The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-09 00:00:00

THE EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF ARSON.

The trial of the prisoner Steplwn Samuel Wales for felo-
niously and maliciously setting tire to his dwelling-house
with intent to defraud the Western Fire Insurance Com-
pany of 050/., was resumed this morning at 10 o'clock,
before Mr. Justice Blackburn. . _

The ease for the defence was proceeded with, the first
witness who was examined being called to prove that in the
months of September and December before the fire, which
occurred on the 21st of January, the prisoner was supplied
with jewellery to the amount of nearly 2001. Another
witness, named Bradley, who had been fora good many
years in the Fire Brigade, and who bad had a great deal of
experience in fires, said that he went over the house in
February, and be did not observe anything unusual
in the appearances that presented themselves, and he

expressed-in opinion that the deposit on the floor and the
walls was nothing but the ordinary smoke that would be
occasioned by such a fire as had taken place in the house.
Another witness named Moore, who described himself
as a chemist residing in the Back-road, St. George's-in-the-
Kam, was next called, and he stated that be had examined
and analysed a portion of the paper and the flooring, and
he was of opinion that the black deposit upon them might
have been occasioned by the burning of oilcloth, and oil
table.coverhig. He also stated that he had examined •
portion of the debris that remained, and found they con-
sisted of plate-glass and portions of burned oilcloth and
oil table-covering, but he could not discover any smell of
tar. He also said that oilcloth was composed of canvass,
boiled oil, waffle oil, snd sugar of lead, and the burning
of such ingredients he considered would account for the de-
posit that appeared on the walls and floor.

r•
In cross examination this witness said that he had been
• chemist all his life, but be did not at present keep a
shop. He said that he got his living in the best way he
possibly could, and be explained that he was in the habit
of prescribing for patients, which he said he had a right to
do, as he was legally qualified. He knew nothing of the
prisoner, and he oould hardly tell how he came to be
introduced into this case, but the brother-in-law of the
prisoner was an old friend of his, and he spoke to him upon
the subject, and in consequence of what he said he went to
the house and examined it.

The witness well asked to smell a portion of the debris
from the tire, and to state whether he could distinguish
any odour of tar. He did so, apparently very carefully,
and then stated that he could not discover any ouch odour.
Serjeant Ballantine asked the jury to smell the article
that had been shown to witness, in order that they might
form their opinion upon the point, and when they had
done so, they all expressed themselves to the effect that
the smell of tar was clearly discernible,
Mr. Juotiee Blackburn also smelt the substance that had
been produced, and he said that although he had a alight
cold he could certainly distinguish the smell of tar.
IThe case was proceeding when we went to press.]

THE POLICE COURTS.
(THIS DAY.)

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
THE HYDE•PARK OUTCAHTS.

Two dirty miserable-looking young women named Mary
B",,en and Eliza Barges were charged before Mr. Knox
with wandering abroad in Hyde-park, not h►ving ► fixed
place of abode, or visible means of subsistence.
Sergeant William Henley, 707 A, said that about 3
o'clock that, morning he was on duty in Hyde-park and
saw the two prisoners lying on a seat fast asleep. He
woke them up and asked them why they were in the park
after the gates were closed, when theT said they had no
place to go to and no money to get lodgings.
Mr. Knox asked the sergeant whether he had seen the
young women before!
The sergeant said he had, and that they frequented the
park as prostitutes.
Mr. Knox said it was what occurred every season as
soon as the fine weather set in.

Inspector Butler mid he had cautioned the young wo-
men before, but they bad never been charged before.
Mr. Knox, after remarking that the prisoners could not
be worse off anywhere than starving about the park, com-
mitted them for a month each.
SOUTHWARK.
REMARKABLE VICAPE ON A RAILWAY.

Tbovura Sheppard, a middle-aged man, wee placed at the
bar charged with trespaaung on the South Eastern Rail-
way and endangering his life.
It appeared from the evidence of Mr. James Bell, an

I inspector of the South Eastern Railway, that he was ,
duty at the London-bridge terminus about half-past 9
night, when the prisoner was brought to him by a signal.
=an, who found him lying on the line between the metals.
He had a cut on the nide of the head, which witness
thought had been caused by his being struck by an engine,
He was almost in an insensible state, and as soon as he
covered he said that he took his ticket at New-cross
London-bridge, but by mistake got out at the Spa-road,
and he thought he might as well walk up.
The magistrate asked if he was sober.
The inspector rndiedtbatla ME Dot It was -
wonder he was not killed,as at the spot where he was.
five or six lines of railway converge.
The signalman at the Spa-road said that he maw the p.
sooner walking along the line, and he fell just as • train
passed, and most likely he was struck by the engine,
Witness ran to him and picked him up, and with some
difficulty got him to the London-hridge terminus.
was very drank, and he wondered he was not killed.
In answer to the charge, the prisoner said he was
drunk that he did not know anything about it. He h
been • teetotaller for twenty years, and wasfoolishly
induced to drink some spirits at New-arose, and that took
a bad effect on him.

