sented an old Staffordshire family. Following the pursuit of a merchant and manufacturer in Manchester, he gained a foremost place in that important town, and was its first M.P. He continued in the House of Commons until 1847, advocating advanced Liberal opinions. He was never married. His only brother, Robert Needham Philips, Esq., sits as M.P. for Bury. LORD CHIEF BARON PIGOT. The Right Hon. David Richard Pigot died at Dublin, on Dec. 22. For some few days past his friends despaired of his recovery, as his malady had assumed so serious an aspect. The venerable judge was son of Dr. Pigot, of Kilworth, county Cork, and was born in 1805, so that he was aged 68. He was called to the bar in Ireland in 1826, and for several years--from 1839 to 1846-represented Clonmel in Parliament. He was appointed SolicitorGeneral for Ireland in 1839, and served as Attorney-General from 1840 to Sept. 1841, when he was sworn in a Privy Councillor. He had held the office of Chief Baron of the Exchequer in Ireland since 1846. He was admitted a Bencher of the King's Inns, Dublin, in 1839; and was appointed one of the visitors of May. nooth College in Sept. 1845. GENERAL R. S. PIPER, R.E. We have to announce the death of General Robert Sloper Piper, an old Peninsular officer, who died at Brighton, on Dec. 26, in his 84th year. The deceased general had seen considerable active service in his early military career, having served six campaigns in the Peninsula, France, and Flanders, from March 1810 to Jan. 1816. From 1810 to 1812 he was employed in the Lines of Lisbon and Almeida, and from Jan. 1812, to the conclusion of hostilities in 1815, held the command of a division of a pontoon train (having been entrusted during that period with the organization and equipment of four several bridges); threw the bridges of the Guadiana, Tagus, Bidassoa, Gave d'Oléron, Garonne, and Seine; served in the trenches at the last siege of Badajoz from the morning of March 18 to March 23, when the bridges of communication below the town being destroyed and sunk, he was despatched (by order of the commander of the forces) to re-establish and remain with them, passing shot, shell, and ammunition during the night and provisions during the daytime, for the remain der of the operations. He received the thanks of Sir Rowland Hill at the passage of the Tagus in August in the same year on the advance of his column to Madrid; and, subsequently, when en route to Salamanca (in consequence of the enemy's cavalry intercepting the communication through the Sierra do Gato), was com manded by written instructions from the commander of the forces to retire with the bridges on Alcantara de la Reina and Badajoz to Elvas, and finally to Abrantes, where, equipping a fresh train of boats for the operations of the ensuing year, he advanced with the army from Sabugal and Freynada to the Ebro and Vittoria. He was present at the passage of the Bidassoa in October, and the latter part of the blockade of Pampeluna. In June, 1816, he proceeded to Ceylon, and subsequently served as commanding engineer in the Kandian Provinces during the insurrection of 1817 and 1818. He had received the war medal with three clasps. He obtained his first commission as second lieutenant, Jan. 10, 1809; became lieutenant, Dec. 21, 1809; captain, March 16, 1814; major, Jan. 10, 1837; lieutenant-colonel, Nov. 23, 1841; colonel, June 20, 1854; major-general, May 30, 1856; lieutenantgeneral, April 20, 1861; and general, Jan. 1, 1868. GENERAL SIR A. ROBERTS. General Sir Abraham Roberts, K.C.B., died Dec. 28, after a short illness, at his residence at Clifton. The deceased, who was the third son of the Rev. John Roberts, by Anne, daughter of the Rev. A. Sandys, of Dublin, was born in 1784; joined the Waterford Militia in 1801, was appointed to the 48th Regt. in 1803, and in 1804 entered the Indian army. He became lieutenant in 1805, captain 1818, major 1826, lieutenant-colonel 1831, colonel 1843, major-general 1854, lieutenant-general 1857, and general 1864. He has been colonel of the 101st Royal Fusiliers since 1862; served under Lord Lake in the Sutlej, 1805; in Bundelcund against the Pindarees, and at the sieges of Komona and Gunowrie, 1806-7; in the Nepaul war, 1814-15; and at the storming of the fort of Kahorga (for which he had a medal). At Birla Ke Tebee, in Dec. 1814, he commanded his regiment and was actively engaged the whole day close to the Fort of Istuk, where he captured the chief and routed the enemy; commanded a brigade in Afghanistan, 1838-39; and was at the storming and capturing of Ghuznee. Sir Abraham was made a C.B. in 1840, G.C.B. in May, 1873, and on Dec. 8 of the same year he was invested by her Majesty at Windsor with the Riband and Badge of the Military Division of the First-class of Knights Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, in recognition of his long and valuable services. The deceased had a medal for Ghuznee and the 2nd class Dooranee Order. He was twice married, and leaves issue. SIR G. ROSE. Sir George Rose, probably the only survivor of the "Old Westminsters" of the last century, died at Brighton on Dec. 3, in his 92nd year, having been born on May 1, 1782. He was educated at Westminster School, where he was the senior of Lord Russell and the late Archbishop Longley by ten years or more. He was called to the bar in 1809, at the Inner Temple, of which he was for many years the senior bencher. The only degree which he appears to have taken was that of M.A. at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1835nine years