The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-21 00:00:00

The Fire and Loss of Life in Aldgate.

Mr. Wm. Payne, the coroner for London and
Southwark, opened an inquest at the Mitre, Mitre-
street, Aldgate, on the bodies of the sufferers who
perished in the fire that occurred the preceding day.
The inquiry created great excitement, and after
the foreman and jury were sworn, they proceeded
with the coroner to view the charred remains, and
upon their return to the inquest-room the first wit-
ness called was

Mary Simmonds, wife of Daniel R. Simmonds.
The Coroner, before any evidence was adduced,
said that according as the law at present stood, no
one was allowed to make fireworks or any other
combustible material without a licence. They would
hear the evidence, and then say whether there was
any blame attributable to the owners of the premises.
Mr. A. J. Murray, solicitor, of great St. Helen's,
attended to watch the case.

The witness proceeded to say that in August last
a man named Cohen took the back room for an
office. He also had a room on the second floor. From
April last he carried on no business whatever. His
Christian name was Emeline. A gentleman named
Ashbury, who had lodged in her house, brought him
to her, and recommended him. In August he said he
wanted another room as an office to carry on the
business of a cigar and cigarette merchant. [A letter
was handed in by Mr. Case, the chief clerk, which
went to show that he had addressed a circular to
certain persons, in which they set forth that being
large importers from St. Petersburg, he would be
happy to receive their orders by post or wait upon
them to see them personally.] As witness was going
out into the back-yard she heard a loud puff, and
then saw flames on the staircase. Witness rushed
out, but her clothes caught fire. She went to the
dairy close by. Mr. Levy lived in the same house.
Mr. Cohen and a strange gentleman were inthe house
when this happened. The only part of the premises
destroyed was the office, but the other rooms were
scorched or deluged by water. Mr. Cohen was now
at the London Hospital. He was found in the yard
and was still alive in that institution. On Saturday
evening she saw some packets of paper resembling
tissue, which were hung in the office, and Mr.
Cohen said that if she liked she might put them in
a box, as they were Chinese fireworks. She, in
consequence, put the whole in a box and placed it
near the fireplace.

By the Coroner—She received no instructions
from Mr. Cohen to be careful, and was not cau-
tioned that the paper was dangerous or explosive.
Mr. Cohen let the other person in, whose name at
present is unknown.
Thos. Davis, of 3, Sussex-place, Leadenhall- street,
said that he was sweeping some chimneys when he
heard a cry of " Fire." He ran to No. 7, and found
the gentleman lying on his back, and he tried to
lift him up, but his skin cracked. He tried to get
assistance, but no one would help. His clothes, and
even his shirt, were in flames. He procured a cab
and took him to the hospital, but he was unable to
say anything as to the origin of the fire as they
went along.
Police-constable Walpole said that upon hearing
the cry of " Fire," he went to the house, and saw
flames coming from the first floor back. He sent for
the turncocks and firemen, and they quickly at-
tended. He knew nothing of the Chinese fireworks.
Chas. Levy, of 10, Bookham-street, New North-
road, a cabinetmaker, said that he knew Mr. Cohen
by sight. He was in partnership with his father. He
knew nothing about the business, and he found the
money for Mr. Cohen to carry on the cigarette
business. On Friday his mother showed him a sam-
ple piece of paper, and he understood that an offer
had been made to Mr. Cohen to dispose of some,
and that he could sell it wholesale. His brother told
him last Saturday that there was a great quantity
of the Chinese fire-paper in the office. He had seen
the two bodies but could not identify them. He be-
lieved that one was that of his father. The Jewish
professional watcher at the hospital told him that
Mr. Cohen had stated that a gentleman had lighted
a cigarette, which he threw down, and that it acci-
dentally fell into the box, and caused the explosion.
Imagining the door being locked he jumped out of
the window. The gentleman who dropped the light
was either the party who introduced the material or
was going to purchase it.