The magistrate told him that he had had a miraculous
escape, and ought to be thankful to the sign►lman
taking him oft the line. As • caution to him for
future, be fined him 10s., or ten days' imprisonment.

SUSPECTED MURDER IN ST. MARTIN'S-LA.

BOW-STREET.-(THIS DAY.)

Wm. Wallace, a punch-maker, was brought
before Sir Thomas Henry, the chief magistrate, charged
on suspicion of causing the death of • woman, named
Elizabeth Jeffrey, who had been living with him as '
wife, at No. 4, Taylor's-buildings, St. Martin's-lane.
Dr. Harvey, of Southampton-street, Strand, surgeon
the F division of police, deposed—On Tuesday. at about
quarter to 2 the prisoner Caine to me asking me to gobs
with him to Taylor's-buildings, as he was afraid that
woman with whom he lived was dead. He had been
several medical men, and he could not get anyone
attend. He said that on the Sunday they bad be
drinking together, and scuffling, and she fell against,
think he said, a bedpost. I went with him to 4, Taylor's•
buildings, and in the third floor front room I saw the woman
dressed, lying on the bed outside the counterpane.
was quite dead. Both eyes were blackened, the left
so much swelled that it could not be opened to see the
There were also blue marks on the upper lip. Upon
counterpane were marks of blood and fluid like saliva.
The injuries I should think had been inflicted about
forty-eight hours. A woman told me in the prisoner's
presence that she was found lying on her face,
and that the marks on the counterpane corm
Tended to the position she was in. She probably had t,
a fit, or convulsion. If so, there would be • discharge
saliva. She wan still warm, but getting stiff, and Wheat
dead, I should think, about an hour or an hour and a half.
I asked him when be last saw her alive. He said at half.
past 11, when he went out, and he added that he returned
at half-past 1, just before he came to me. He then
found her in the condition she was then in.

black eyes could not have bees the remelt el
fall, but must have been produced by hieve.
advised him to send for a policeman, which be
very readily as it seemed to toe. At half-past 2
Wednesday, I wade a post mortem examination, at
catacombs of St. Martin's Church. The body was
nourished, and in the stomach there was a fluid like ts.
end one tea-leaf. The heart was thick end more fatty thee
it should be. The liver was a little enlarged. The other
organs excepting the head were healthy. Upon di.
setting the scalp from the bones of the head, about
inch above the ear was a discoloured spot, what we all
ecchymosed wound, and the whole scalp was much am
gated. Upon exposing the brain the membranes ware
much congested, particularly the left lobe ; and corre-
sponding to the spot I have mentioned was a clot of blood
about as large as a hen's egg under the de-
meter. The immediate cause of death was tla
pressure of that clot on the brain. I believe
that the clot was produced, injuring the vessels, by tlr,
blow which caused the spot on the scalp I could not .
whether that might be the effect of a fall. It must has
been by some hard substance. It was a bruise, not a cut.
Police-sergeant Lambert, F 14, stated that at about
half-past 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon he was
called to the hones in question, and in the third
floor front room be saw the deceased lying on the bed.
The prisoner was there at the time. Without my asking
him any questions he said, " I went out at 1l o'clock
this morning. She asked um to get home at 1 o'clock •
dinner. I returned at about that time, and found
lying upon the bed, apparently dead. I immediately
out for a medical man, and Dr. Harvey attended." I t
asked him if there had been any quarrel He said,"Wel,
both been drinking on Sunday, and between :1 and
we had a row,and a stroggle in the room, and the mark on:
eye was caused by falling against the bedstead." He ala
said they had been on fnendly terms since. I then went
with the beadle to remove the body to the dead house.
Yesterday, after the post mortem examination, I was it
structed to take him into custody, and I did so
Leicester.square, about 4 o'clock. On the
to the station he said that for some time

had suffered from deafness in the left ear;

she could not bear for some time, and that then somethirg
would snap, after which she could hear again. This he
believed was caused by a fall over the bannister five weeks
slime. I brought him to the station, and charged him.
The prisoner—Did I toll you I wished her to go
hospital!
M Anew—Yes; and that you did not know whether
did so or not.

