The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-31 00:00:00

• • • a 'al
Lssizn INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT.LCRoYnox, Aug. 29.
(Befo re Baron Bramwell and a Special Jury.)

WOOLLEY V. POLE.

TII CAMPDEN liOI.7SE FIRE.-FIFTTI DAY.
The Court sat at half...oast nine o'clock on Saturday
morning, when the proceedings in this remarkable case
were resumed and brought to a conclusion.
The inquiry apps3ared to create considerable interest, and
every seat in the court was occupied immediately after the
proceedings were opened.
Mr. Bovill, Q.C., Serjeant Ballantine, Mr. Mereweather,
Mr. Henry James (specially retained), and Mr. Rosher,
appeared for the plaintiff.
Mr. Lush, Q.C., Mr. Denman, Q.C., and Mr. Garth
were for the defendant.
It will be recollected that at the rising of the court on
Friday evening the evidence of both plaintiff and defend.
ant was concluded. and Mr. Lush asked to be allowed to
postpone his maiming up of the defendant's case until the
following morr ing.
Mr. Bovill addressed his lordship, and stated that on the
previous day a letter had been received by the solicitors for
the plaintiff, stating what he considered to be an important
fact. The witness, who could prove that fact, was in at-
tendance, and, with his lordship's sanction, he proposed to
examine him.

Baron Bramwell said that if Mr. Lush consented on the
part of the defendant he had no objection.
Mr. Lush said he certainly should object to any further
evidence being E:dd Tic,ed after the case had been formally
closed on both sides. If such a course were ;allowed to be
taken the trial would never be brought to an end.
Baron Bramwell said that as this objection was taken the
additional evideice could not be received.

Mr. Lush them summed up the defendant's case. lie said

that since the Court had adjourned he had attentively con-
sidered all the facts of the case, and had endeavoured to
winnow out from the mass of evidence that had been given
those portions which he considered material to be urged upon

the jury. It appeared to him that whatever result might
ultimately be arrived at by them, every circumstance
connected with the case was of the most extraordinary cha-
racter, and all, as it appeared to him, seemed to tend only to
one conclusion, 'which was that this house had been wilfully
set fire to. If the fire was accidentally caused it certainly
was a most wonderful coincidence that every circumstance
should have concrrred to carry it out effectually. The house
was covered with fresh varnish in almost every part, cloth
and light paper were hung from the ceilings of the rooms to
the floor, a large qutsiatity of open books were placed about
in all directions, and the hour was an early one on the Sun-
day morning, when there was less chance of fire being
quickly discovered than any other period of the week, The
hand of the incendiary was rarely seen to apply the torch,
but all the circumstances, as he should contend, showed
clearly that the fire was a wilful one, and that Mr. Woolley
was in just the position to render it likely that he should
commit the crime. He had spent all his wife's fortune,
part of her sister's; he was embarrassed, and if he could
have obtained this large sum of money, secured by these
policies, his retreat from the fashionable world was secured
without any indignity. What more could be done than
was done, if he wanted to destroy the house ? Every wain-
scot was varnished, cloth and paper were hung all over the
place, all the books were opened, and nothing was wanting
but to apply fire to three or four rooms, and the mischief
that had occurred was at once, and most surely, effected.
If they wanted to conceal the fire before it obtained suffi-
cient hold, what better course could be taken than to close
up all the windows, as these were proved to have been, by
cloth and tapestry ? With regard to the books, it was a
fact well known that closed books could not be destroyed by
a fire, but being opened, and the air admitted between the
leaves, the effect would be that these would be totally de-
stroyed. These were the admitted facts. They were ad-
mitted by Mr. Woolley and by Croz!er,and no one disputed
that every one cf the suspicious circumstances ho alluded to
had actually occurred. If the tapestry wanted repairing,
what necessity could there be to repair the whole of it at
once; and would not the reasonable course have been to re-
pair a portion of it at a time ? Then as to the hour chosen.
Why it was the very moment that would be selected to
carry out such a wicked object—the early hours of the Sun-
day morning, when almost every one was at rest in this
great metropolis. There would be no chance of the fire being
discovered by any labouring men going to their work, or by
any one else. Everybody must rest after the week's labours.
It was admitted there had only been two fires in the whole
house during the preceding day, and if the fire was accidental
ho would ask them to consider how it was possible the fire
could have got into the theatre, which was divided from the

