William Butler: The Information of William Butler of Rupert Street in Piccadilly 2nd day June 1698

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The Information of W^m. Butler of Ruport Street in piccadilly Gentleman 2^d. day June 1698

He saith that moses Stringer of Vitters street in York buildings Chymist hath an Exchequer bill which was cancelled and that the cross wherewith it was cancelled is done out and the paper where the Lynes of the cross are done out is mended with a patch on the back side to strengthen it and the said <14v> Stringer did put off the said Bill to one m^r. Cooper at the Hartychoak in Cannon street in London and Cooper put it off to others but the fraud being detected the Bill was returned to Cooper and by him to Stringer in whose hands the Deponent saw it about 3 dayes ago since it was returned to the said Stringer and that the said Stringer did then viz on Munday or Tuesday last offer the said bill to the Deponent desiring him to put it off and saying that he could get it off better then he could do

And that he hath known M^r Trott alias Carter about 6 years and while the trade of Clipping old money was in fashion he and his reputed wife Katherine Carter alias Jordan alias Mathews were concerned in the same and that the Deponent comeing to lodge in the Roome where the said Tho and Kath lodged before found Clippings of money in the Cranies of the room and that he hath seen French pistolls Spanish pistolls and Double ounes also (ie Double pistols{)} all counterfeit in the hands of the said Tho Carter and that the said Carter hath offered the same to the Deponent to put off and that the said Carter did tell the Deponent that he had a hand in making the same he sayth that he hath seen the said Carter guild mill'd shillings and six pences and that he hath also seen Fitz Gerald guild the same and that they guilt them to buy bills with them after the following manner. They had 2 purses exactly a like the one with good Guineas or good broad pieces the other with guilt milld shillings or guilt broad shillings in it one of these purses they offered for the bill and then examining the bill they took an opportunity to exchange the purse of good Gold for the other of guilt money and then leaving the purse in pawn took the bill to examin it pretending to return in half an hour but return no more And the Deponent hath heard that William Newark and        Hunt have thus cheated men of their bills and either brothers or brothers in Law and that Jonathon Newark the unkle of the said Newark did lately propose to the Deponent to be concerned in putting Cheats upon Merchants by forging of Merchants Letters and bills and that one Gardiner a lusty fatt man living as the Deponent hath heard at the punch boll in Westminster is reputed to have been concerned in clipping and coyning and other rogueries and to be the patrone and receiver of Ill men at whose house they have <15r> their Rendesvour and that Tho: Hall at little man hath told him this Deponent that he the said Hall who now lives by London wall next Door to the pettycoat and one Bainbugg {fellow} servants in King James's mint in Dublin have coyned togeather meaning as the Deponent understood him in England and that the said Hall offered the Deponent to be concerned with him in coyning about 2 or 3 years ago and that last Sunday the said Hall told the Deponent that he should soon be in a better condition and was going to take a Great house near the Customhouse in Thames street and he desired the Deponent not to go into the Inner room of his house where some company were saying that some of them knew him and it would be a disgrace to appear in that guarb

And that Rob^t Attey told him that about a day or two before he was committed to the Marshalsea for coyning that he had given about 17 or 19 Dyes to the Warden of the Mint and had got 10 more and was going to work again and that Bainbugg abovementioned lives or did lately live at a Chandlers ship in Wildstreet

And that some things that have passed between the Deponent and M^r. Carter have been betrayed by M^r. Inch by which the Deponent Vehemently suspects that there is a correspondence between m^r. Inch (whom he takes to be one of the Clerks of the Bank) and m^r. Carter and that when the Deponent was heretofore upon doing some service to the Banck of England and was betrayed and hindred by a person whom the Bank imployed (as he has mentioned in another paper he understands that person to be M^r. Inch as being the only person imployed by the Banck in that matter. And that Pearce Butler a Soldjer or pretended Soldjer belonging to the Guards being lately taken up in Surrey and bayled out of the marshalsea for putting off Counterfeit pistolls corresponds with Carter Fitz Gerald Thomas White M^r. Tilly Warden of the Fleet Beauchamp {+} others and is suspected to have his pistolls of that {Guang} and that he this Deponent is told by m^r. Gunn of the Temple and late prisoner with the Deponent in the Kings Bench and of Carter, Fitz Gerald and Tilly that he the said Gunn is very sure that White Fitz Gerald and Tilly have a workhouse some where in Westminster. And that M^rs Latchfield a prisoner in the Fleet lately told the Deponent that Tho White and an Attorney are gone to Sir Symon Leech near Exeter about raising money on some part of Sir Symon's Estate— and that Thomas Wray {Fyned} 500 marks the last Michaelmas for counterfeiting {illeg} Bills can doe great service if he may have his pardon and that he escaped <15v> out of Newgate by the consent of m^r. Fell as the Deponent hath been told The Deponent saith further that Sir Symon Leech is a great acquaintance of Carters and has all along supported him and procured the money by which the bayle was bought for getting Carter out of Newgate and that Sir Symon is a Roman Catholick and a great Enemy to the Government and that Carter told the Deponent that Sir Symon proposed to that said Carter the following way of getting 1500^℔, a little before Carter was taken p by the Bank Viz that Sir Symond should go upon the Road with 1500^℔. about him and deliver it Carter who should meet him in the way and pretend he was robbed by Carter and sue the Countrey for the money

Will Butler

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