The Express.
London, England, 1861-11-13 00:00:00

TEE rXPRESS, WEPNFSDAY EVENING. NOVEMBER 13, 1861.

THE POLICE COURTS.

MANSION-HOUSE.
A respectable-looking young man, namedHcnry, Coventry,
was brought before the Lord Mayor, in custody of Mr.
Foulger, one of the inspectors of the City Police, upon the
capital charge of feloniously, wilfully, and maliciously set-
ting fins to the Robin Hood public-house, Skinner-street,
liishopagate, persons being therein at the time.
I Mr. Humphreys, jun., of the firm of Humphrey., Son,
and Morgue, of Newgate-street, attended on behalf of the
prisoner. The case appeared to be one of rather an extraor-
dinary character.
Inspector Foulger said—At half-peat three o'clock on
Monday teeming, in consequence of information I received,
I went to the Robin Hood public. house, kept by Mr.
Mower, accompanied by some of the tire brigade, and when
I arrived there I observed smoke issuing from the cellar.
flop. and also an appearance of flames inside the cellar.
The cellar-flap war forced open and we went io, and I then
saw that the joists of the flooring above the cellar were on
fire in two places, six feet apart. One portion of the floor-
ing on fire wita near the beer engine, and the other was in
a corner under the spirit pipes, and some of the latter were
melted by tLe heat, and five of the pipes of the beer engine
were also melted and detached from the engine. I
examined the place carefully, and found that several
of the metal branches which conveyed gas to different
parts of the house were also melted, and the metal had
fallen upon the ground, and the gas war blazing from the
main iron service pipe, and this flame appeared to have set
fire to the joists of the cellar. From the examination I
made I believe that a hole must have been made in the
lead service pipes, and that the gas was ignited, and that it
then consumed the metal up to the iron main pipe, and if
the fire had not been discovered when it was, the house
would in all probability have been destroyed. The
Ras appeared to be turned on full, and it smelt
very strongly when we went into the cellar. roe of the
gas pipes appeared to have been unscrewed, and
this must have been done intentionally. The prisoner is
the potman at the Robin Hood, bat he was not iu the house
at the time the fire was discovered. The landlord and land-
lady and two children had gone to bed, and the children
were taken out by means of the tire escape. I ascertained
that the back and front doors of the house were properly
secured, and there were no means of obtaining access to the
premises except at the back, but any person in order to get
there by that means would have to climb over every high
wall. On Monday evening I went again to the house, and bad
• conversation with the landlady and a female servant upon
the subject of the fire, and I afterwards saw the prisoner,
and told him that there was something very suspicious about
the fire, and I was about to put some questions to him, but
be need not mower them unless he pleased, as his answers
might affect him afterwards. I then said to him, This
house was set on fire by some one in two places. Your mis-
tress says that you were the last person in the cellar on the
sight before the lire, and that she sent you down to turn
the gas off at the main, and that she knows you did turn
it off, because while you were in the cellar one of
the lights in the bar was turned out." I then said
that there was no one in the house but his mistress,
himself, the servant, and the children, and that one'
of them must have set it on fire. The prisoner then said
he knew nothing about it, he did not do it, and he added
that he had fastened up the house, and saw all safe, and
his mistress let him out at a quarter to twelve o'clock, and
he then took • short walk in Shorediteh and got home about
half-past twelve o'clock. The inspector then produced the
pieces of gas pipe that had been detached and burnt in the
manner he described.

The Lord Mayor inquired whether there was any evidence
to connect the prisoner with the fire?
Inspector Foulger said he had no further evidence to lay
before bin lordship at present.
The Lord Mayor inquired whether it was true that the
prisoner was let out of the house before 12 o'clock on the
night previous to the fire.
Inspector Foulger said be believed it was.
Mr. Humphreys said there wee no doubt of this fact, and
that the fire did not break out until nearly three hours
afterwards. if the prisoner had set fire to the house before
b` left, • discovery must have been made long before half-
The Lord Mayor inquired whether there had been any
quarrel between the prisoner and his master and mistress,
or whether any ilLfeeliog existed between them?
Inspector Foulger said be had not heard that there wee
anything of the sort.
His Lordship then said that however suspicious the cir-
cumstances might appear, he did not see that there was
the slightest evidence against the prisoner, and he should
therefore order him to be at once discharged.