rest of the property by a very thick wall. Another circum
stance was that on the very following day to the fire the
premium would have become due, and it was quite clear
that at this time Mr. Woolley was not overburdened with
money ; and this, as it appeared to him, was auothet in-
gredient for their consideration. Who could have occasioned
the tire ? There were no children in the house; no one was
there but Mr. Woolley and Crozier and the Temples. Why
should he have gone down with Crozier to put the gas out
and have sat upon the stairs while Crez:er went into the
kitchen ? Again, who were the persons first seen when the
fire was diaeovered ? Why, Mr. Woolley and Crozier.
Was it not a remarkable conclusion to come to that having
caused the fire and provided for their own safe. y, Mr.
Woolley was the first person to escape from the burning
building. Ho then referred to Mr. Woolley's own state-
ment as to the circlunetances connected with the fire, and
said that he himself admitted that his statement that the
fire was under his bedroom and Crozier's was false, and
that they never were in the danger that he represented
them to have been, and he submitted that this false state-
ment could only have been made because Mr. Woolley did
not dare to speak the truth, It was also clear from the re-
port that Mr. Woolley felt the necessity of giving some ex-
planation. how it happened that such a building as this
was destroyed in so short a period of time, and he therefore
endeavot teed to make it appear that the police had not per-
formed their duty,and that three-quarters of an hour elapsed
before he was able to obtain any assistance. This statement
was und,yabtedly false, for no one could doubt that Rogers,
one of tb a) policemen, was at the fire almost at the moment
it occure A, and although Mr. Woolley, in his report, stated
that he E raw Mr. Frere, and that he lent him a cape, he did
not say a word about his havingbeen accompanied byßogers.
All the ervidence, in fact, showed that the policemen were
upon tha spot at all events within a few minutes of the fire
breaking out. The evidence of Woolhouse, as ho should
contend, if they believed it, was conclusive of the guilt of
Mr. Wo alley. How could a suit of clothes come into the
passage of the house, and how could such a fact be recon-
ciled with any other theory than that Mr. Woolley and
Crozier undressed themselves in that passage for the pur-
pose of enacting the part they afterwards did outside. It
appeared to him impossible to conceive that Woolhouse had
deliberately come forward to perjure himself, and to depose
to a fact that was not true. They would also remember
that he did not volunteer his evidence, but en the contrary
ho was unwilling to come forward until his master compelled
him to do so. What motive could he have had for telling an
untruth? The effect of such a piece of evidence could not
have been imagined at the time the statement was made, and
it did not in itself appear to be of the slightest importance;
and it was not until afterwards that the cogency of this fact,
in connection with other circumstances of the case, became
apparent. It appeared to him, therefore, that if they be-
lieved this witness—and he did not see anything to justify
them in coming to the conclusion that he had perjured him-
self—the case for the defendant was completely established,
and it would be impossible for them to come to any other
conclusion than that the crime of wilfully setting fire to this
louse was committed by Mr. Woolley, and that it did not
occur in anyother manner. The learned counsel next referred
to the evidence of the witness Ellis, as to having seen Mr.
Woolley and Crozier together outside the house on the
morning of the fire, and he said that, although
this witness had not given hie evidence very
clearly, there was no reason to doubt that ho was
speaking the truth, and that the fact he deposed to was one of
the greatest possible importance, and coincided completely
with the suggestion that Crozier and Mr. Woolley had sat
UP on this night until what they considered a fitting time
had arrived far carrying out the design they contemplated.
Mr. Lush then again commented at considerable length
upon the circumstances connected with the fire, and to the
extraordinary rapidity with which it spread over every part
of the house, and he also called the attention of the jury to
the fact that although Mr. Woolley represented that before
he left the burning edifice he shrieked out "Fire," and
cc murder," neither of the Temples heard any such cries.
The next point for their consideration was the conduct of
Mr. Woolley after the fire. He evidently thought that
there was likely to be a contest with the fire office, for
within a few days after the fire the witness Clift was em-
ployed to make a model of the house; and when he sent in
the first claim he refused to sign it in conformity with the
requisition of the company, and when the formal claim was
sent in the amount of the property alleged to have been de-
strayed was stated at £l,OOO less than the amount of the
first claim. 'With regard to the suggestion that there was
a difficulty in making out the claim, that could not be the
case, fur there had been a bill of sale in 1859, and he had
nothing to do but to look at the bill of sale, and ho would
have obtained all the information he required. The learned
counsel concluded by stating that the Sun Fire Office would
not hae e resisted this claim if they had not felt that it was
their duty to do so; and when the jury had considered the
whole of the facts connected with this extraordinary in-
quiry be believed they (the jury) would come to the conclu-
sion that they were perfectly justified in the course they
had taken.

Mr. Bovill then rose to address the jury in reply upon the
whole case. ne commenced by saying, with considerable
warmth, that he had no hesitation in expressing his opinion
that if the directors of the Sun Fire Office considered them-
Eaves justified, upon such facts as were relied upon by his
learned friend, in this case to support a charge of arson, the
sooner they left off insuring the public against fire the
better. (Thera were several loud cries of " Hear, hear,"
when the learned counsel made this observation.)
Baron Bramwell asked if any one could be pointed out
who had acted in this unseemly manner. It was most dis-
graceful to behave in such a manner in a court of justice,
and ary one who did so should certainly bo committed if he
was discovered.

Mr. Boviii then went on to say that he eoald not conceive
a more cruel charge than that which was mai9 agfkinst the