The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-10-12 00:00:00

Taylor, Mr. Blunt, the solicitor fir the prisoner, came in, and on
the demand being repeated, he hesitated whether it should be given,
and afterwards said to the girl, " Well, Kitty, you may give it,
but it will he of no use to you, I have been there before you.'' On
Saturday, after the commitment of Sarah Drew, the servant of Mr.
Lszenee, on suspicion of setting fire to Alr. \Vlsite's house, he had
a conversation with Mr. IVhita about calling on Mr. Bradford, the
oil-Ivan who sold the links. Witness, Mr. Lazarus, Ale. Davis,anci
Mr. White, went to Ale. Bredford'e; Mr. %Vhite had previously
told him that he did not know of any links being in the house but
on going to Mr. Bradford.* the prisoner told him he hail been
dining with his mother the day before, and that she told him there
were some links in the house six months before. Witness remarked
to the prisoner t* at It was a strange thing that he did not recollect
theeireunst.eneebefore. The prisoner replied that he recollected
hating htuti company
some months back, and that when they were
sitting in the yard, the wind was so strong that it blew the candles
out, and that they used a link instead. When they went to file.
Bradford's in the afternoon, Mr. Lazarus aid, " We have come
here to see if you can say if cutter of us was the person to whom
the links were sold. Ant I the person ?" Mr. Bradford said s, No."
The prisoner said he could prove that he was in bed at noon nn the
Pante day (August 4). Mr. Bradford told the prisoner he could tell
better if he saw the gentleman in his looming gown. IVitiless
said to Mr. White, " You will have no objection to putting on
your morning gown, and coming down to let Mr. Bradford see
you." The prisoner hesitated some moments, and said, " Indeed
I shall not make a puppet-show of myself."
The trap-door which had been represented broken off the hinges
by the incendiaries was produced by rureeman ; there were no ap-
parent marks of violence ; the witness stated that the nails had
been drawn by somebody from within, as there were no marks of
violence on the outside.
Cathrtine Taylor was recalled by Mr. A I.ll.re—ller master told
her the trap-door had been forced off, but dues not recollect what
else lie said.
Thomas Ihelwell, ahopman to Mr. Bradford, oilman, in Broad-
street, recollects a person coining for two links between eleven and
one on the 4th of August ; he had a grey morning gown on ; has
seen that person since in the watehhouse of St. (tiles s, and believes
the prisoner at the bar to bethe person ; he had his twining gown
on in the waichhouse. The links had more pitch on them than they
generally have. The attorney fur the prisoner had applied to him
since the prisoner's apprehension.
Riley, the braille, produced the pieces of link. Witness thinks
them to be parts of the same he sold.
W. Hopkinson. 3, Tavistoek.place, comfactor, is the landlord of
White's house. The prisoner's mother is the tenant ; but the pri-
soner has been the occupier for two or three years. The prisoner f
not bound to ineure the house to the extent of its value ; he pays a
small part of the insurance himself.
John Yeaniley, mill-maker, 2fill, High Holborn, occupies the
next house to the prisoner. On the second day atter the first fire be
OW White at Isis own door. The prisoner told him he had taken
up the servant of elf. Lazarus on suspicion of setting fire to the
bowie; that she was remanded for a wee':, and that he find no
doubt else was the person, because the pitch of the torches had been
traced from the ranee across the kitchen, and that she had marks of
pitch on her hands. A few days after the convereation witness's
wife went early to bed, between nine and ten o'clock, and, on look-
ing out of her back window, saw White on the top of his kitchen,
'Hsieh is detached from the dwelling.house, brandishing a sword,
crying out " where are you ?" There was nn fire at that titne.
Soon offer the prisoner knocked at the doer of el peas, and said that
they (the robbers) had come again ; that he head them at the hack
of the house. Witness asked him how he knew that ? lie replied,
that he heard them whistling ; one calling to the other through
their knuckles, and showed the manner of their whiettng. The
prisoner suggested that the thieves had come by witness's house.
Witness said, " Before we go backwards to look I can readily die-
cover if any person hae escaped by my house." Witness showed
him the only way, aid the prisoner, as well as himself, were sat's.
fled that there was no passing over that way. The prisoner
skid, he had had friends sitting up watching ever since, and that
his solicitor was one of those friends. On one nigh;, one of
his fri oils was watching with a blunderbuss and a sword,
and distinctly heard the thieves in the lower part of the house luck-
ing and unlOcking the doors, and passing the bell wires, that pro.
jelled almost all over the house; his friend with the blunderbuss
advanced a few steps; unfortunate ly the stairs creaked. Ile was
satisfied there were more persons than one below ; his friend re-
turned with another friend who was gone to lie down: unfortunately
his friend's shoes creaked, which gave an opportunity for them to
escape. Wetness asked the prisoner how it was possible for persons
to escape from a man so armed ? The prisoner said it was impas-
sible otherwise than up the chimney, but he could not discover by
tine soot, because the rubbish had not been removed since the fire.
Witness has since examined the chimneys of the prisoner's house,
and is confident no person had escaped up any of them, in cnnse.
(pence of the looseness of the pots and the bricks. Between six
and seven o'clock in the morning after the second fire, a fireman
invited witness into White's house, to see the state of the house;
the hearth-rug was thrown up ins lump near the fire-place; it felt
and stitch strong of turpentine. Mehl heard that some persons
had ante over the house top, witness has examined the communi-
cation, and is satisfied that no person could get into die prisoner's
without the assistance of a ladder. . .

..... -..—.-..
