The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-01-28 00:00:00

TIIE BOLTON THEATRE FIRE.

A bill-poster, named Robert Preston, belonging to
Bury, was charged on Monday morning, before the
Bolton magistrates, with wilfully setting fire to the
Bolton Theatre Royal early on the morning of the 4th
inst. Mr. Fielding, who conducted the case for the
prosecution, said that the prisoner was seen near the
theatre on the morning of the fire, just before the
outbreak, and six hours later he was found dealing
with postage-stamps, alleged to have been stolen from
the theatre. The prisoner did not turn up at his lodg-
ings the previous night, making his appearance the
following morning, when the theatre was in ruins. On
the Thursday night he made threats about something
going to happen at the theatre. In the office of the
destroyed theatre were found a pickaxe, chisel, and
ether tools brought from the lumber room, which was
behind the stage, and anyone going there would pass
the valve connecting the sprinklers with the main,
which was afterwards turned off at the outbreak. A
.weman called Cunliffe deposed that before the fire
the prisoner said to her (referring to the accident
which had befallen the switchback railway belonging
to Mr. Elliston, proprietor of the theatre) that some-
thing worse would happen before long. And on the
day of the fire he said, It serves Elliston right."
Mr. Smith, a tradesman, said he saw the prisoner
behind the theatre about the time of the outbreak.
Mr. Elliston, proprietor of the theatre, in his evi-
dence spoke as to missing from his office, besides a
'cheque and stamps, a pair of field glasses, a pair of
opera glasses, and a limelight lens. Mr. Arthur
Smethurst, yarn agent, stated that he saw the pri-
soner in Bolton on the morning of the fire, about
eight o'clock, and the accused said he had walked
from Bury that morning. The prisoner was com-
mitted for trial.
•, I a : • : . •

.41-144.1 .I.VL ei • .t.," J. Wl,-Itjj j

ALARMING EXPLOSION IN
DUBLIN.

The citizens of Dublin were greatly startled on
Monday afternoon owing to a rumour that a dynamite
outrage had occurred at the Four Courts. The rumour
rapidly spread, and indeed was very generally
believed, as amongst the buildings a tremendous
explosion took place, which was heard over a con-
tiderable portion of the city. The first reports happily
proved untrue, it being subsequently learned that
a plumber and his assistant were engaged in at-
tempting to find out the source of the leakage from
which a quantity of gas had escaped in the upper por-
tion of the premises attached to the Bankruptcy Court.
They had made their way into the space between the
ceiling and the roof over the messengers' room when
the explosion occurred, the cause being, it is under-
stood, the lighting of a candle for the purpose of
examining the gas pipes. The report was terrific,
the roof being blown off the room, the walls shat-
tered, the presses and other timber fixtures re-
duced to matchwood. The windows of nearly
the entire back of the building were smashed. Im-
mediately after a number of persons ran up to ;the
scene of destruction, where the plumber was found
to have been seriously injured. On search being
made amongst the debris the boy who acted as his
assistant was found unconscious and apparently
fatally injured. In the meantime the fire brigade
was communicated with, and speedily arrived. The
boy was removed on one of the brigade carriages to
Jervis-street Hospital, where he shortly afterwards
died. An immense crowd gathered about the Four
Courts, and much excitement prevailed. Chief-Super-
intendent Mallon and a number of police inspectors,
and a strong force of police, were on duty immediately
after the disaster. At the time of the explosion there
were four persons in the room—Orr, a plumber, the
boy Mullally, his assistant, Mr. Barton, a Court
messenger, and a man named Fitzpatrick. The
death of the lad was caused by the falling of heavy
beams on his body. Orr also was injured, but the
other two escaped. Neither of the bankruptcy judges
was sitting. The scene of the disaster was visited
during the latter part of the day by large numbers of
barristers belonging to the senior and junior Bar.
Whilst the sensation lasted, and before the real
nature of the casualty became known ex-
citement ran high, and the most absurd
rumours were current in the city. Describing
the incidents of the explosion, an evening [edition
of the Freeman's Journal (the Evening Telegraph)
states that after the accident had occurred Mr. Barton,
one of the court messengers, who had been knocked
down by the falling debris, crept to the window and
called to the crowd in the street for assistance, but
that "they gave cheers, as if gratified by the catas-
trophe which had befallen the Bankruptcy Court."
This statement has caused much indignant comment.
The greatest sympathy is felt with the relatives of the
poor lad who was killed, and with the other sufferer
by the accident. The plumber, Orr, has had his collar-
bone fractured. So severe was the explosion that the
plaster of several neighbouring apartments was cracked
and fell in showers, while panes of glass were broken
in the vicinity.