The National Register.
London, England, 1816-07-01 00:00:00

ALARMING FIRE.
Tlierfdtv C,,ntlly and T.. liaxon were t hatred at the
1-1.111,P, on suspicion of haying set fire to the premises
or Mr. Dunkin, tal:ow•ehdniller, in Aidersgate-ctreet, on Wed-
neAdy night, when the whole of the 6% furniture, Ate.
wocsve destroyed, together with the upper part of the /loose of
ICockerton and Son, oilmen, adjoining. 'these two hits:•s, with
hnothrr on the North side of Nir. Dunkin's, it may be remem-
bered, were also destroyed IllSt year by tire, and had just been

NW Dunkin deposed, that on Wednesday night, ahnnt h.tlf

. .
-past twelve o'clock, two men entcred his bed room, and having
drawn aside his eurtain, one of them seized hold of him. and

ahowitig a knife, threatened to •' do for him," if ho made the
• slightest noise. The ether placed a pillow upon his face, and
prevented his crying Out. They then asked him for the keys
of his desk, money chest, &c. He said lie did not remember
;where he had placed them ; and finding that he was not willimf
'to satisfy them, they dragged him from bed, and brought him
to the landing-place of thestairs. Here one of them proceeded
to tic his neck, hauls, and arms, to the banisters, while the
other fastened two handkerchiefs about his ryes One of them
Then proceeded to search for the keys, and soon after called out
to hie csimpaniou, who had remained with witue,•, that he hail
tot them. The parties then informed him, that they would
soon leave the house, but that if he attempted to call out pre-
-1101,11 to their closing the street-doer after them, they would
have Ins life. They then left him.; when, after remaining a

short time, he heard the door shot, and instantly called for
help. (sae or two persons, who slept at the top of the house,
immediately came to his assistance, and he was released from
his situation. During the whole of the outrage, he never dis•
einguished the Gees of either of the persons, not even in his
room, where he nsually burnt a rush light. He thought,howe-
ver, from their voices, that the one was an Irishman, and the
other an Englishman. Cooielly was an Irishman, and one of his
.day porters, who had lived in his service some yews. Sus-
picion fell upon him; and Harrison, the Officer, having gone
to his lodgings in (3/ow-cross, he found Dixon tan Fmglishmanl.
Conelly was apprehended at the fire, but nothing of a suspicious
mature was found either at their lodging.s or on their persons.
A porter and two of the servants of Mr. Dunkin deposed to
'the alarm given by the latter, and the state in which they found
him. After releasing hint from his situation, they opened the
'windows which looked into the street, and discovered a smoke,
asi`firom a fire, issuing from the cellar. They instantly gave
an alarm; but the night being wet, it was some time befiire as-
sistance was procured ; and notwithstanding every ram firm of
the engines and inhabitants, the fire continued to burn until the
wholeof the interior was destroyed, including every article of
fornitnre,.4.c. and Leaving merely the walls standing. The iron
•chest in which were deposited the books, money, &e. was found
to have been opened, and a quantity of bank--notes, and four
:hundred gold Napoleons, were stolen therefrom. A bag, con.
ruining a considerable sum in silver, was left behind ; as were
;also the account hooks, five of which were saved. During the
dire, about three o'clock in the morning, the dames commune.
'rated to the house of Cockerton and Son, next door, where ,
storne.garipowder was deposited, when an explosion took place,
aed *e top rooms and roof were blown into the air. Nearly
the whole of the furniture in the latter, however, was caved.

The fire was not completely subdued till five o'clock.
After thoroughly investigating the case, the l.ord Mayor was
•of opinion that there was not the slightest evidenceof suspiciou
attached to the prisoners, and ordered them eo be discharged.
How the two persona described to have entered the chamber
of Mr. Dunkin got into the house, has not been discovered ; as
no •iolence of a particular description was manifest upon the
locks or bars of the doors, front or batik. Mr. Dunkin was but

iatelyeeturnecl from Pawn', and shout a week since had stocked
Otis cellar with a quantity •f new tallow. During the list fort-
night he aim hid in several articles of new furniture. Mr.
Dvakin, we understand, was insured to the amount of above
eOOOl. . .

The Lord Mayor visited the premises on Thnrsday evening,
and made I inquiries ; but we did not understand that
coy new discovery took place as to the origln of the fire.
Friday, the Lord Mayor having summoned the attendance of
Mr. Dunkip, his servants, tee patroles, constables, watchmen,
.W 1 issweni others, an investigation again took place, and
lisqed to a late hour, in order to ascertain the causes, and to
discover, if possible, some eine to the detection of the incendi
cries. An immense crowd was assembled , and among others
there were a number of gentlemen frost his different !tre-
aties/I- . .

Mr. Deakin was first called. He gave a detailed account of

the manner in which the two persons, as has been above
stated, entered his bed-room, and subsequently ill-treated him.
From the present account, however, it appeared that the par-
ties had blindfolded him by tying two handkerchiefs around his
ryts previous to dragging him from his bed. They also made
an incision in his breast with a knife, and would have proceed.
ad to further violence if one of the party bad not cried out,—
" Don't harm him, for he is the friend of an Irishman." His
wrists also were much marked with the cold used in tying him ;
be could not account for such au outrage, as he had never done
an injury to any individual.
Messrs. Thompson and Jones, two gentlemen returning from
the theatre on the night of the fire, stated, that they passed the
preini.-es ; they perceived a smoke, but did not, at the moment,
npp~ehend any thing dangerous. One of them went towards
St. Martin's-le-grand, and the other went up a court at the back

........ ,
of Mr.. Dunkin's hunse : they were soon, however, re-cAlled by
the alarm of " fire" from the watchmen ; but they did not pre-
, vi tuvli hear the slightest alarm from the house of Mr. Dunkin,
)r d.d they see any persons about : the night was eliceedingly