The Express.
London, England, 1867-06-17 00:00:00

COURT OF EXCHEQUER-JUNE 15.

Bitting* in Bens.—(Before the Lord Chief Baron, and
Barons Martin and Channell).
SLADE r. /MAIM

The Lord Chief Baron asked the Solicitor•Ceneral
whether the plaintiff bad come to any decision as to what
course he would adopt after the judgment of the court.
The Solicitor-General said he had not had any com-
munication with the parties.
Mr. Baron Martin—l think before the plaintiff does
anything you should read the judgments which have been
delivered.

The Solicitor-General—l have read them.
The Lord Chief Baron—Let it be understood that we
shall do nothing unless an intimation is made to us with
the concurrence of both parties, or an application is made
on the part of your client, who alone has the right to ask
that Mr Baron Pigott's judgment he withdrawn.
The Solicitor-General—l repeat that I have seen nothing
of the parties since the delivery of the judgments. For
all I know they may be discussing the matter among
themselves, and Ido not think there would be any in-
superable objection to the question being postponed until
next term.

The Lord Chief Baron—Then we will do nothing unless
some intimation be made to us.

Mr. Baron Martin—Since Thursday we have heard of
something of which we were not then aware.
The conversation then dropped.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

Morita W. Bond, 57, described as a cab master, and T.
Nye, 40, grocer, were charged with maliciously and felo-
niously setting fire to a dwelling-house, with intent to
defraud the London Assurance Company. The prisoner
Bond appeared to have taken possession of the house in
question, which was situated in St. John's-terrace, Dept-
ford, in the month of July last, and he at this time repre-
sented himself to have been a farmer in Norfolk, and said
that he had just made a fire on his farm, and had lost pro-
perty to the amount of 1,60 W. He signed an agreement for
threeyears,and was admitted into possession of thepretuises,
and he effected an insurance with the London Assurance
Fire-office for 1:101. upon the property which he represented
to be in the house. The fire took place on the night of the
:Nth August, and shortly afterwards the prisoner Bond
made his claim upon the fire-office for the property which
he represented to have been destroyed. The story be told
at the time was that he had left the house in charge of a
person named Noble, having been compelled to go into the
country ou business, and that he could not find this
person, and was therefore unable to give any information
as to the origin of the fire. The insurance company, it
appeared, were not at all satisfied with the prisoner's
story, and they put several questions to him, and he ad-
mitted that he bad had several other fires within a very
short period, and this, of course, did not tend to allay
the suspicion that existed, and the company refused to
settle the claim without having an opportunity of
seeing the man Noble, who was represented to have been
in the house at the time the fire happened. The other
prisoner, Nye, was then introduced as Noble, and the
agents of the company put some questions to him, but he
professed himself unable to give any information as to how
the fire happened. On the result, however, the claim was
settled by the payment of 501., and after that had been
done circumstances occurred which led to the apprehension
of the prisoners and the present charge being preferred
against them. . . _

Some further evidence having been adduced, Mr. Justice
Willes summed up, and the jury returned • verdict of
Guilty against both prisoners, with a recommendation to
mercy on the gerund that they believed the prisoners bad
been the dupes of some third party.
Mr. Justice M'illes concurred with the finding of the
jury, and sentenced Bond to penal servitude for seven
years, and Nye for five years.