John Pope, 263, High Holborn, is assistant to his brothers as
linen-draper. Last Wednesday morning he was awoke by the
prisoner knocking at the skylight to be let in. Whew let him
in, and afterwards went into the prisoner's house; there appeared
to be three distinct fires—in the parlour, in the shop. and under the
kitchen stairs. The shop appeared to have been act on fire by
holding a candle through the broken ceiling underneath ; he after-
wards went into the cellar and dircot et.d three holes, and a bundle
of shavings thrust into them. The prisoner and Its family might
have escaped by the street-door, because the stairs leading to the
upper rooms were distinct from those kathitA to the kitchen.
Harriette Figg lives with the prisoner's mother-in-law, at No. 4,
slontagu-place, Kentish-town. The prisoner slept there the five
following nights from the 13th of Set tember. The prisoner's shop-
boy (Daniel Langdos) came at halt-past site o'clock on the morn-
ing of the 18th of September, to give Mr. White alarm of the tire.
The boy asked for the prisoner. and toll him his house was mi fire;
the premier replied, 'Nor no, it is nonsense." The boy weat
away, but Mr. White remained. There is a back door to the gar-
den which she locked and bolted over night, but in the morning
she found it open ; she always locked the door, and is sure she did
that night. Her master said, " Mary, my house has been on tire ;
I must have a long arm to do it."
Daniel Langdos, the shop-boy, was called. Catherine Taylor
said, from the crowd, he war not there. Being called forward, and
asked how she knew lie was not there, she said Mr. Blunt had told
him not to come. Furzeman proved giving him notice to attend.
Mr. Blunt claimed him a, a witness or their side. Mr. Alley
made the name claim, which led to an altercation, ending in a pro-
mise from Mr. Blunt that he should be produced to-morrow (this
day).
James Turzcman. brother to the one previrusly vv en,me e I, km eps
the King's Arun in Smart'.-buildings, Holborn. Ile went on
the morning after the second lire, at four o'clock. On the left hand
corner of the parlour, near the tire-place, he saw the boards taken
up; with the pole axehe took up one boat d himself; it came very
easy ; lie made the remark that he thought tie plank had nut
been nailed down. He went on the morning of the last file; his
description was the same as ginn by his brother on the first exa-
mination.
Joseph Coxhead is a bookseller, at 249, High llolborn; has
known the prisoner ever since be lived in Holborn, and been fre-
quently in his house; has attended at all thefires, and front the
cursory view he took of the stock, thinks it to be worth between
GOO/. and NU/. Is sure it is not words 2,6001. (with a smile).
William Wilton, bookseller, 248, High llolborn, last Wednes-
day morning, looked over the prisoner's premises, feel noticed the,
stock ; thinks 2091. the outside value of the stock ; judges front the
sort of books the prisoner dealt in.
Mr. Bradfoni's previous examination was read over to him. He
believes tie pines of link produced to be those he sold, and believes
the prisoner to be the purchaser.
The further examination of witnesses was adjourned till to.tnor.
row tiles day) at half-past one.
Matilda Lore, alias Webb, the keeper of a brothel in Little
Dean-street, Soho, but who sail she only rented the house, and ap-
pointed another person to take the money ; Mary Anne Smaine, and
//oese/e Tape, her datnthier by a former husband, were put to the
bar, charged with seducing Catherine Gaffney, a child of 12 years
old. fur a vile purpose.
The evidence given was of too indelicate a nature for publication.
The three prisoners were remanded.
Mr. Allen, the verity clerk of St. Anne's, has taken op theme
oa the part of the parish.
Illstort-wart..—On Tuesday &Ammon, as thb. office was
about to close, a man named James Gray, residing in Little Sur-
rey-atreet, Illackfriare-road, was brought before the sitting Magi.
mate, R. J. CHAMBERS, Esq. charged with having committee a
deaperate assault upon hie wife.
From the statement of Major Reynolds, an officer in the army,
it appeared, that as he was poring, through Furrev-street, in a
hackney coach, on his way to Walworth, he heartl screams of
,s Murder!" proceed from one of the houats. He immediately
directed the coachman to stop, and while in the act cf alighting, he
observed a female rusts out of unc of the houses, whose person was
covered with blood, 'screaming aloud for help, and followed by a
man with a case knife in hie hand. The female ran into a house
next door to the one which she Is id left, closely pursued by theman.
The Major, apprehensive that murder would Inevitably be com-
mitted, and having no stick or weapon of any kind, he supplicated
mime o.en who were present to enter the house and secure the ki-
los., who aeented to be bent on the destruct on of the female; but
they betrayed the nos' rink cowardice, absolutely refusing to inter-
fere, in the dread of being aftneked themselves. The woman's
srrimM% still continuing, at length two youths, accompanied by the
Major. rushed into the house, and on their entrance, die man hi a
fury ran at the Major with the knife; the latter, however, being a
powsetul man, seised the weapon from hint, and, during the con-
met. they both fell on the floor. At length, after considerable re-
sistance on the part of the fellow front whom the knife was token,
he was secured, and given ire° the etoontly of a constable. During
the struggle between the Major and his antagonist, the unfortunate
woman, who turned out to he his wife, ley on the floor insensible,
from the blows she had received. Major Reynoltir, conceiving a
man capable of using one of the other mix m ao brutal a manner
deserving of punishment, insisted upon his being instantly
brought to a police-office, and accordingly the whole of the parties
attended before the Sitting Mietistrate. the defendant being
placed at the bar, he cut a must grotesque figure, being com-
pletely covered from head to foot with mud, in co,sequenre of
his attempt, to escape front the constable on the way to the office;
both of them having had three or four rolls in the kennel. The
above-mentioned circumstances having been stated. by Major Rey.