CLERKENWELL.
James A 'erander Carrick, who described himself as a
gentleman, but who afterwards stated that be was a clergy-
man, residing at Bexley-heath and at Bethnal-green,
charged with being drunk and disorderly at the Queen's
H ead -boties, Theobald'aread, and also breaking a
glass shade, the property of Mr. William Barrow, licensed
victualler.

he prisoner, the worn for liquor, entered the complain-
ant's bar, and requested to be served with some drink.
While he was standing there be broke a glass shade, and
when asked to pay for it he refused, and made a great dis-
turbanoe, and was violent. A constable was then called,
and the prisoner was given into custody ; and on the way
to the station he undo a great disturbance.
The defendant said he was very sorry mid would pay the
damage.
Mr. Barker ordered the defendant to pay the damage, or
in default to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for
00V8.11 days. . . _

The prisoner, who said he had not got the money, but
would send to his friend*, wu locked up.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
Mr. %Won have his decision on a question of importance
to manufactunag traders and to dust contractors.
The ease appeared to be this :—Messrs. Wilson and Co.,
bath manufacturers, of Wardour-street, summoned Mr.
Residing, the dust contractor, for refusing to remove the
dust and ashes from the premises. The contractor urged
that the dust and ashes referred to were, in fact, clinkers,
or rather the refuse of trials, and, therefore, under his
contract, he was nut compelled to remove refuse of trade
unless he received additional compensation.
Mr. May, for Messrs. Wilson, proved that the operations
of trade required the consumption of Loge quantities of
coal ; that this coal was reduced in the furnaces to ashes,
and that the contractor was bound by his contract to remove
it The assertion that It was refuse of trade was incorrect,
as refuse of trade could only be considered as tin cuttings,
and cuttings from the metal used for the baths, all of
which were articles sold at a profit, and never mined with
the coal used in the furnaces. _ _ _

Mr. Beedon Raid he had carefully looked into the act of
parliament, and had satisfied himself of what the legisla-
!attire contemplated by the words "refuse of trade." Such
refuse of trade was what would occur, for instance, at an
iron foundry where the melted iron mixed with the ulna,
and rendered the stuff toe certain extent worthless to the
contractor. But the case here was quite different The
fishes, or clinkers, produced in court, exhibited nothing of
an admixture with the materials used in the trade of the
complainants. His opinion, therefore, was that the con-
tractor was bound to take it away under his contract, and
without extra payment. At the same time, he must re-
mark, that the propriety was doubtful of referring such
questions to magisterial decides, against which there was
no appeal. Such questions, he thought, ought to be deter-
mined by practical men.
Both sides expressed themselves quite satisfied with the
decision of the magistrate.

Mr. F, anew Edwards, of 17, Baton.phsce, gentleman, and
Justice of the peace for the county of Bucks, was brought
up on • warrant, charged with being drunk, riotous, and
assaulting the police.
Defendant had neglected to appear to his bail on the
previous day, when the warrant was granted for his arrest.
Police-constable M'Ainey, 220 B, said that at two o'clock
on Monday morning he beard a now in Manchester-street,
Pimlico, and found defendant knocking at 56. A
lady looked out of window and asked who knocked.
Defendant said it was hie house ; the lady said
it well not. After some time the defendant went
away, but returned nod resumed the knocking. Wit-
nem desired him to discontinue, and the lady declared that
he had no business there. In order to put an end to the
disturbance witness requested the lady to come down and
speak to the gentleman, awl she did. When she opened
the door defendant suddenly turned upon the constable and
struck him two blows across the head with his caue. He
was then secured and taken to the station, where he was
bailed. Defendant was drunk, and said he wished he had
broken witness's heed.
. .

Defendant maid that be had been dining with some friends
and unfortunately taken too much wine. He expressed the
deepest regret at what bad occurred, ►nd urged that he
could not have hurt the constable, who had irritated hint
by laying hold of him.
Mr. Plater expressed his regret at finding a person in
defeedint position of life, who ought to est a butter
exsuiple. brought before him for such reprehensiblecooduct,
and questioned whether he ought not to commit him to
prison, without imposing a fine, but in consideration of the
regret he bad expressed at him misconduct he would not
do so. lie then fined defendant 40s. for being drunk and
riotous, and 51. for assaulting the polioemaa.
The fines were immediately paid.

HA hi MERBMITH.
The commanding officer of the First Middlesex Engineers
Rifle Corp.. of the Keneington Museum, attended before
Mr. Layman, to support • number of summonses against
volunteers of his corps for the oon•payment of their sub-
scriptions. Several of the summonses could not be served
on account of a change of residence, and in one instance •
warrant was granted.
John Fry, a member of the 4th company, appeared and
stated as • reason for not paviug the arrears of rte. 6d.
that he had been laid up with rheumatism, but he would
pay if time were allowed.
Captain Ransoms, of the 4th company, proved the de-
mand, and said that if the defendant had not sufficient
money to pay his subscriptions, be had sufficient to get
married mime he had entered the corps.
Mr. Duman told the defendant that be was liable to
pay all the arrears, and as a penalty the double of them,
to be recovered by distress, and in the case of there
being no distress, imprisonment to follow. H. would ad-
journ the summons for a week, to enable him to pay the
money.
Several others, belonging to another company atheism'
sore, were also adjourned for • week, and the •
pointed oat the law to sash of them se they wee*