Ann Vickers, the servant of Mrs. Hampton, was tried at

the Old Baily Sessions yesterday. The indictment charged her with feloniously forging and uttering a receipt for 1.54/. I3s., with intent to defraud Robert Hampton, a Colonel in the Army. Mr. Justice Allan Park and Mr. Baron Vaughan were the Judges ; Mr. Clarkson was counsel for the prosecution; and Messrs. Charles Phillips and Creswell for the defence. The circumstances respecting this charge have lately been very fully detailed in the Spectator. The prisoner was accused of having tea- verted 100/., which Mrs. Hampton, her mistress gave her to pay Mrs. Follett, her milliner, to her own use, and with having forged the receipt in question in order to screen the fraud. This is a distinct charge from that of having pawned plate and jewels, with the connivance of Mt.

Barnes, the silversmith. Mrs. Hampton was the first witness. She stated that she had girea

the prisoner, at different times, three bank-notes of 401., 50/., and 10f., to pay Mrs. Follett; that the prisoner had, after being repeatedly called upon, produced a receipt, purporting to be that of Mrs. Follett, for 154/. 13s., the amount of her account. This receipt Mrs Follett said was not written by herself or her husband; and the prisoner, when lip- preliended, said, in the presence of Mr. Tuffnell as well as Mrs. Ilamp- ton—" I have not paid Mrs. Follett; I wrote the receipt myself."

Mr. Phillips then commenced his cross-examination of Mrs.

Hampton. aaol Mrs. Hampton—" My husband is still in India, and has been there fn the la*

thirty years."

Mr. Mr. Phillips—" Do you expect, when he returns, that a suit will nstituteil by helm?"

Witness—" No ; I don't understand what you mean."

Mr. Clarkson objected to the question.

Mr. Phillips contended he had a perfect right to pursue t e •aurse be 'pro- posed ; which he admitted went to touch the witness's credit. His defence vas that the prisoner at the bar had been witness to transactions of a nature] that might make it extremely convenient for Mrs. Hampton to get her out of the way. The suit to which he alluded was, he admitted, a suit for adultery. -deri

The Court, after some further conversation in an indistinct tune, _ruled in

ntj

favour of Mr. Clarkson's objection.

Cross-examination resumed—Witness knew a gentleman named Tuffaell for fourteen or fifteen years. He was no relation. She had been married in India twenty years since. Mr. Tuffnell was an Examiner at the Audit-office. It'as on intimate terms with Mr. Tuffnell, and had been in various parts of the coma- try with him. At Dover, they had lived in the same house, and dined at the same table. They had been in Dover twice, the first time about two years agra. That time they travelled together ; the second time Mr. Tuffnell came to her an Dover. The prisoner was in her service all the time and was a very confiden- tial servant. Witness had 7001. a year at present, and occasionally mere. She had, however, employed the prisoner occasionally to pledge articles of very con- siderable value ; on which she had raised, by her desire, upwards of 2001. at-a time. She lived at Margate three weeks ; part of which time Mr. Tuenell lived along with her, eating at the same table, and in the same house, in a bed- room for which he paid separately. At Dover, however, she had paid thebills, principally through the hands of the prisoner. She had lived at Tnubiidge Wells, a long time ago, for seven or eight days. Mr. Tuffnell was there tno, and had taken the lodgings forher. She had been at Cranford Bridge, also along with Mr. Tuffnell, in a post. chaise ; but her daughter (an imbecile girl of fifteen or sixteen years of age) was along with them there, as well as at Dover, Margate, and Tunbridge Wells. Her daughter was incapable of making any o'nserra!- tion on passing occurrences. At Dover, she had had a difference with Mee. Atkins, about a demand made by the latter for money. Mrs. Atkins lad sat on the stairs one night, in sight of her bed-room, and some diffrenee -arose on that subject. She had been to Boulogne four or five years since, and. Mr. Tuff- nell there paid her a visit of several days' duration. She resided at .present at No. 19, in Prince's Street, and had for the last six months ; previouslyete hat% resided in Conduit Street, Bond Street. At both places, Mr. Tuffuell used La visit her ; but he always went away at ten o'clock. She had despatched the prisoner to three pawnbrokers to pledge for her—Dobree's, Cottrell's, Grave's; and had gone with her herself to Gray's, in Fleet Street, to pawn some dia- monds, her own property, on which she demanded 200/. She knew Mr. Barnes, a jeweller, and had dealings with him for plate for upwards of 1001. at several times. Mr. Tuffnell was in habits of intimacy with her up :to this tirne„ and bad accompanied her that morning and yesterday morning to the Lon- don Coffeehouse, on Ludgate Hill. The receipt was given her 'by the prisoner in July ; and it was previously, in April, May, or June, that she went with her to Gray's, in Fleet Street, to pledge the diamonds. When the prisoner admitted that she had herself written the receipt, there was no constable present; and Mr. Tuffnell had only threatened to send for one. Witness had never given prisoner any general permission to pawn for her ; and had never told Cottrell, the pawnbroker, or his young man, Livermore, any thing to that effect. Had never been at Cottrell's shop but once, and then the prisoner accompanied her : she went then on that occasion to release three links ofdia- mouds ; they had been pawned only once before; and they were then pawned by prisoner without witness's consent. She had kept the prisoner in her service six months subsequently, notwithstanding. She had made a charge against Mr. Barnes, the jeweller, and preferred her bills before the Grand Jury; but their were ignored.

Mr. Phillips—" Do you know any thing that can prevent Mr. Tuffnell frosts • appearing here to-day ?'

Witness—" My Lord, am I obliged to answer that question ?" Mr. Clarkson objected to the question ; and it was eventually waived.

[The witness, during the cross-examination, manifested a great indisposition to answer any question relative to Mr. Tuffnell.]

