of its being a forgery, and requested Mr. Nash to call at the Bank on the following morning on the subject. On the following morning, Mr. Thornton having detected a man in Market-street, in the act of carrying away a chest of tea belonging to Mr. Bowen, was passing the shop of Mrs. Stafford, when she asked his opinion of a note which was then tendered to her by a person in the shop. Before he had time to give an answer, the person by whom the note had been tendered, hastily left the shop. Mr. Thornton pronounced it to be a forgery, and immediately followed the man, whom he overtook and asked him why he did not wait for his change ? He replied, that a man had just passed down the street, whom he wished to speak to Mr. T. brought him back to the shop, and questioned him as to who he was. He said his name was Richardson, and he kept the tap of the Saracen's Head, on the Rocks ; and, if the notes were bad, be could not help it ; he had taken them over the counter in the ordinary way of business. He was then taken to the shop of Mr. Nash, who recognised him as being the person who passed the note on the previous evening, which be acknowledged. Mr. Nash had been at the Bank, where the fact of the circulation of the forgeries was confirmed. On searching the prisoner another forged note was found on his person. Several other persons, who had received notes of a similar description, identified the prisoner as being the person who bad passed them in payment for trifling amounts purchased. Thus by the tact of an old and vigilant officer has the public been timely apprised of the existence of a species of fraud the effects of which would be very severely felt by the poorer classes of the community The slightest examination is sufficient to detect the forgery, - the signatures being about the worst attempt at imitation ever attempted with a prospect of success. The body of the note is of lithographic execution, and badly defined. The house of the prisoner was searched, when the stones, a quantity of prepared ink, and a species of note paper was found; also, a slip of tracing paper, on which the pen, which had executed the forged signatures, had been frequently tried. The matter is as yet subject to private examination.

Since writing the above, we have ascertained that another individual was detected yesterday morning, endeavoring to pass a note on a poor woman in Market-street, of whom he had purchased a few pennyworth of oranges; not having the change in the bouse she went to Mr. Green's, to whom she tendered it, he having had the misfortune to receive two or three of the same kind before, took the woman into custody, when she said that a gentleman had tendered it in payment and was now at the house, Mr. Green proceeded to the poor woman's house, where the gentleman was found waiting for his change, and taken into custody ; on searching him another note of the same description was found on his person. [Sydney Gazette, 11 June 1833, page 2, column 4].

Last Updated

11 Jun 2024