Sr Thomas Henry said it would be desirable to have t.
evidence of some person living in the house, who knew
most of the habits of the prisoner and the deceased.
luspecto! Thompson said he proposed to call a woman
who lived in the room below, but she was not here, though
she promised to attend.
Sir Thomas Henry directed that if necessary a 'amnions
should be bunted to compel her attendance.
Several women residing in the house stated that '..
prisoner and the deceased lived very happily when sober,
but were both in the habit of drinking and of quarreling
when the worse for liquor. They had • row on Sunday
when he was heard to say repeatedly "Put it down ; ye
must be mad." She replied, You will drive me toad:
Afterwards she was seen with two black eyes. She midi
" was more her fault than his ; the poor fellow would.
do it but for her temper." She had frequently fallen dm
stairs—once on Friday last, and had said that shawondeu
she had not been killed long ago by falling down stain
often.

Sir Thomas Henry commented on the evident desire
the witnesses to semen the prisoner, and asked the 111
witness whether the woman did not simply say that du
wondered she bad not been killed, and whether bf
falling down stairs so often" was uot witness's own addi-
tion ? He remanded the prisoner to await the result'
the inquest.

Next month three new steamers are advertised
take out the India mail, viz., the Bangalore, blooltan,
Columbian.

FATAL FIGHT. —(THIS Day.)—This morning.
tween 7 and o'clock, a lad of the name of Alf'
M'Carthy, residing at Ray-street, Clerkenwell, bac
quarrel with a lad of the name of Henry Taylor, of
New City-buildings, Metropolitan Cattle Market, and
they could not settle it, they adjourned to Sullertonme,
and fought together in the presence of about t
a dozen persons. Several rounds took place,
which Taylor apparently had the best of it, b.
the other one persisted iu lighting. The deceased.
11`Carthy, fell down apparently in a fit, but before,
surgeon arrived M'Carthy had ceased to exist. Tad
was taken into custody, and char,* at the Caledonia'
road police-station, and information has been forwarded
to Dr. Lsnkester, the coroner, so that an inquest may ti
held on the body.
THE MYSTERIOUS SuleIDE AT TIIE INTERNATION.
HOTEL —The gentleman who was found dying in his real
at the International Hotel has been identified by
brothers. His name is Mr. Joseph Statham, and he
:hi years of age. He was a licensed victualler carrying
business at West Berke, near Nottingham. On last T,
day morning he left his house, as his family supposed,
the purpose of taking a walk, but he did not return. h.
never said that he was going to London, and what mad'
him take a journey to the metropolis is a mystery.
had latterly been in a very desponding state of mind.
whenever any of his relatives asked him the cause of
depression he invariably replied " Nothing." It it
lieved that his mind had given way.
ASPHALTE PAVEMENT.—Extensive works
now in progress on the west side of the new rsl vc.
station in Broad-street, in the City. A monster good,
station is slowly developing itself from a vast chars d
bricks, stone, iron, and timber. Huge columns of irce
stand like giant sentinels in stately rows, and ponder°
girders lie prostrate on the ground and seem to Jeff '
the efforts of mechanical science to raise them. Sc."'
of these enormous girders, however, are allied/
lodged on their lofty resting-places. A long *r
of arches presents to the eye a striking effect -,
perspective, and affords platforms for the rapid loading sod
unloading of merchandise. These platforms are now nod/
finished, and like everything around them, they are lerP
Their surfaces are as smooth as marble, and as hani
granite, being Covered with Pyrimont Seyesell Alphalt
laid on a bed of carefully levelled concrete. They sin
every way similar to, and for the slime duty as, those that
have been in constant use for many years at the Greif
Northern and North Western deptda for goods at King,
cross and Camden-town. The adoption of asphalt* st lib
these places arose from its use at Messrs. lickford
aced
Co.'s dept* in Wood-street at the time it was erected
184:1.—Builder.
Eros Cou.soc—Yesterday the Easter vacate'
terminated with the return of the lower boys. The lifa
and sixth forms reach the college to-day and tomorrow bi
which time the whole of the scholars will have assembled.