after he had been made a King's Counsel, and four years after he had taken his seat upon the bench as a judge of the Bankruptcy Court, or, as it was then called, the "Court of Review." In 1840 he was made a Master of the Court of Chancery, during the Chancellorship of Lord Cottenham. Sir George Rose was well known as an able and accomplished classical scholar, and he frequently aided in the preparation of the Prologue and Epilogue of the "Westminster Play," at which from year to year he was a constant attendant. MR. WINTERBOTHAM, M.P. The death is announced of Mr. Winterbotham, M.P., Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department. He had gone to Italy with the view of benefiting his health, which had been impaired by application to his official duties. Change of scene and rest were thought to have had their effect, but after a drive on Dec. 12, in the neighbourhood of Rome, he was seized with a sudden illness on Saturday morning, and died in a few hours. Mr. Henry Selfe Page Winterbotham was the son of Mr. Lindsey Winterbotham, a banker of Stroud. He was born in 1837, was educated at Amersham School, Bucks, and afterwards went to University College, London, where he graduated with honours, B.A. in 1856, and LL.B. in 1859. was Hume Scholar in Jurisprudence in 1858, Hume Scholar in Political Economy in 1859, and in the same year University Law Scholar. Mr. Winterbotham was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in Nov. 1860, and was appointed Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department in March, 1871. He had represented Stroud in the House of Commons since August, 1867. He REMARKABLE TRIALS. I. THE BANK OF ENGLAND FORGERIES. ON August 18, Austin Biron Bidwell, alias Frederick Albert Warren, alias Charles Johnson Horton, twenty-seven, described as of no trade; George Macdonnell, twenty-eight, clerk; George Bidwell, thirty-four, merchant; and Edwin Noyes, alias Edwin Noyes Hills, twenty-nine, clerk, all well educated, were placed at the bar of the Central Criminal Court for trial, before Mr. Justice Archibald, on a charge of forging and uttering sixteen several bills of exchange, and the acceptances, endorsements, and assignments thereof respectively, with intent thereby to defraud the Governors and Company of the Bank of England. When the prisoners had been placed at the bar, Mr. Powell, Q.C., made an application on behalf of George Bidwell that the trial should be postponed to the next session. The ground for the application was, that since the committal of the prisoners the solicitors for the prosecution had intimated their intention of calling no fewer than ninety additional witnesses besides those who were bound over. The legal advisers of the prisoners had not had an opportunity of considering the effect of this additional evidence, and they desired to have an opportunity of doing so. Mr. McIntyre, Mr. Metcalfe, and Mr. Ribton concurred in the application for a postponement on behalf of the other prisoners. Mr. Giffard strongly opposed the application on behalf of the prosecution, and said that, if the trial was postponed, there was a danger that some of the witnesses for the prosecution would be got out of the way, and that there would be a failure of justice if the application was acceded to. After some consideration Mr. Justice Archibald decided against a postponement, and the prisoners were formally put upon their trial for forging a bill of exchange for 10007., with intent to defraud the Bank of England. They were allowed to be seated. Mr. Giffard opened the case for the prosecution. He said that although the prisoners were only charged with forging one bill for 10007., the fact was that this was only part of a most gigantic system of fraud, the result of which was that ninety-four forged bills of exchange were handed over to the Bank of England, and the prisoners succeeded in obtaining from them more than 100,0007. The scheme was concocted with so much skill that but for an accident the prisoners would have been entirely successful, and all the guilty parties would have escaped with their plunder. The learned counsel then proceeded to state that three of the prisoners (the Bidwells and Macdonnell) appeared to have come to this country in the spring of last year, and at this time they assumed false names, their real names being those by which they were at present known. They obtained an introduction to the Western Branch of the Bank of England, and they appeared to have proceeded with the utmost caution, and every endeavour was made to secure the confidence of the manager of the bank, and in the result, he said, they were entirely successful in carrying out the object they had in view. He then went on to narrate all the various proceedings that were resorted to by the prisoners, and said that the first bill for which they obtained discount was a genuine bill accepted by Messrs. Rothschild for 46007. Several other genuine foreign bills for large amounts were subsequently discounted for the prisoner Austin Bidwell, and all suspicion was allayed owing to the high character of the instruments that were brought to the bank. At the conclusion of Mr. Giffard's speech the Court adjourned, the jury being accommodated for the night at the Cannon-street Hotel. The trial was continued on the second day by hearing the evidence of witnesses for the prosecution. The first witness called-Mr. Green, a tailor in Savile-row-deposed that he had been employed by Austin Bidwell, and that Bidwell and Macdonnell ordered some clothes, and they