The Rhode Islander

Arraignment Of The Great Forger.-

Yesterday the celebrated Col. Munroe Edwards with the aliases of John P. Caldwell and Hugh S. Hill, who has acquired such a high degree of fame by his stupendous frauds and forgeries, was brought out of the city prison into the Court of Sessions, for arraignment on four indictments for forgery, which the present Grand Jury found against him. The Tribune states that, in anticipation of this event, the Court room was densely crowded with well-dressed citizens and strangers, anxious to see the Great Forger, who had circumvented an English Lord, and swindled some of our most respectable and perspicuous citizens of more than half a hundred thousand dollars of their money.-

The distinguished financier walked with a bold and manly step to the prisoner's box, in which he took his seat, and looked around with an air of complacent dignity on the surrounding spectators. He is a man about the middle stature, not heavily moulded; was genteelly dressed, and had the appearance of a well-bred gentleman at his ease. As the charges were severally read to him, and the questions propounded by the Clerk,- "Do you demand a trial on this indictment?" he each time answered emphatically, yet with a cool composure, "I do, sir;" and accompanied the last reply with a smile that played for a moment on his face, and betokened either an apathy concerning his situation, or a disposition to act his part in the great drama of guilt to the best possible advantage, for the gratification of the multitude his fame had summoned to see him.

At the conclusion of the arraignment he made a slight bow, and returned to prison with as firm and dignified a step as he came out, 'the observed of all observers'- N. Y. Times.