The National Register.
London, England, 1816-06-30 00:00:00

TIM NATIONAL REGIRTER.

ALARMING FIRE.

Thursday T. Condly and T. Dixon Were charged at the
Mansion House, on suspicion of baving set fire to the preini,,-s
of Mr. Dunkin, tallow•chandler, in Aldersgate-street, on Wed-
nesday when the who!e of the dwelling, furniture, &e.
were destroyed, together with the upper part cf the house of
Coekerton and Sou, oilmen, adjoining. These two houses, with
another on the North side of Mr. Disiikia's, it may be rrosem-
beryl, were also destroyed last year by tire, and hail just been

_ .....
Dunkin deposed, that on Wednesday night, about half-
past twelve o'clock, two men entered his bed-room, and having
drawn aside his curtain, one of them seirol hold of him, and
showing a knife, threatened to '• do for him," if he made the
slightest noise. The other placed a pillow upon his face, and
prevented his crying out. They then asked tun for the keys
of his desk, money-chess, tte. *He said he did not remember
where he had placed them ; and finding that he was not willing
to satisfy them, they dragged him from bed, and brought him
to the lauding-place of :he stairs. Here one of them proceeded
to tie his !ow, bawls, and arms, to the banisters, while the
other fastened two handkerchiefs about his eyes. One of them
then proceeded to search for the keys, and soon after called out
to his companion, who 114.1 remained with winless, that he hail
got them. The parties then informed him, that they would
soon leave the house, but that if 1w attempted to call out pre-
vious to their closing the street-door after them, they would
has e his life. They then left him; when, after remaining
short time, he hearth the dour Mutt, and instantly called for
help. (Inc 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, lie never dis.
tinguished the frees of either of the persons, not even in his
room, where lie usually burut a rush light. He thought,howe-
ver, from their voices, that the one was an Irishman, and the
other an Englishman. Conelly was an Irishman, and one of his
day porters, who had lived in his service sonic years. Sus.
picion fell upon him; and Harrison, the Officer, having gone
to his lodgings in lbw-cross, he mnd Dixon (an Englishman,.
Condiy was apprehended at the fire, but nothing of a suspicious
nature was fonnil either at their lodgings or on their persons.
A porter and two of the servants of Mr. Dunkin deposed to-
the alarm given by the latt.w, and the state in which they fuuud
hi.,,. After releasing him front his situation, they opened the
windows which looked into tle• street, and discovered a smoke,
as if from a tire, issuing from the cellar. They instantly gave
an alarm ; but the night acing wet, it was some time before as-
sistance was procured ; and notwithstanding every exertion of
the engines and inhabitants, the fire continued to burn until the
whole of the jute, ior w:is destroyed, including every article of
furniture, Ac. and leaving merely the walls standing. The iron
chest in which were deposited the books, money, was found
to have been opened. and a quantity of bank-notes. and four
hundred gold Napoleons, were stolen there 'rum. A bag, con-
taining a considerable situ, in silver, was left behind ; as were
also the account books, five of which were saved. During the
lire, about three o'clock in the morning, the times communi-
cated to the house of Cuekerton and Son, next door, where
sonic gunpowder was deposited, when an explosion took place,
and *he top rooms and roof were utown into the air. Nearly
the whole of the fitniiture in the latter, howeser, was saved.
The fire was not completely subdued till five o'clock.
After thoroughly investigating the Case the Lord Mayor was
of opinion that there was not the slightest evidence of suspicion
attached to the prisoners, and ordered them to be discharged.
How the two persons described to have entered the chamber
of Mr. Dunkin got into the house, has not hi en discovered ; as
no violence of a particular description was manifest mom the
locks or bars of the dunes, front or Wok. Mr. Dankin was hitt
lately returned trout Paris, and about a week since had stocked
his cellar with a quantity of new tallow. During the last fort-
night he also laid in several articles of new furniture. Mr.
Dunkin, we understand, was insured to the amount of above
50001.

The Lord Mayor visited the premises on Thursday evening,
and made several inquiries ; bus we did not understand that
any new discovery took place as to the origin of the tire.
Friday, the Lord Mayor having summoned the attendance of
Mr. Dunkin, his servants, the patroies. constables, wateinnen,
and several others, an insestigation again took pace, and
lasted to a late hour, in order to ascertain the causes, and to
discover, if possible, some eine to the detection of the incendi-
aries. An immense crowd was assembled ; anti among others
there were a number of gentlemen from the different tire-
offices. _

