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ing's office at that time a charge had been made by the prifoner against this Mrs. Daniel Perreau, as fhe was called, but her name turned out to be Rudd: upon his bringing her there, I was fent for, I faw her there; there were feveral perfons prefent. Mr. Dagge, a friend of Mr. Robert Perreau's, was the perfon that came from Sir John Fielding's office for me; they asked me at Sir John Fielding's what I knew about this matter; I told them all that had passed at Mr. Adair's, and at our houfe at Charing Crofs; but I did not there relate the circumftances fo particularly as I have now done.

2 Have you ever feen Mr. Adair

write?

Drummond, I may have feen Mr. Adair write; but it is a great many years ago, I cannot charge my memory with it, but moft likely I have.

Court. Mr. Robert Perreau, would you afk this gentleman any questions, or leave it to your council.

Prifoner. Leave it to my counsel.

Crofs Examination.

Counsel. I would afk you a few queftions, in order perfectly to understand you. The first time the prisoner came to you with this bond upon your infpection, and your brother's; you expreffed great doubts of its being Mr. William Adair's, Drummond. I did.

2. I fuppofe with a degree of pofitivenefs that it was not?

Drummond. That we had great doubts. 2. You expreffed them over and over? Drummond. Yes, over and over again. 2. You fhewed no manner of inclination therefore at that time to advance money upon this bond.

Drummond. None at all, further than telling him to leave the bond,

2 The first time he came with the bond, on the 7th of March, you did not defire it to be left?

Drummond. No.

2. You expreffed no defire then to get poffeffion of the bond?

Drummond. Not at that time.

2. But you perfectly explained to him that you was almost fatisfied that it was not Mr. Adair's hand?

Drummond. We expreffed great doubts, there was a delicacy, we did not chufe to fay he had brought us a forged bond.

2. Was your brother with you upon this Tuesday?

Drummond. Yes,

2. How long did the prifoner ftay this first time.

Drummond. Eight or ten minutes, or a quarter of an hour, I cannot fay exactly.

2 And he returned you that same bond?

Drummond. Yes.

2. Did you call in any body but your brother, when he came the fecond time with the bond?

Drummond. Nobody whatever.

2. I obferved your expreffion was, that he faid, there were family connexions, and he has my money, and pays me intereft for it; can you take upon you to fay with abfolute certainty, whether he faid, it was his money Mr. Adair. paid intereft for, or fome of the family's money?

Drummond. His money.

2. Are you quite fure of that? Drummond. Yes, I am quite fure of it. 2. Did he take the bond at that time? Drummond. He did the first time, but not the fecond.

2. He readily left the bond? Drummond. Yes, without even a memorandum.

2. Without any hesitation?
Drummond. Yes.

2. He did not offer any excufe not to leave it?

Drummond. No.

Q. He complied with your defire of leaving the bond, as the most innocent man would have done?

Drummond. Yes, readily.

Q. Are you perfectly fure that he said, he himself had feen Mr. Adair when he was going to ride, or that his fifter, or any body elfe had?

Drummond. I am perfectly fure, he said, that he himself saw Mr. Adair, that he was in his boots, and he luckily catched him just before he was going to take a ride.

Q. You gave the bond to your clerk after Mr. Perreau was gone?

Drummond. Yes, to the clerk, or my brother.

Q. When you defired him to come the next day at eleven o'clock, did he readily confent?

Drummond. Very readily; he supposed, then for what I know, that he was to have the money, for he left the bond in order to have the affignment drawn up.

Q. Then during the times he was at your house, he did not once ask to have

2. Did you both exprefs your doubts? the bond away with him.
Drummond. Yes.
Drummond. No.

Q. When he firft fhewed you this let

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1775.

ter, with Mr. Adair's initials, did you defire to read it?

Drummond. No, I do not think I did. Q. He produced that letter merely to fhew you the initials?

Drummond. Yes, I did not read it.
Q. Then he still infifted that the name
was Mr. Adair's hand writing?
Drummond. He did.

Q. Who first proposed to go to Mr.
Adair's?

Drummond. My brother, or I, I cannot tell which.

Q. Are you quite fure it was one of you?

Drummond. Yes.

Q. You faid, that immediately upon the propofal being made, he most readily confented to it?

Drummond. Yes, he did.

Q. Did you obferve in his expreffion, or countenance, or behaviour, the least reluctance to come into the propofal of going to Mr. Adair ?

Drummond. Not the leaft: for being convinced in my own mind that it was a forged bond, I looked fted faftly on his countenance, and could not fee him alter in the leaft.

Drummond. Yes, fhe faid he was totally innocent, and fhe was the person that forged the bond, and begg'd us for God's fake to have mercy upon an innocent man, to confider his wife and children. 2. Do you recollect who first spoke to her, and what was faid?

ry.