gave the names of F. A. Warren and E. R. Smith. The witness then proved that Austin Bidwell asked him to take charge of 20007., and he declined to do so, but introduced him to his bankers, the Western Branch of the Bank of England; and he handed a sum of money to Mr. Fenwick, the sub-manager, and a chequebook was given to him. He said before he left that he expected more money to be paid into his account in the course of a week or two. Cross-examined: It was witness who first suggested to the prisoner that it would be better to place the money at a banker's. Mr. Fenwick, the sub-manager of the bank, proved that Austin Bidwell was introduced to him on May 4, 1872, as a gentleman who had a considerable sum of money he wished to have taken care of. The prisoner signed his name Frederick Albert Warren, and he described himself as an agent, and said he was over here on business. He paid in 12007., and witness gave him a cheque-book. On January 17 last the prisoner came to the bank, and he saw him throw down a bill of Rothschild's for 45007., and he said to Colonel Francis, "There, I suppose that is good enough paper for you." This bill was discounted. It was a genuine bill, and was paid when it arrived at maturity. In January, 1873, another cheque-book, containing a hundred cheques, was given to the prisoner. He gave his address at the "Golden Cross" Hotel. Cross-examined: Witness made no inquiries at the "Golden Cross." Witness had no recollection of the prisoner telling him at any time that he intended to close his account. Colonel Francis, the manager of the branch bank, was then examined, and he detailed the circumstances under which he became acquainted with the prisoner. He first saw him in September, and he then told him that he was going to introduce some American novelties into this country, the principal of which were sleeping railway cars, and he said he hoped they would be ready for the Vienna Exhibition. The prisoner subsequently handed him Portuguese bonds of the nominal value of 80007., and asked him to take care of them for him, and he afterwards gave him similar bonds of the value of 40007, and told witness to sell them, and he fixed the limit of price at 413. These bonds were sold, and the amount realized was placed to the credit of the prisoner. Before the bonds were sold the prisoner wanted an advance of 20007. on the bonds, and he was credited with that sum before the bonds were sold. The prisoner first brought two foreign bills for 5007. each, and they were discounted. They were genuine bills, and were paid at maturity. The prisoner said he should have some more bills of the same description from Birmingham, and in January a batch of foreign bills, amounting to 47007., was sent up from Birmingham by the prisoner. They were genuine. The prisoner made a sort of flourish when he handed him the Rothschild bill for 47007., and said he supposed that would be good enough paper for him. This witness then proceeded to state the circumstances under which the different batches of forged bills were sent to him from Birmingham by the prisoner. The amount of these bills was over 102,000l., and the whole of them were discounted, and placed to the credit of the prisoner. The witness stated his opinion that all the forged bills had been copied from the genuine bills which had been previously discounted for the prisoner. One of the bills was a genuine bill for 257., and the amount had been altered to 25007. In answer to a question put by Mr. Poland, Colonel Francis stated that the sum actually drawn out of the bank as the produce of the forgeries was over 100,0007. The trial was adjourned rather earlier than usual in consequence of the foreman of the jury having stated that two of the jury were not very well, and were desirous to have an opportunity of getting a little fresh air. Mr. Tould, a banker at Amsterdam, proved that he knew the prisoner George Bidwell by the name of Geldbert. There was a firm of Citroen and Co., "gold manufacturers," at Amsterdam, and they informed him in November last year that a stranger would call upon him, and he afterwards saw the prisoner George Bidwell. The prisoner at first asked him to discount some bills for him in Frankfort, but he declined, and he then asked him if he could obtain for him some long bills on Germany. He told him it was difficult to do this in Amsterdam, but he said there were some bills on Hamburg in the market, and he might obtain them. The prisoner told him upon this to purchase these bills to the amount of twenty thousand guilders, and he at the same time said he had some business connected with railway work. Witness purchased some Hamburg bills, and the prisoner paid him for them, and gave him an order to purchase more bills for him, and he did so, and the prisoner paid him in Dutch bank-notes. The prisoner subsequently told him to sell all the bills, but owing to a change in the currency this involved a loss of 501., but the prisoner said he did not mind that, as he had made large profits in bills on Frankfort. After this, by the direction of the prisoner, he purchased other bills for him on London. These bills were made payable to the order of F. A. Warren. He gave the prisoner four bills, two of which were drawn upon the Bank of Amsterdam and the Bank of Belgium and Holland. Mr. Giffard said that these bills were subsequently discounted by the Bank of England, and forged bills of the same character were subsequently discounted by the Bank of England. Examination continued: Witness had a number of other transactions |