•J••••.V.S,
Mr. Dunkin was first called. He gave a detailed account of
the manner in which the two persons, as has been above
stated, catered his bed-room, and subsequently ill-treated him.
From the present account, however, It appeared that the par-
tics bad blindfolded him by tying two handkerchiefs around his
eyes previous to dragging him from his bed. They also made
an incision in his breast with a knife, and would have proceed-
ed to further violence if one of the party had not cried nut,—
" Don't harm him, for he is the friend of an Irishman." His
wrists also were much marked with the cord used In tying him ;
he could not account for such an outrage, as be had never done
an injury to nay individual.
Messrs. Thompson and Jones, two gentlemen returning from
the theatre on the night of the tire, stated, that they passed the
premises; they perceived a smoke, but did not, at the moment,
apprehend any thing dangerous. One of them went towards
St. Mario's-le-grand, and the other went up a court at the bark
of Mr. Diod.in's house: they were soon, however, re-called by
the alarm of" fire" from the watchmen ; but they did not pre-
viously hear the slightest alarm from the lemse of Mr. Dunkin,
nor did they see any persons about : the night was exceedingly
wet.
Deane, a watchman, was in his box near Mr. Dunkin's.
He did not observe. tier seine time previous to the fire, any sus-
picious persons about, nor did he hear the slightest alarm of
tire proceed from the house of Mr. Dunkin. Somebody (whom
he thought to be Peter Harold, another wntehmat) desired hint
to spring his rattle. lie did so, :11111 immediately perceived a
smoke issue front the cellar of Mr. Dunkin. Peter Harold,
another watchman, saw the lest witness in conversation with
two other persons, about half-past one o'clock, and heard the
rattles spring. lie went to the srt, and saw a smoke issue
from the lower part of Mr. Dunkttes house. lie bad been on
the heat previous, but heard no alarm, nor did he see auy sus-
picions ch traders or other persons about. There was no tho-
roughfare up Shaftesbury-place, nor was there any ladder or
other articles seen about there. .1. Herbert, a patrok, in pas-
sing Mr. Dunkin's observed nothing particular, nor did he hear
an alarm. After he hail gone some distance, he heart! a rattle
spring, and returned towards the horse, front whence a smoke
issued. He was the third person who reached the spot, and as-
sisted in knocking at the doors and shutters of the place, and
calling out loudly. A man got in at the fan-light over the
door, which he opened, and Mr. Dunkin taut into the street in
his shirt, crying," Good cud, they tied nic hand and foot, Ikea

IiPV

covered and robbed me." Mr. Dunkin then fainted, fell down,
and was carried to the doctors. When wituess and others en-
tered the house by the front door, there was a great deal of
smoke, but they did not perceive any dente. Mr. Dunkin soon
after came buck naked, and wished to enter the house, but he
would not suffer it. No flames appeared in the front until a con-
siderable time after Mr. D. t (pitied him the street. The con-
stable of the night stated, that be assisted in breaking the fan-
light. When he entered the house, there was no flame apparent.
lie saw Mt. Dutikiu naked in the street previous to the burst-
ing tent of the tire, and picked up two 'handkerchiefs nearly
opposite ;he door. Price and another servant, inconsequence
of the alarm of their master, came down stairs and released
him. Price, in cooling down, saw the bed-rooin open, and a
rushlight was burning; could not say whether the eloset•door
was open ;.nor did he see airy plate. W. Taylor, street-keeper,
assisted Mr. Dunkin in taking five books from the iron chest.
lr. 1). said to witness, " he did not know what lie bad done
that lie should have been served SO." Mr. Fairbrother lives
opposite Mr. Dunkin. He heard the springing of rattles, and
has ing looked oat of the window, he twice heard the cry of
murder proceed from the house of Mr. Dunkin. He imme-
diately went into the street, and semi after Mr. D. ran out.
AVitnese had heard the knocking before thin. Price, the servant
to Mr. 1). WAS recalled, and stated that he had not heard the
rattles spring ; nor did he distinguish any knocking at the door.
T. Robinson, a fireman, lied examined the ruins. Do the third
staircase of Mr. Covlertona house he found a quantity of plate;
sonic was perfect, the remainder was injured by the tire; the
former belonged to Mr. Cockerton, the latter to Mr. Dunkin.
A party wall which stood between the two houses remained
firm; end how the plate of Mr. D. was conveyed to the adjoin.
ing premises cowl not be conceived. Mr. Cockerton deposed,
that he saw his plate tit hie closet the night before. Here the
Lord Mayor abler% e 1, that the case seemed involved in more
mystery than ever, and wished to know if Mr. Dunkin could
throw any light upon the circumstance. Mr. D. answered In
the negative. Sophia Drown had the care of Mr. Dunkties
plate; she usually lucked it up in his cleeet ; it was not used
on the day before the tire, nor did she see it. Witness beard
a noise the street before the servants came to alarm her in
her bed-room ; site slept on the floor over Mr. D.; she and her
fellow-servants escaped over the heads, and saw the Haines
proceed from the rear of the house in Shaftesbury-place.
Another female domestic deposed to being alarmed when the
servants came to her room: she instantly thuueht her master
was murdered, as he had said in her hearing, that the dog had
barked the night before. The other servants, hewever, did
not hear the dog bark, and though it was stationed about the
cellar and passages, it escaped the conflagration. The persun
who entered the fan-liglit, anti enbsequently opened Mr. Dun.
kin's door, was called, but did not appear. This the Lod
Mayor regretted, as his evidence would be material, to show
how the dour was fastened. The Lord Mayor, having now
heard all the evidence that could be adduced, wished to know
from Mr. Dunkin what he vet • Id wish further to have done.
Mr. Dunkin wished to offer a tewatd of 1001. for the appre-
hension of the perpetrators. The Lord Mayor then held a
cousultatiou with several persons belongitie to tire-offices
(particularly the agent of the Pilo:nix, where Mr. Dunkin is
mostly iesttred), who retired to deliberate, and who are to
mike known their determination of joining Mr. Dunkin in his
otter of reward. The Lord Mayor added, that lie would write
to the Secretary of State upon the occasion, and, independent
of a reward, would endeavour tie procure a pardon for the
accomplices in this nefarious outrage. Here the investigation.
closed.