Drummond, I cannot charge my memo

2. She preffed to fee Mr. Adair alone, which he declin'd?

Drummond. She did.

2. Did he afterwards withdraw from the prefence of Mr. Robert Perreau ?

Drummond. I believe fhe was in a different room fometimes, with my brother and me, but I cannot speak particularly as to that?

2. Did he tell any particular circumftances how fhe came to do it?

Drummond. She acknowledged the whole, and faid no body was meant to be injured; that it would all be paid; that he never meant to injure us or any body.

2. She faid that he had done it, and that he was perfectly innocent ? Drummond. She did.

2. Did the give any account of any

Q. You then went to Mr. Adair's? other bonds at that time?
Drummond. Yes.

Q. You have faid he carried you in his coach?

Drummond. Yes, he faid that would be the quickelt way of going, his coach being first at the door.

Q. After Mr. Adair had denied that it was his fignature, and you requir'd an explanation of the bufinefs, he almost immediately faid, that his fifter, Daniel Perreau's wife would explain this?

Drummond. Yes, after my expreffing my wonder and astonishment at what had paffed.

Q. And as I understood you, he then for the first time appeared furprized? Drummond Yes.

Q. He propofed to fend for Mrs. Daniel Perreau; faid he had it from her, and fhe would explain the whole? Drummond, He did.

Q. How foon did she' come? Drummond. I believe as foon as the carriage would go up to Golden-fquare

and return.

Q. Did you obferve any particular delay?

Drummond. No, fhe came as foon as the carriage could well bring her. Q. You have faid in the grofs, that herself. The took it wholly upon

Drummond. She did.

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Drummond. No, we had not an idea of any other bonds at that time.

2. Do you recollect her mentioning any circumftances how fhe came to be induced to do it, or how the carried it on?

Drummond. I do not recollect, she took the whole from Robert Perreau, and faid, fhe was the guilty perfon.

2 Did fhe fay under what circumftances fhe had written the name?

Drummond. I do not recollect that she

did..

2. Did you exprefs any doubt whether fhe could readily write that name in the way in which it appears?

Drummond. Yes, we did.
2. What was her anfwer?

Drummond. My brother faid, that it was a mafculine hand, and that he did not think a woman could write it: fhe proved it, by taking a bit of paper and fhewing us fhe could write it.

2. And it was the fame hand? Drummond. It did appear to us to be the fame.

2. This was readily performed by her ? Drummond. Yes, and I believe my brother put the paper into the fire.

2. During all the time that she stayed at the houfe, fhe never once charged Robert Perreau with knowing any thing of the matter, but allowed that he had the

Q. Did he do that in the presence of bond from her? the prifoner ?

Aaa 2

Drummond,

1

Drummond. Yes.

2. Did the infift at the same time, that the had any acquaintance or connection with Mr. William Adair?

Drummond. She did not to the best of my recollection.

2. Did fhe fay whether the knew him? Drummond. I do not recollect. 2. Was you prefent when Mrs. Rudd gave her information before the justice? Drummond. I think I was, but I do not think I went very clofe to her.

2. At that time, after Mrs. Rudd had come to you, I believe both you and Mr. William Adair expreffed yourselves, as confidering the prifoner as her dupe?

Drummond. We both expreffed ourfelves to that effect. A conflable had been fent for to Mr. Adair's; we difmifed him upon her acknowledging herself to be the guilty perfon.

2. Was this letter the fame kind of hand that Mrs. Rudd wrote when he wrote fo readily the name William Adair?

Drummond. It appeared to be the fame; I think the Win the letter here is pretty much in the fame ftyle as the W to the William Adair that the wrote.

2. You faid that you had known the prifoner yourself fome years?

Drummond. I had.

2. I believe he had ferved as an apothecary feveral families you are acquainted with?

Drummond. He had.

2. During that time, you mean to fay, you had never heard any thing amifs of him, but he was well fpoken of, and perfectly well refpected?

Drummond. Perfectly fo.

Grofs Examination.

Q. Did you fee Mr. Robert Perreau ?
Wheatley. I faw him pafs through the

room.

