The Express.
London, England, 1862-08-06 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY CAST OP ARSON.

At the Lewes Assizes yesterday, before Mr. Baron
Bramwell, Harriet Goble. a girl 17 years of av, was
charged with feloniously and maliciously setting Are to a
dwelling.tiouse, the property of Charles Milligan, be and
other persona being therein at the time. Is other counts of
the indictment the intent of the prisoner was laid to be to
injure the prosecutor, and also to defraud.
Mr. Roupell and Yr. Willoughby conducted the prose-
cution ; Mr. Ribton sad Mr. Rather were counsel for the
Pzis'?"r•

The learned congeal for the prosecution, in opening the
case to the jury, dueribed it se °ono( a very extraordinary
character, no lean than four fires having taken place in the
house of the prosecutor on the same day, and by the last
of them the premises were entirely consumed, and property
to the value of between three thonmod and four thousand
pounds was destroyed. lie then proceeded to state the
facts he proposed to lay before them, and the following evi-
dence was adduced :
aim Matilda Milligsn, a fashionably deemed young lady,
of very prepossessing apparatus said—l am the daughter
of the prosecutor, and in July fat we occupied a house
upon Crawley Downs, which he had built for himself, and
which was entirely detached. The family. consisted of
my father and mother, the latter of whom is vary infirm,
so old man servant who has been thirtysiglit yearn is
the service, and the prisoner at the ker, who was cook
and housemaid. She came into our service in Fs ,broary
but she was not regularly engaged, and it was understood
that she was only to stop until we were suited with a
servant. I had been to Lorsloo for a short time previous
to the 10th of July, and returned home on that day. While
the prisoner was in the establishment I frequently com-
plained of her, and there were repeated disagreementa be-
tween us ; sod she was aware that she was to go the mo-
ment I could get soother servant that was likely to
snit. A servant did corns upon trial, but else did not
suit, and she was seat away, and the passer vas told
she might remain with us a few days longer. On
the morning of the 19th of July there was no fire in any
part of the 'wise except the kitchen, and the prisoner
appeared to be engaged about her household affairs as
usual. About one o'clock I observed that the house
was full of smoke; and at first we thought that it came
from the kitchen chimney. The family dined about half.
past two o'clock, and after dinner the smoke seemed to
increase, and a search was made, and it was discovered that
• portfolio in one of the upper rooms was on fire, and • coat
and dress were smouldering. This fire was extinguished,
and nothing more occurred until six o'clock, when the pri-
ironer gave another alarm of fire, and upon going upstairs 1
found that some books that were iu a bookcase were bars-
lag. There was no fire of any kind in this room, and I
do not know of any means by which the books could
, have become ignited. This fire was extinguished,
and the house was examined, and no trace of fire
was discovered. About half-put seven o'clock on
the same evening there was a third alarm of fire, and
this time the fire took place in • totally different room.
This fire wee put out, and 1 then heard the • r call
out, " A man ! • man! running up the • " I
and some other persons went up to the attic, but no man
could be discovered. The third fire was put out about
eight o'clock, and the bolus was then again examined all
over, and found to be free from fire, and things regained
in this state until half-peat nine o'clock at night, when
there was another alarm of fire, this being the
fourth. This time the tire was found to have got
so much head that it was impossible to pat it out,
and the house and the greater part of its contents
were destroyed, the value of the property lost being be-
tween three and four thousand pouuds. Among the property
that was in the house at the time the last fire broke
out, there was in my bedroom a small box which contained
• silver tea service, and my watch was also in the same room,
and these were found to be missing. I had a conversation
with the prisoner on the Monday after the fire respecting
them, and she told me she went into my room when the
last fire broke out, zrclahe saw the watch warrens, but the box
=tamping the plate was safe, and she took it up and went
down stairs with it, and met a man on the staircase who
knocked her down and took the box of plate from her, and
she lay upon the ground insensible with the Barnes burning
all round her. I did not observe any mark of • blow upon
the prisoner's face where she said she had been struck,
neither did I observe that any of her clothes were burned.
Crest-examined—The prisoner was only employed es •
sort of " stoplup," until we were able to get another ser-
vant. I may have made use of au expression to the effeet
that I was sick of the place where we were living, but that
I saw no chance of getting away unless the house should
catch fire. I think whet I said was in answer to an obser-
vation that was made that it was • wonder my father did
not sell the house, as it was known I did not like it, and I
remarked that my father would
burned out. I think I heard the man-servant make use of
the expression that I had soon had my wish. I tint sus-
pected the prisoner when she told me such • smogs story
about the plate.

