Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-08-27 00:00:00

mark of

entering the stair-case
by the hand. He.was present when the this:
over to Mr. Coyne. He saw Mr. Coyne sign
and he saw him sign the list of the things given over
He heard the list read over to Mr. Coyne.

ere was

s were given

The witness was cross-examined by

Rime, but no

Ldditional facts were el

ted of any importance,

further

in sever

points

John Tyson was next examined

—lle was 8

service of the salvage committee. He remained in charge
of :he house from the time of the fire up till the 30th
March. He made out a list of the art
salvage officers. He checked the list in tl

es in the .cu

,world have thought of setting his house on fire between
nine and ten o'clock on such a night, as it must be dis-
covered immediately. It had been put forward as
a most singular circumstance, that Miss Coyne had
een at her own door at first, and then, forsooth,
because she did not happen to tun her eyes up in the
direction of the smoke at once, she must be charged as
an accomplice in this foul crime of setting the house on
fire. He considered it very probable that the fire had
been carried into the different rooms by the people who
had rushed in and pulled things about confusedly,
carrying the sparks about with them, along with the
flxmes from the young woman's dress. The fire would
thus spread at once into every room. He could not
conceive, if Mr. Coyne set the house on fire, how
it was that the most flammable materials were
less consumed than those of weightier substance.
As to the match that was found, there was a number of
candles lighted, and were being carried about by the
people ; and not one match, but a number of matches,
according to the witnesses for the defence, were found
lying about the floor. These matches were required, no
doubt, to light the candles. With regard to the evidence
on the part of the defence, it was not such as would con-
vict the plaintiff in a criminal court on the charge set
and his honour must have such evidence before
re he could find a verdict against him. In

forwarc
him be:

alluding to the conduct of the par—ties, he said a
gentleman, high in office, had said, that if the
plaintiff would send in a reasonable claim, he
would endeavour to get him £lO. That was inconsis-
tent with the idea that the insurance company supposed
that the house had been set on fire. In nineteen cases
out of every twenty, there was a latent suspicion that

a fire did not occur by accident. If the compny had had
this suspicion, it would be their bounden duty to resist it
on these grounds. He concluded by saying that his
honour must have such evidence before him as would
satisfy a jury that the plaintiff had set this house on fire,
before he could say be was guilty of this crime, which he
believed was still punishable by death. His honour
would see that the plaintiff was now on his trial, and
that no jury would convict upon the testimony brought
before him, much less a gentleman of his honour's

experience.
His Honour said he would have been glad of the

assistance of a jury ; but he would give the Case his best
on, and give judgment on Monday next.

considerat

KIRKDALE ANNUAL LICENSING
SESSIONS.

The annual brewsters' sessions for the Kirkdale divi-
sion were held at the Court-house, Kirkdale, yesterday,
for the granting of licenses for the•sale of spirituous
liquors. The magistrates present were—William Hall,
Robert Theakstone, G. H. Horsfall, Robert Benn, J.
Grant Morris, John Campbell, and John Myers, Esqs.,
and Major Chambers.

Mr. HALL said the superintendent of police had pre-
pared for the court a report relative to the state of
crime, and other matters important to the district. So

he consider that report, that he thought
it should be read ; and he was the more anxious to have
this done, as a considerable portion of it referred to
matters connected with licensing public-houses and the
mode of conducting them, and as most of the publicans,
if not all, within the district were present. He was
also of opinion that, from the report referred to, it
would be seen that so long as publicans conducted their
houses and their business in conformity with the law,
they would receive the support and countenance of the
bench.