At the trial evidence was given by William Drummond that he had had an interview with Mrs. Rudd, that then she had admitted having given the bond to Robert Perreau, and after confessing that she had forged it had begged them "for God's sake to have mercy upon an innocent man." Robert Drummond, brother of the previous witness, stated in his evidence that when Mrs. Rudd acknowledged the forging of the bond he had expressed doubts whether she was speaking the truth, seeing that the handwriting was so different from that of a woman. Mrs. Rudd had then written the words, "William Adair," upon a piece of paper in writing so like that of the signature on the bond that it had satisfied him and he had burned the paper. Evidence was next given by a brother of William Adair and by a clerk that the handwriting upon the bond was not that of William Adair. John Moody, a livery servant of Daniel Perreau, who was called for the defence, asserted that Mrs. Rudd had two different kinds of handwriting, in one of which she wrote letters to his master as though coming from Mr. William Adair, this fictitious writing being absolutely different from her ordinary writing. He also stated that she used different pens, ink and paper for these forged letters, and that the handwriting upon the bond was precisely the same as that in the fictitious letters. The defence of both brothers was that they had been deceived by Mrs. Rudd, who had given them the bond as a true one and that they had presented it believing it to be genuine. Many distinguished persons, including Sir John Moore, gave testimony as to their character, but in spite of this both were found guilty and sentenced to death. After their conviction great efforts were made to secure a pardon for them, and especially for Robert Perreau, against whom the evidence was not so strong. A petition was presented to the King, and the newspapers were filled with letters in favour of the men, who, as a large section of the public believed, had been the victims of a designing woman. But all was of no avail and they were executed in January, 1776. Between their conviction and execution came the trial of Caroline Rudd for the same forgeries. She pleaded that having been accepted as a witness for the Crown she ought not to have been prosecuted as a principal. This point of law was referred to the whole bench of judges, whose decision was that the trial should proceed, in order to determine whether the prisoner had spoken the whole truth. She had charged Robert Perreau with soliciting her to forge the bond and his brother Daniel with forcing her to imitate the handwriting of William Adair. "If," ran the judgment, "she has suppressed the truth she has no equitable claim to favour; and if she has told the truth and the whole truth she cannot be convicted." The trial therefore proceeded.