The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-12-30 00:00:00

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A MISCHIEVOUS SERVANT.

At the Warwick Assizes, Sarah 'Woodfield, has been
charged with having at Grafton set Cm to a stack of
wood, the property of her master, on the 18th of November :
to a stack of oats nail a stack of !walls, the property of ha
master, OHO, 190 of November : and ti a stack of hay, the
propel ty of Richard Brookes, on the 23rd of November,

The ((dean r was first charged with the offence com-
mitted on the 19th of November. It appeared
from the evidence that the prisoner had been in
the employ ,if Mr. King, a farmer at Grafton, since
the middle f last October. After these charges
were brought :areinst her it was discovered that she
had obtained the situation under a false name
by means of a written character. On the 17th of No-
vember she applied to her mistress for leave to go
to Stratford-on-Avon iin the following Sunday. She
was refused. On the afternoon of the same day she
told a person in the house that her mistress " should
remember it before Sunday." It was On the following
Saturday, Sunday, and Thursday that the fires °s-
rutted. The stacks set on fire were close to the house,
which caused the police to suspect that some one in
the house had caused the fires, as the most valuable
ricks were untouched, which are in a yard, through
which a public footpath passes, some distance from the
house. On the Sunday morning, Mr. King went to
church, leaving Mrs King, the primmer, Holton
(another servant), ahoy named (limey, and his children
at home. About half-past eleven Mrs. King went down
to the pond with the prisoner to see if the ice was safe,
as Casey and the children were sliding there After a
few minutes they returned to the house. Rose Holton,
wlien they came in, went up stairs to arrange one of
the beidrooms, leaving the prisoner in the kitchen.
When she came down the prisoner was not there.
Rose Holton then went up to her own bedroom ;
in a few minutes she heard the prisoner's footstep
in front of the house. She lookeil out and saw
her coming from the direetion of the ricks. The
prisoner then came U) stairs, and in a few minutes she
asked Holton, "What smoke is that 1" Holton
looked out iif window and could not see any. Almost
immediately after an alarm was given that the ricks
were on lire. Property to the value of between £llO
and £.lOO was destroyed. On the previous day the fire
was easily extinguished. It was contended on be-
half of the Crown that the refusal by the prisoner's
mistress was the motive for the prisoner's corn.
witting the arsons. The following false statements
of the prisoner were relied on as the evidence
against her. After the fire on the Saturday night she
told use Holton that she saw a tall man dressed in
dark clothes near the house. Holton, being frightened,

....
thought at the time she did, but the next day came to
the conclusion that she did not. She also said
that while she was on the ice the same man passed
close by her, but neither Mrs. King nor her
other servants who were with her at the time saw
any such person. After the fire on the Sunday she
said, "I saw the man go to the rickyard and return
across a field after it broke out." As some one else was
in the field at the time, this was said to be untrue.
After the fire on the Saturday she said, "It is a good
job," and at another time, "They shall have it again
before Saturday," and that it was "not done with
vet" It was also proved that when the prisoner called
Itose Holton's attention to the smoke which she said
she saw from the bedroom window that it was almost
impos4hle that this could have been so, as the bed-
-100111 WilidOW did 114-it look on to the ricks, mai the
wind was blowing in a contrary direction. This was
relied on as evidence that the prisoner at that time had
not only had the opportunity of setting tire to the ricks,
but that she also well knew that they were burning.
For the defence it wil4 argued that the case against the
prisoner was only one of grave suspicion.
The jury found the prisoner Guilip.
The other charges were not proeceeded with.
His Lordship sentenced her to seven years' penal
servitude.