Mr. Bisentman, 157, High-street, Bow, said he
had known Mr. E. Cohen since April last. When
he first came there he said that he had been "hum-
bugged" by his partner, and was very badly off, as
he had spent about £5O which he brought over to
this country. Witness lent him about £4O, and he

knew he had Chinese fire-paper in his rooms for some
time past. On Friday he said he had got some Chinese
fire-paper in the place, and he thought that he would
be able to give him a considerable sum of money off
what he owed him the next day. He knew nothing
respecting the origin of the fire. He thought that
the paper in bulk would explode and cause great
damage if a spark was dropped on it.
Sigismund Sheener, of Fairfield-road, Bow.—He
knew Mr. Hiemms, who lived in New North-road
and had an office in Bury-court. He was a general
merchant. He last saw him alive on Monday, in
Bury-court.

David Frankenstein, hotel keeper, said he knew
Mr. Hiemms. His Christian name was Julius, and
he lived in Herbert-street, New North-road. Ile
did not know that lie was missing. Some rings he
had seen induced him to think that the body was
that of Mr. Hiemms.

Mr. Inspector Jacob said that hearing the cry of
" Fire" he ran to the spot, and upon getting into
the house found the two bodies, and it was ascer-
tained that he was a poor man, and was still missing.
James Ford, sub-engineer of the fire brigade,
said that he had heard the fire was caused by an ex-
plosion of Chinese fire-paper.
Mr. James Sydney, managing clerk to Mr. A. J.
Murray, said he had not the least doubt but that
one of the deceased was named Isaac Julius Hiemms.

The learned Coroner summed up, and said it ap-
peared that neither of the two persons whose deaths
they were inquiring into caused the fire wilfully,
and he must say that those papers had been intro-
duced most improperly into such a building.
The jury, after consulting, returned a verdict of
"Accidental D eath , " and the proceedings terminated.

THE FIVE-FOLD MURDER.

MAIDSTONE, Thursday.
The trial of Southey was resumed this morning.
Mr. Poland and Mr. Philbrick, instructed bx
Mr. Pollard, the solicitor to the Treasury, appealed
for the prosecution. Mr. E. T. Smith and Mr.
Blake Ellis, instructed by Messrs. Gold and Son,
solicitors, 1, Serjeants' Inn, Chancery-lane, repre-
sented the prisoner.

Josiah White, the stepson of the woman with
whom the prisoner had been living, gave evidence
as to his interview with Southey, when he applied
for the children, and took them to Starr's Coffee-
house, Red Lion-street, on the evening of the 7th
of 'August last. The photograph produced was
that of Mrs. White.

Miss Elizabeth Clifford, the daughter of the pro-
prietor of the coffee-house, proved that the prisoner
inquired on the evening of the sth for a bed, and
came again on the Monday and paid for the bed,
bringing the children with him afterwards about
ten o'clock.

The chambermaid at the coffee-house was also
called, and then a woman to whom the prisoner ap-
plied for lodgings at Ramsgate. Mr. Hills, the
governor of the gaol at Sandwich, and Mr. Emmer-
son, the surgeon, testified to the sanity of the pri-
soner, the latter gentleman stating in reply to the
Judge that Southey always demeaned himself as
an ordinary, reasonable person. During the ex-
amination of Mr. Emmerson the prisoner set
up a loud wail of grief, shedding tears, and
exclaiming, when the fit had passed, that he
felt as if he suffered from a galvanic shock, and
that he was a murdered man. In cross-examina-
tion by Mr. Smith, the doctor said that the fact of
a person disguising himself was not indicative of
insanity. He (the witness) did not think that the
coolness of an avowal of guilt showed mono-
mania. Mr. Emmerson, and Mr. Hills, the gover-
nor of Sandwich Prison, spoke to the fact of
prisoner being subject to fits of hysteria. Major
Bannister, the governor of Maidstone gaol, also
deposed to the apparent sanity of the prisoner,
who objected on Sunday to attend chapel, as his
religious views were not " yet settled and defined."
Mr. Joy, the surgeon, also gave evidence as to
the prisoner's state of mind, expressing an opinion
that he was perfectly sane. Though subject to
fits of excitement and hysteria, his capabilities
were strong when the fit passed away, and he
was thoroughly coherent, though excited.
The statement made public by the prisoner on
the 14th of April, 1864, was read. by Mr. Reed,
the deputy-clerk of the peace ; and Mr. Poland
said that closed the case for the prosecution, at
which time our parcel was of necessity despatched.