The charge against the two Germans, Heinrich Grosse and George Schultz of having on the 27th April used forged banknotes to the value of $2,550, all on the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank; and of having in their possession an instrument for committing forgery, came before the Chief Justice at the Singapore Assizes on the 16th of May. There was a large attendance in court, and the outcome of the trial was awaited with manifest interest. Asked to plead, both men admitted their built, and endeavoured to minimise their offence by stating that they were led to forge the notes by a third party in Germany, by whom they were promised a good share of the profits of the undertaking.
SENTENCES, Sentence was postponed until the 17th, when both prisoners appeared in the dock downcast and nervous.
Addressing them, His Lordship said Heinrich Grosse and George Schultz, you pleaded guilty yesterday to the charges brought against you of using forged notes. In the statements which were made, you admitted that those notes had been forged by you in Germany about October or November last. The idea appears to have been suggested, first by Grosse, that money might be made by manufacturing foreign paper money, an motes of several Eastern banks were obtained Grosse. At that time it was decided to go to work on notes. of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank and a lithographer was employed. A notice was put into the newspapers, and Schultz answered the advertisement, and he was engaged on an agreement at 50 marks per week. Schultz, however, when he was aware of the nature of the work declined, but his scruples did not last long. You, Schultz, insisted upon being granted a share of the profits of the undertaking in consideration of the great risk you ran, and it was agreed that you should receive 40 per cent of the profits, while you Grosse, were to got 60 per cent, Another person who had advanced funds for the undertaking received 8 promise of notes for 30,000 marks to be two men set to work manufacturing these paid out of the first None And then you notes, and finally you started in March last for China with the intention of changing these notes at the various ports. But you were arrested at Singapore, where notes to the value of $221,000 were either found with or traced to you, while mone} in gold, Bank of England notes, an jewels, were also found in your posse: these are the facts of your case as admitted by yourselves. You have therefore carried on this great fraud in a most systematic manner, as if it were an ordinary business transaction. The only thing that can be said for you is that you have made an adion of your guilt. I sentence you Heinrich Grosse to penal servitude for a term of 10 years, and you George Schultz to penal servitude for a term of 8 years.
is Lordship's remarks having been interpreter to the prisoners, they asked whether they could appeal to a higher court.
The Judge—No, the law does not allow any appeal.
The two men, who were without doubt yore then removed to the cells.—Straits surprised at the heaviness of the sentences, Saw Reports,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.