Mr. itlbion —Now, Mien Millignn, I am very sorry to put
this question to you, but lam bound to do so. Were there
nut some very uupissaaut rumours about yourself in re-
ference to this fire?
Miss Milligan—l believe there were.
Mr. Ribton—Rumours that you had yourself set it on
fire

Mir Milligan—l believe so.
Mr. Itibton—lt was knows, was it not, that you disliked
the place, and wished your father to leave !
Mir Milligan—Yes.
Baron Bramwell—Was the property insared!
Kim Milligan—Not at all.
Baron Bramwell—And you say the property destroyed
was of the value of between 3,0001. and 4,000 f.
Xis' Milligan—l believe 4,0001., my lord.
BIM Bramwell—Then your reversionary Weld is it
would probably have been worth nearly two thousand
pounds!
Mies Milligan— It would, my lord.
Baron Bramwell—Were you and your father on good
terms?

my lord, very good terms.
Mr. Respell, to the witness—On your oath, is there the
slighteet truth or foundetion in the sausetke that you had
anti! to do with setting fire to this house ?
Nosellilligao— whatever. During the period that

elapsed between the third and the fourth Gres I was in •
room with several other persons.
In answer to a question put by the learned fade, the
witness said that the plate she referred to was in • very
mall box, and it could easily have been carried away. No
tress of it was found in the ruins of the fire.

Mr. prosecutor in this 0110,
and the father of the last witness. The house in question
was my own freehold property. I did not insure it because
I considered that as it was completely detached, sod in the
country, there was no risk of its taking fire. After the third
firel went all over the house and examined it carefully, and
I am sure it was quite safe.
Mr. Lilley, a fanner living in the neighbourhood, and a
gentleman named Cross, who was on a visit to him,
were then examined, and they proved that they were
seat for to the prosecutor's house, and that after the
third fire was extinguished they also examined the
house and saw it was safe, and they were about to leave
sraat the moment when the alarm of the fourth coi-
tion wee given. It appeared that this fire broke out
q te at the top of the house, among the rafters, where it
seems there had been a large quantity of waste paper kept.
These witnesses also proved that Miss Milligan was in their
company the whole time that elapsed between the third sod
fourth fires, and that it was therefore impossible that she
could have caused the mischief. These witnesses, as well
as the prosecutor, were asked as a matter of form, with a
view to show that the act must have been committed by the
prisoner, whether either of them had set fire to the house,
and they replied in the negative.
Robert Howes, the man servant, was examined, and the
same question was put to him, and he also replied in the
negative.
Mr. Kennard, a superintendent of the Surrey police, was
then celled to prove that the prisoner bad made certain
statements relating to the fire, which did not, however,
appear to be very material, and this closed the case for the
prosecution.
Mr. Ribton then proceeded to address the jury for the
prisoner. He said that the case was undoubtedly one of a
most extraordinary character, and the way in which the
prosecution soeght to establish the charge against the pri-
soner appealed to be by proving that no one else in the
house had done the act. He did not, of course, desire for a
moment to impute guilt to any the ; but it was obvious that
if the act had been committed by anyone else, that person
would deny it, and if the prisoner had been examined and
she bad been asked the question, she would have given the
same answer they did. Ile was then proceeding to observe
upon the absence of scything like direct evidence to sup-
port the charge against the prisoner, when he was stopped by
The jury, who expressed their opinion that the evidence
was not sufficient to support the charge, and they there-
fore found the prisoner not guilty.
The learned judge said he did not desire at all to object
to the verdict, but he could not help observing, in torment*
to a suggestion that had been thrown out in the course of
the ease, that it was absurd to ppo a that the act could
have been committed by Miss Milligan, especially when it
appeared that she would be so great a loser by it.

THE GARROTING CASE IN WATERLOO PLACE.
Yesterday two young men, who gave the names of
Hoary Chandler, of 9, Victoria-pine, Smith's-buildings,
Bermondsey, and Deems Murphy, 12 Herbert's-buildings,
Waterloo-road, tanners' were brought to Muibroughetreet
police•conrt, and pieced at the bar before Mr. Knox,
charged with being concerned with others not in eastedy. In
violently assaoltios J. Pilkingtoe, Esq., M.P., co the 15th
July, in Waterloo•plam, and steeling from his person
a gold watch and chain, hie property.
Mr. Edward Lewis wee for the prisoners.
Mary H 15, Friar-street, deposed—About cue o'clock
on the 15th Julyodge
lad, I was in Pall-Mall, near the statue,
close to the Athemieum-elub. I was alms, and I pointed out
the spot to the police. I saw a gentleman go past, he was
not exactly young. I believe be was deemed in black. Ism
a woman named Amelia go up to him. Imw her put her
hands in an improper manner oo him, but he did not want
her, and told her to go away. like went on him the
second timetyand then came back to Chandler. who
clue was , aed said, "I've got his jiffy," sod
Chandler replied, "Very sell, I'll settle him.' With that
he up with his fist and knocked him down. The other man
was with him, and he came up, and they both used him
shamefully. They put their arms round his neck, and
nearly strangled him. The men and woman went to a
public home, and the watch wu sold to one of the pri-
wooer's brothers.

