The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1866-11-17 00:00:00

ANTWERP, NOT. it

The trial of Doug MU§ resumed yeaterday. The
court was thronged even more than on the first day of
the trial, and the urssident deemed it necessary to
issue tickets of admission to prevent accidents, and
insure to the proceedings the decorum suitable to a
court of justice. Several witnesses were examined, by
whose evidence it was sought to he shewn that the
prisoner was the party who set the ship on fire in the
docks. Amongst other witnesses, were the follow.
lag :
Mr. P. L. Ocket, Inspector of police of the Antwerp Docks,
said that on the 12th of Angnst hi Spillaert came to ask for
Information reepecting a certain M lloustry. a Spsnard,
who, he said, hail frelgoted Ida vessel the Due de Brabant for
the stun of IEO,OOI, and ao a guarantee for that .urn would
have merchandise put on board A few daysafter the prisoner •
Mei five cases carried to the wharf. Subsequently AL Soillaert
Informed witness that the Tribunal of Commerce was going
to order the cases to be opened, and that as embargo bad
been put upon them. On the 21st of August he beard that
they were burnt, and went Immediate'y I, the scene of the
cm.fiwgrat lon. He found that the burnt canes contained no
objects of value, being only filled with wood, tar, resin,
alcohol, gunpowder, and a large quantity of little pieces of
tarred wood. The live packets of gunpowder were under a.
heap of wood, and were discovered by the policeman n w-
lants. After the lire the remains of the pew, were found to
cover •space ca the quay of an ,kal of eight yards in length
by four and a half yard. in width. The moored ship com-
municated with the quay by means of • wooden bridge touch-
ing the ships at one end. Ills opinion was that the ships
woula hare Inevitably caught file if the wind had blown
bud, On al• previa= day the Due de Brabant had bow

_
placed near the quay At the request of the prisoner, snd she
had been reVaced by the Laurettn without hie knowing it.
The Custom House officer's sentry box, standing it two yards
from tee cases, caught fire.
M. Bop cholta, police hapector at Antwerp, deposed that
he wa% ceded to assist at the opening of the owes, but the
prisoner refused to open them. Eight dads later • policeman
informal witness that she case had taken tire. He arreated the
prisoner, who alked him why the pone., mixed themselves up
with him aft airs 11. s. searched as usual, but nothing was
then found upon him. Soon afterwards, the wowed having
tried to destroy some paver, he had with him, those papers
were selald. When arrested, the accused way walking towards
tile station.
. _ . . . . .

M Roelan., assistant commissioner of police at Antwerp,
said I was ..11 duty at the docks duelng the niget from the
20th to the 2lst of August. 1 wee informeo of the fire, and
I had the firemen called 'rhe dames were ascending to more
thau twenty feet high. The use was put out after the en-
gines had worked toe twenty minutes. We found the eagle.
conta!ned boards and tarred barrel., power, alcohol, and
resin. The shm Lauretta was Mg yard* from the fire, and
she was in commuhmation with the quay by means of a
plank. The sentry-box was ctrhonised at the back. The
wind was west-rly and not strong Ins if it had the ship
would have been in great danger. Tao flames were high, and
many .parks wept
_over the Lalirettn.
. . .

--At the request of the President toe witness opened a tin
box, and showed to the gentlemen of the Jury that It con-
tained a packet of gunpowder.
The Accused denied haring placed that box In one of the
COMIC

--1:1; witness sled that it was found by him In one of the
cases His opinion was, that the ship Laurel fa would have
caught fire if assistance had not been procured, and S y a
fortunate coincidence It was the first night that the fire.
statiov had been re-established at the dock. . .

M. Verhayen, watchman, depoeed I wan on duty at the
Ilamburgh Qoay on the night of tho fire. The fire com-
menced on the aide of the iron bridge It lasted ten minute.
after the arrival of the firemen, and • half-hour in all. I
now among the remain* bits of tarred wood of about • foot
square At the moment of the fire the cases were about
three yards from the wharf. The end of the landing bridge
Of the Lau ref ra was near the cases on fire.

The sitting was then adjourned to Monday next