The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-19 00:00:00

WILFUL FIRE-IZAISING.

Dr. George Lillie Smith and Robert Campbell we re
tried before the High Court of Justiciary at Edinburg: o,
on Monday, for the crime of wilful fire-raising, at
'laughs of Kinnaird, near Brechin.
The- prisoners were charged with having, on the 30 th
September, or the .Ist October, in or near the stackya rd
of the farm of "laughs of Kinnaird, parish of Farn.ell,
Forfarshiro, occupied by Mr. John Smith, wilfully s et
fire to one or more stacks of grain, by applying to the: re
lighted matches or other ignited substance—the fire thus
wilfully applied haying taken effect and burned the
whole stackyard, containing altogether fifty-five stac.l,cs
of grain. _

The pannels pleaded not guilty, and the case went. to
trial. A special defence was put in for Smith, that At
the time of the fire he was insane ; and for Campbell,
that Smith was liable to get excited, and that his co: k-
duct under that excitement was calculated to alarm and
overa,we those with whom he came in contact.

After a long trial, which lasted for three days,
The jury unanimously found that the pannel, George
Little Smith, committed the act of fire raising mentione d
in the libel, but that at the time of doing so be wa s
ins tne ; and found the pannel Robert Campbell no t
guilty. •
The verdict having been recorded, Lord Cowan said
he had now much pleasure in discharging the jury, an d
expressed his regret that they had been so lon g
detained.

The prisoner Campbell was then dismissed from t) te
bar, and Dr. Smith wai ordered to be brought up on
Thursday at half-past ten for judgment.

THE ALLEGED UNLAWFUL PLEDGINII.

Livießroor,, Thursday.—Clifford Firth and John
Archer, brokers, of Walraer-buildings, Liverpool, re-
manded from yesterday on a charge of having illegally
pawned a number of barrels of tar which bad been en-
trusted to therm for sale were again brought up for ex-
amination.

Mr. Simons, barrister, prosecuted; and Mr. .A.spino.,ll
and Mr. Conway defended the prisoners.
It appeared that Messrs. Laurie and Co., of New
York, bad consigned a quantity of tar to the prisoners,
upon which the latter had made an advance of money.
Some of the tar was subsequently pleeged to Messrs.
Firth and Son (brother and nephew of one of the :pri-
soners), and it was now contended that when they did
se pledge it they did so for an advance much larger titan
the one they had themselves made, and which was a -vio-
lation of the 6th clause of c. 39th of sth and 6th Vie.
The defence was, that Laurie and Co. having received
aldvances, were enabled, by ♦irtue of a document which
was put in, to pledge or dispose of such goods in consi-
deration of the advance. It was denied that the goods
were pledged for a greater sum than the advance ; but,
even admitting such to be the fact, the offence, if any,
did not come under the provisions of the Factor's Act.
Mr. Simons asked for a remand, in order that further
evidence should be produced to prove that the goods
were pledged for a larger sum than had first been ad-
vanced ; but
Mr. Mansfield said he could not allow the parties to
be detained in custody until a charge could be made up
against them, Inasmuch as the depositions upon which a
warrant had been issued made a specific charge which
had not been maintained. He should, therefore, dismiss
the case.

Mr. Simons entered his protest against such a course
being adopted when he asked for a remand to produce
the evidence which was so desirable.
Mr. Evart, the other magistrate on the bench, said if
he understood Mr. Simons correctly he undertook to
produce proper evidence to make out a case, if a remand
were granted him.
Mr. Simone—Exactly so.
Mr. Ewart then observed that ho thought a remand
should he granted.
Mr. Simone here conferred with Mr. Aspinall for a
few istoznente, and then stated that though the present
case was dismissed, he had another charge against
Messrs. Firth and Archer for illegally pledging 10 bar-
rette of tar, and if the bench had no objection to allow
them out on their own recognisances, he would be glad
to have this case heard on Monday next.
The bench said they were quite agreeable to such a
course being adopted.
The defendants were liberated on their own recogni-
sances to appear on Monday next at twelve o'clock.
The case has excited the greatest amount of interest
in the town, and during the proceedings tho court was
densely crowded with the principal merchants and others
engaged in commercial pursuits.
It is stated that other charges of a similar nature will
be brought forward should the one now intended to be
proceeded with not be successful.

EXTENSIVE CONFLAGRATION, AND
NARROW' ESCAPE OF THREE -FIRE-
MEN.

Yesterday morning, about three o'clock a fire, at-
tended with a destruction of several thousand pounds
worth of property, happened in the premises belonging;
to Mr. William Abseil, a cooper, carrying on an ex-
tensive business at No. 13, Blossom-street, White Lion-
street, Norton Folgate, nearly opposite the Standard
Theatre.

The building in which the disaster occurred was one
of considerable magnitude, and contained a costly stock
of goods ; and from the fact of the premises being ap-
proached by a gateway the conflagration was not dis-
covered by the police on the beat until it had made con-
siderable progress, and not until the flames had con--
nienced pouring forth from the different windows in the
cooperage, and almost at the same moment they rushed
through the roof and rose several feet into the air, ,com-
pletely illuminating the neighbourhood for miles round.
The engines of the parish, with two or three of the
London Brigade, were as early as possible on the spot,
followed by that of the West of England Insurance
Company and three others of the London Establishment.
Upon the arrival of the firemen they could see quite suf-
ficient to satisfy themselves that nothing but the most
strenuous exertions on their part could subdue so fearful
a fire, which at that period threatened to destroy the
front dwelling-house, and also the large ivory-turning
factory at the back. Fortunately, an early supply of
water was obtained, and the several engines were forth-
with set to work ; but in spite of the exertions of the
firemen the flames continued to spread, and whilst the
firemen actively employed the fire communicated with
the front house, and as they were trying to extinguish
the flames the roof suddenly fell in, knocking down
Baylis, one of the engineers, who fell back ; and
Mr. Howell and Mr. Connerton, of the Wsst of England
engine, likewise fell. They, however, succeeded in
effecting their escape without receiving the least per-
oh,
The
:III: 12theo
per-
sonal injury, except Baylis, who was severely struck on
the head. The firemen, however, kept to their posts,
and at length succeeded in subduing the fire, but not
de-
stroyed ; the property of Mr. Carter, the ivory mer-
chant, considerably damaged ; and a Mr. Mitchell, a
lLoa
allikewiselo s Cooperage
w of Mr. Abseil was entirely de-
and water.
will amount
oheause
tingeAtrnettt
oi
Atlas
sla deal
considerableof
will
Thfiet
police
oplri principally tanl ldyiel
keeping an immense crowd of
danger.
ai
andd
Sunspectatorsto outthfi 0 e
of
or
elfi sum,m cee firemen by
and
b y

SINGULAR ROBERRT. —The house of Fould, Oppen-
helm, Co., in Paris, was robbed on. Monday in au extra-
ordinary manner of five ingots of gold, worth 120,000 f.
A partner in the house was accompanying a hand-care
drawn by two porters, containing several ingots, which
had been sent to a sworn assayer's. By colluiion it is
Fuppoltd, between the porters and the robbers, some
of of the cart were taken out, and the five in-
gots; abstracted.