Mr. Knor—How do you koow that !
Witness—Amelia told me so herself. The gentleman
was not able to proazz. 1 gave information to the police
and the soldier en guard.
Mr. Knox—Did yea know either of these prisoners be.
fore '

Witu know them both as perfect thieves.
Cross-examirmd by Mr. Lewis—Yam a vmarried woman.
My husband is in the 27th company Royal Engineers. I
was about won business is Pall-mall that night, and I
could not get home before. I had bees to King's-ernes on
business to my cousin. You may find out the business.
Mr. Knox—You must answer the question.
Witness—l went to Mn. Drummond's, No. 2, Somers-
street. Ido not know the time I went then, but I be-
lieve about nine o'clock. Cannot say when I left, it might
be about twelve o'clock. (The witness, who is an Irish-
woman, gave her evidence with great sharpness.):
Mr. Knox said that the witness was cutting her own
throat by her manner.
Cross-examined—lt was her business why she was at
Pall-mall on the night in question, and why she went to
Pall-mall on her way borne to Friar-street, Blaoldriasa
from King's-moss.
The witness here spelt* with so much flippancy to Mr.
Lewis that Mr. Knox said she was conducting herself
abominably, and he must have more decency while she was
giving eviden.
Crom-exernination continued—Had never been in trouble
at the Maaaion-house. Never lived with a man aimed
Toby. Wu standing in Pall-man shout two minutes be-
fore she sew Amelia. Knew Amelia as a thief. The
police had pointed her out to her as a thief. Had often
bsea to Bow.street to see a lady friend. Had not spoken
to Amelia that morning. The first thing @be saw was the
gentlemen knocked down like a Mute; that was enough
for her to see. Did not say the watch was taken first.
The watch was taken when the gentleman wee standing on
his feet, before he was knocked down. Let the gentleman
come and speak for himself if he is alive.
Mr. Knox said the evidence of the witness was one
tissue of impertinence. At first I thought she was drunk,
but she says she is not. It is impossible to put coy faith
is what is stated, especially in a aim where life and limb
were put in peril. A more disgusting exhibitive in • wit-
nees-box I never before witnessed.
Mr. Superintendent Hammitt said the witness Hodge
came to the station-house, and made • statement that she
witnessed the assault oa a gentleman in Waterloo-place.
She said the two prisoners and a woman named Amelia
were the parties. The superintendent here gave the state-
mast made at the police-station by the witness, which
vernal in several important particulars from the statement
above made.

Yr. Knox said there was • contradiction between the
two statement'.

Mr. Hannant said the witness took him to Waterloo-
oleos, and pointed out the place where she said the gentle-
man was knocked down. The plane was about 100 yards
from where the transaction occurred, and was also on the
other side of the way. He could not imagine the motive the
witness could have for making the charge against the men.
The charge was a very serious one, and he did not feel
justified in not entertaining it, though he had his doubts
about the veracity of the witness.
The witness was recalled, and told to conduct herself
with more propriety.
Re•ex►mined—Both stories were true. Did not know
which of the three said, " I've got his Jerry." Amelia did
not say so; she said, "I have Dot got los Jerry go
back sod get it"
Mr. Knox referred to his notes, and pointed out the entire
discrepancy between this and the previous statement.
Mr. E. Lewis—Well, tell us which is the truth.

Witness—You may take his wonhip's statement. It was
Murphy put hie arms rouni the gentleman. I was near
enough to we that the two men were only together ; the
woman was not with them. I don't know which of the two
men took the watch. I did not see who put his arms round
the gentleman. I screamed a dozen times for the pollee.
The superintendent said the men Wen bad chamfers;
one of them had been convicted. _ _

Mr. Knox said bad the charge been one of ordinary import-
ance, the way the witness bad given her evidence would have
mused its dismissal as soon as she bad made her statement.
The task was imposed on him of discharging the two pri-
soners, who even if they had been returned convicts, and
shown to be the very worst of characters, could not have
been held in custody on evidence such as bad been gives
before him. The woman had perjured himself, and con-
tradicted herself in every way. She had given two versions
of the same story, and both inconsistent with each other.
In short the whole of her story was a mass of shameless
perjury.
It was impossible that the Queen's subjects could
detained in custody on such unsupported evidence. and
be should therefore order the prisoners to be discharged.

THE ALLEGED GAROTTE ROBBERY AND MURDER
Ar HOXTON.—Last night Mr. Humphreys resumed the
inquiry at the Green Mao Tavern. High-street, Horton,
respecting the death of Mr. Samuel Chapman, aged 70 years,
late dean of Ebenezer chapel, who was discovered in a state
of insensibility and seriously injured in the adjoining pre-
mises. There was no additional evidence brought forward
calculated to throw light on the affair, and the jury re-
turned a verdict to the effect that the deceased was foutd
dying on the floor of his room with effusion of blood on
the brain, bat whether from violence or otherwise there
wu no evidence to abow.

CRYSTAL PALAOII... ONI SHILLING DAT. --
TUESDAY. AUGUST 5. AaNthillOClS on payment, 11,664;
ditto by Baum tiekobl, 2,020; total. 15,674.

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