Q. You had no conversation with him?
Wheatley. No, I had not.

Robert Drummond. Efq; I am a Bank-
er, and am in partnership with my bro-
ther: the first time I faw the prifoner,
was on the feventh of March, then I
faw him at our house at Charing Crofs
my brother called me in, and faid, this
is Mr. Robert Perreau, whom I lent
fourteen hundred pounds to, while you
was out of town, and he now wants five
thousand pounds, faid he, he offers a
bond as a fecurity for the five thousand
pounds. I asked him whose bond it was:
he faid Mr. William Adair's. What,
faid I, the late agent in Pall-Mall? He
fhewed me the bond, I faid, why this is
not his hand. I had feen his draughts,
and feen him write a great many years
ago. Oh, faid he, there is no doubt but
it is his hand, it is witnefied by Mr.
Jones, Mr. Adair's folicitor, and his fer-
vant. Said I, it is very odd, I have seen
his hand formerly, this does not appear
to be the leaft like it. I think, I faid to
him, if I was to take my oath, I would
rather fwear it was not his hand-writing.
I faid, the bond is made payable to you,
was you prefent when it was executed ?-
No, faid he, I was not prefent. I be-
lieve my brother then faid, come to-mor-
row, and we will give you an answer.
When Mr. Perreau was gone, I told my
brother I had great doubts about the fig
nature, and I thought it would not be
amifs to have the bond left with us, as it

2. I believe he was remarkably happy must be affigned if we advanced any mo

in his character?

Drummond. Exceedingly fo.

Q Look at that letter, and fee if it be the fame hand?

Drummond. It does appear to be the fame hand.

Counfel for the Crown. At the time you was of opinion that Mr. Perreau might be innocent, did you know any thing with refpect to the filing up of the bond, or who had done it?

Drummond, I had at that time no knowledge of that.

Q. Nor by whofe direction it was filled up?

Drummond. No.

Daniel Wheatley. I am clerk to Meff. Drummond, the bond is marked with my name; I had it from Mr. Henry Drummond, upon the 8th of March; I delivered it to him again upon the 12th. It is in the fame ftate in which I received it.

ney upon it. I went out with a gentleman who was then waiting for me; I returned in two or three hours. When I came back, I asked my brother if he had fent for the bond; He faid Mr. Perreau has been here, and has left the bond. Mr. Perreau came again the next morning for his anfwer. Mr. Stephens and I had been previoufly with Mr. Adair, and fhewed him the bond, I asked Mr. Perreau if this Mr. Adair was the late agent in Pall-Mall, I faid, an elderly gentleman, and defcribed him as well as I could. He faid it was. I looked very ftedfastly on his countenance, and did. not obferve it had any effect upon him. I faid we have our doubts, and till there. doubts are cleared up we can advance no money. I faid the only way of clearing up thofe doubts would be to go to Mr. Adair, if he had no objection. He faid, no; he looked at his watch, and said, if

be

be is not gone out. I had not been come from Mr. Adair a quarter of an hour, but I did not tell Mr. Perreau that; he went with great readiness, without the leaft hefitation. The morning was rather wettith; my brother faid, I have my carriage here, I will carry you. Mr. Perreau faid, mine is firft, you had better go in mine. They both went in Mr. Perreau's carriage; I walked there foon after them.

I asked Mr. Perreau, when we were there, how he could account for this he faid at first, he knew nothing at all of it. Why, faid I, it is evident this is not Mr. Adair's hand; and asked him how he came by the bond. We were furprized at his abfurd conduct. 1 faid, you are either the greateft fool, or the greatest rogue that I ever faw; I do not know what to make of you, you must account for this: how came you by this bond? Then he faid, that will appear, if you fend for my fifter. I asked who that was? Why faid he, my brother, Mr. Daniel Perreau's wife. He called his fervant, and fent the coach for her: he told the fervant, fhe would be either in Golden Square, or Harley-ftreet, but moft likely in Golden Square: and the coach came back with her fo foon, that I apprehend it did not go further than Golden Square. At first she asked to fpeak with Mr. Adair in a room by himfelf. Mr. Adair declined that, and faid, you are quite a ftranger to me, and you can have no converfation with me that may not pafs before thefe gentlemen. I had told him before this, that I would fend for a conftable directly, and fend him before a magiftrate if he would not tell his accomplices, for accomplices he must have, if he did not do it himself; then it was that he fent for his fifter. She declared, that she forged the bond; that fhe figned the bond, and that the letter was wrote by her. I expreffed my doubts upon that, and faid, it was fo different from a woman's hand, that I did not think her capable of forging it; that nothing would convince me of it but her fhewing me upon a piece of paper, that the could write that fort of a hand. I faid, I do not want to enfnare you. I will immediately throw it into the fire. She wrote upon a bit of paper, William Adair, or part of the name, fo extremely like the fignature to the bond, that it fatisfied me, and I burnt the paper. Then Mr. Robert Perreau faid, he hoped, that the information fhe had given fufficiently acquitted him in our opinions. My brother made anfwer, he had better not enquire into that, he could fay nothing to it

till he had confulted fomebody of the law. Mr. Perreau immediately upon that, for the first time expreffed great uneafiness. He said, I would fooner have cut my right hand off, than have injured any man; and then, and then only, did he feem the leaft agitated. The first time that I heard this woman was called Rudd, was, I think, at Sir John Fielding's.