Mr. and Mrs. Follett both swore that the receipt was not in thick hand xriting ; and the former said he had repeatedly called for money on Mrs. Hampton, but never could see her; he always saw the prisoner.

Mr. William Tuffnell confirmed the evidence of Mrs. Hampton, as to the prisoner's confession of her guilt, and other circumstances. He was present when her boxes were searched, and some papers taken otrt of them. On his cross-examination he said— The papers were all found together, tied up in a box in one of the prisoner's trunks. Mr. Halkin and Scholefield were present when they were found, and

eventually the papers were given up to Mr. Halkin. He conducted both those parties into the prisoner's room in her mistress's residence, in Prince's Street ; and when he entered the room, exclaimed, "Good God! the locks are broken open."

Mr. Phillips—" Did you make that exclamation because you were astonished to find the boxes open ?' Mr. Tuenell—" No, I was not astonished, because I knew it before." Mr. Phillips—" Then why did you make such an exclamation?"

Mr. Tuffnell—" Because I was surprised to find the prisoner's locks picked, as well as the locks up stairs." Did not intend to convey surprise to the offi- cers. The prisoner was at Margate at the time the search was made, and he

brought up her keys for the purpose of opening the trunks, which were found picked. Has no notion how or by whom the prisoner's trunks had been opened. He has known Mrs. Hampton for the last thirteen years and has been on :any friendly terms with her. Was with her at Dover, -Tunbridge Wells, at Wind- sor, at Boulogne, and at Margate. Ma. Hampton paid all his travelling ex- penses, and for his bed, ever) wilt re but at Margate. knows !WS: Afkins, a landlady at Dover. She had a quarrel with him on the subject of the postman's Christmas-box' and he was angry with her, too, because she made a discovery with respect to himself.

Phillip_" I cannot ask you what that discovery was."

Examination resumed--‘Witness used to take the lodgings at these different imblic places, but cannot say whether Mrs. Hampton was generally present. He is no relation of Mrs. Hampton, but went on a visit to her to the different places which had been mentioned. Mrs. Ilanipmn paid the expenses of travelling, dinners, &c. Nobody was present when the prisoner confessed she had written the receipt, except Mrs. Hampton and himself; it was made before the con- stable came. He recommended Mr: Halkin to Mrs. Hampton to conduct this prosecution. There were two other servants in the house in Prince's Street in the service of Mr. Thompson ; who, in fact, occupied the house. He made no Inquiry of them as to bow the boxes became open.

• Reexamined by Mr. Clarkson—When the prisoner left Margate, she said she was coming to London, and had full opportunity to open the boxes. " On my oath, I never opened the locks, nor saw the boxes opened, until they were searched by lIalkin, Scholefield, and myself."

. The prisoner was then called upon for her defence.

She most positively denied the charge which had been brought against her : she had never seen the receipt, and consequently had never given it to Mrs. Hatnp- ton. In the month of February last, Mrs. Hanmton gave her 40/. to pay to Madame Follett; which she had done, as appeared hy a receipt at the foot of the bill. Between the 15th and 21st of July last, Mrs. Hampton at different times gave her two 50/. and one 10/. note, desiring her to take them to Mr. Barnes, the jeweller. She did so, and brought back the receipt of Mr. Barnes for the money, and gave it to her mistress. Madame Follett had frequently sent for her money; and in July last her mistress desired ber to tell Mr. Follett that she could not pay him, because her agents had failed. In August, Mr. Follett came at least three times a week ; and at length said he would force himself into the drawing-room in order to see Mrs. Hampton about his account. After this, Mrs. Hampton used to keep her door locked ; and Mr. Tuffnell was applied to on the subject ; and one day he brought word from an attorney, that as Mrs. Hampton was a married woman, she could not be sued, and therefore Mr. Follett must apply to her husband for payment. When Madame Follett came again, the prisoner was desired by her mistress to tell that lady to do her worst, and sue her husband. She delivered that message to Madame Follett in August last. The prisoner denied in the most positive terms that she had ever received any money to pay Madame Follett, with the exception of the 401., which she had paid. The receipt had been manufactured by Mit. Hampton and Mr. Tuffnell ; and the charge had been got up by them in order to put the prisoner out of the way, that she might not depose to facts between them to which she had been wit- ness—their sleeping together, and to Mts. Hampton's feeding, clothing, and lending money to Mr. Tuffnell. [On this declaration by the prisoner, Mr. Tuffnell by his manner betrayed strong emotion. lie was observed by Mr. J:ustice A. Park ; whodirected the officers to remove him from the court : who- ever the individual was, his gesticulations were most indecorous. Mr. Tuffnell was then removed from the court ; and the prisoner, undisturbed by the inter- ruption, proceeded with her statement.] She reiterated her former observations, and added that she had no hesitation in declaring the whole of this charge a fabrication by Mrs. Hampton and Mr. Tuffnell, to get her out of the way, as Colonel Hampton was daily expected in England ; and these means were taken for sending her into exile in a distant laud, to prevent her giving evidence of the many digraceful and shameful transactions to which she had been witness. The prisoner concluded by asseverating the truth of her statement.

II:: Mr. Barnes, the silversmith, gave evidence respecting his business transactions with Mrs. Hampton. He admitted an illicit connexion

with the prisoner. Some additional evidenc-e, proving that Mrs. Hampton had authorized her servant to pledge property to a large amount, was given ; and the Jury, after a charge by Baron Vaughan, consulted together fur ten minutes, and found the prisoner " Not Guilty."

She was then indicted for stealing two bank-nntes, and other pro- perty of Colonel Hampton ; but the counsel for the prosecution de- clined producing any evidence on these charges, and Le was therefore discharged.