The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-08-23 00:00:00

SETTING FIRE TO A HOUSE.-NARROW ESCAPE
OF CHILDREN.

On Saturday, at the County Police-court, before J.
U. P. Montague, gm:l.—James Higgins, & married
man, of Hook, was charged in custody with having
maliciously and feloniously set fire to a certain feather
bell and bedding, the property of Charlotte Cornick,
of Hook with intent thereby to burn the house, there-
by feloniously injuring the said Charlotte Cornick.—
The prisoner, who is about fifty years of age, appeared
to suffer from aberration of intellect, and behaved very
strangely daring the hearing of the case. His applica-
tion for a seat was granted him, and he remained
sitting throughout the hearing. Higgins received a
sunstroke about 12 months ago, and the effect probably
was weakening of his int :ilea. —Charlotte Cornick
deposed : I live at Hook, in this county. The prisoner
Higgins and Caroline, his wife, lodge with me, and
have done so for about four years. Prisoner hsa been
very ill for • twalvemontb. Yesterday, the 191 inst.,
I heard prisoner call his wife upstairs to him, and she
(witness) went ap also. Prisoner drove us downstairs
and threatened to murder us. We both went out, and
prisoner stood at the door., bat afterwards went
upstairs and dashed in the windows. I sent for the
police, and called George Parris, • neighbour. I saw
smoke coming ott of prisoner's bedroom window, the
same window hi had broken. I heard prisoner may
the day before be would set it alight. I went for
A:mist:mice, and prisoner was removed from the house.
I went upstairs and saw George Parris there. The
moms upstairs were full of smoke, a quilt, two sheets.
feather bed bolster, and two pillory' were burning,
There were two young children in bed in another room
upstairs. Only the prisoner and the two children were
upstairs.--George Parris swore: I am • smith and live
at Hook. I went to prosecutrix's house yesterday, and
primmer came down partly dreariol. He said " There
Is nothing the matter with me, those-- have robbed
me of my marriage lines, and I will kill the —." I
smelt fire and aaked him what it was. He saq "It'.
no fire that lam aware of." He came down again,
and I said "There'. something burning." I went up
and saw two little children in bed in one room. In
another room I found fire in the middle of the bed. About
• yard wide of the bed the bedding was burning. The
prisoner was then downstairs, I took the children
flcernstairs—water was thrown on the fire; there was
so much smoke that I way almost stifled, and could
hardly fin imy way out. The neighbours at last pat
the fire out. The prisoner was in the kitchen all this
time. He made no attempt to put the fire out.
Prisoner was removed by the police.—Ellen Clothier,
deposed : " I live at Hook, and am the wife of Tom
Clothier, labourer. I went to Charlotte Cornick's
yesterday with others, I maw her driven out of the
house. 1 saw smoke coming from the two upstair
window.. I heard prisoner say" I have put • light to
the old -- bed." He said this after his wife had
accused him of burning her box of clothes."—P.C.
fdansam, of Hook, deposed :" I yesterday apprehended
prisoner on the charge of setting fire to Charlotte
Cornick's house. He said," Its the two have done
it themselves to kill me."—ln answer to the charge,
prisoner said "I never Nut fire to 'no' house. My
mother-in-law or my wife did it. They got up and
left me asleep—the smoke in the house woke me. I
got up and put on my trimmers. They stole mr
certificates of baptism and marriage and the children.
(five in all). I promised the certificates to my two
ctildren, a maid and a boy. Percy Mintarne saw my
mother-in-law flourishing a knife about me."—The
Bunch committed the prisoner for trial at the next
A-shes, and he was removed in custody.