(Gofs Examination.)

Q. Have you feen Mr. Adair's writing frequently, fince that time?

K. Drummond. I have seen his handwriting.

Q. Is that an imitation of his handwriting?

R. Drummond. It is not the least like it; I never faw his chriftian name wrote at full length in my life: this was at full length.

Q. You told Mr. Perreau, you would rather fwear it was not Mr. Adair's handwriting?

R. Drummond. I did.

Q. Did you at that time perceive any alteration in Mr. Perreau's countenance? R. Drummond. No, not the least. Q. Mrs, Rudd acknowledged the letter as well as the hond, to be her handwriting?

R. Drummond. Yes, Mr. Perreau faid, it was, and the acknowledged it.

Q. You likewife told us, that Mr. Perreau afked the queftion, whether he was not fufficiently cleared in your opinion; and you hefitating; that then, and not till then, did he feem concerned?

R. Drummond. Yes, the faid, Mr Perreau was a very worthy man; he had a wife and family, and was in no thape guilty; that he had throughout the whole impofed upon him.

Court. Was you by when the prifoner faid, he had been at Mr. Adair's, and that Mr. Adair was going out a riding K. Drum. That was when I was out. Sir Thomas Frankland. Q. Do you know the prisoner? Sir T. Frankland. He has been my apothecary about fifteen or fixteen years: I always looked upon him as an honet man, and I thought he was incapable of ever deceiving me at all. My uncle thought him fo honeft a man, that he always called him, honeft Perreau,

Q. Whether you had, before March laft, any bond or bonds in your cuftody, which were given you by the prifoner

Sir T Frankland. Do you mean, that I should tell all?

Q. No, only answer the queflion, whether you had any bond before March

laft.

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lalt. I want to know whether they were to be taken up in March?

Sir T. Frankland. The prifoner brought me two bonds at different times: one to Daniel Perreau for fix thousand pounds, and the other to himself, Robert Perreau, for five thousand three hundred pounds: that for five thousand three hundred pounds, which I lent him four thousand pounds upon, was to be repaid on the 26th or 29th of March, with the three days grace; the other was due on the 8th of March.

Richard Wilfon.

Q. Please to look at the bond in queftion; it is I believe your filling up? Wiljon. It is: I filled it up at the requelt of the prifoner at the bar.

Q. When did you fill it up? Wilson. The latter end of February, or the beginning of March last.

Q. I perceive it bears date to the 25th of January.

Wilson. I recollect I antidated it to the preceding January at the request of the prifoner.

Q. When you had fo fill'd it up and anti-dated it, did you give it back to the prifoner ?

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Q. Where was it fill'd up? Wilson. At my houfe at Charing-Cross. Q. Was any other perfon pretent Wilfon. No, except it was fome of my family.

Q. You fay, you did it by his direction; you had the directions I believe in writing?

Wiljon. I had.

Q. Then produce them?

Wilson, Thefe were the inftructions the prifoner gave me : (producing them.)

Q. Did he say any thing about the inructions, or what thould be done with them?

Wilson. He faid, Mr. Wilson, I have given you the inftructions upon a piece of paper; I defire you will burn it." I told him, there was a minute upon the back of the paper of a petition to the recorder, and I could not burn it then, because of that mipute. He defired I would burn it, when I had done with it, and I promised I would; but I put it in my defk and it flipp'd my memory.

Q. There were no names upon this bond at the time you fill'd it up?

Wilson. None.

Q. I fee part of these instructions are foot'd through?

Wilson. They are.

Q. Who was that done by ? 1 Wilfon. The prifoner; after I had fill'd up the bond and before he left me.

Q. Can you read what is fcor'd thro'? Wilfon. Yes, it is William Adair of Pall-Mall, in the parish of St. James's, in the county of Middlesex, Efq; to Robert Perreau of Golden Square, in the county of Middlefex, aforesaid, Efq, the fum of 7500l. to be paid upon the 7th of July next.

Q. Did he fcore this through after you had faid you could not burn it then?

Wilfon. He faid, Mr. Wilson, we cannot burn this, because of the minute at the back: You will be fure to burn it? I faid, I will.

Q. Have you fill'd up any other bonds for the prifoner before? Wilson. I have.

Scroope Ogilvie.

Q. You are acquainted I believe, with Mr. William Adair of Pall-Mall ? Ogilvie. Yes.

Q. Do you know his hand-writing?
Ogilvie, Yes.

Q. Have you feen him frequently write?
Ogilvie. Yes, frequently.

Q. Look at that name, William Adair there. Is that his hand-writing?

it.

Ogilvie. No, it is not in the leaft like

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