The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-20 00:00:00

At a few minutes before five o'clock this afternoon a fire,
the magitude or the consequences of which it is at present
impossible to foretell, broke out at Blackfriars, on the Mid-
dlesex side of the Thames. At present it is raging with
fearful force, and threatens to be almost as serious as that
which occurred lower down the river a few months ago, and
which, it will be remembered, raged furiously for several
days, involving the loss of many thousand pounds worth of
property, and the sacrifice of many valuable lives.
The place in which the fire broke out is that of Messrs.
Charles Price and Co., of William-street, Blackfriars, de-
scribed in "Kelly's London Directory" asturpentine, resin,
pitch, and tar manufacturers. This is a confined spot which
the engines can with difficulty reach, and the fire, there-
fore, at the time our report is written, is apparently be-
yond control. The premises are immediately behind the
western side of Chatham-place, closely adjoining the
Temple, and what is, perhaps, worse than all, within a
few yards of a gas company, whose gasometer' at the
time of the fire was completely full. Providentially the
wind blows the other way, but if the fire should reach this
gasometer that of the City of London Company, in
Dorset-street, Fleet-street, it can hardly be said what
mischief may arise. Thousands upon thousands of people
were on the spot in a few minutes, Blackfriars bridge was
crowded, and even on the Surrey side of the river the
shore was crowded.

It was a low tide when the fire broke out, and the oil
from the factory ran out in large quantities on to the muddy
bank. It soon took fire, and half the river appeared to
be in flames ; indeed, the flames ;oiled through the arches
of Blackfriars-bridge, and curled over it, much to the dis-
advantage of many persons who had taken up their position
there, rnd apparently very much to the danger of the crazy
old structure, which, if destroyed in this way, will perhaps
prove a public advantage.

At a quarter to C Campbell, Calder, and Govan's iron-
works took fire, and burned with tremendous fury. At
this moment the fears for the safety of the gasworks became
heightened to
,a very great degree. The engines now
continued to arrive in rapid succession, but the close
proximity to the immense telescopic gasometer seemed to
add a terror fo the scene that seemed to damp even the
courage and spirit of the fire brigade.
The land steam engine of Messrs. Shand and Mason
arrived in about 20 minutes after the outbreak of the fire,
and in a very short time was got into operation, but the
effect produced from the immense volume of water dis-
charged was imperceptible

At the hour at which we write,. half-past six, the fire:
still raging with unabated fury.

SPORTING---THIS DAY.

SHREWSBURY RACES,--THIS DAY.
BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.
HANDICAP SWEEPSTAKES.
Olive Branch 1
Confession
Eight ran.,
SCURRY HANDICAP.

Peignoir
Neilgherry
Four ran.
COLUMN HANDICAP.
_

Charles Fox
Fairwater.
Amy
Lady Ripon 4

Ten ran.
LONGLEATE HANDICAP.
Dead heat with Don't-Come-Late and Hesper.
Four ran.
GROBY STARES,

Miss Julia
Fravola 2

Three ran.
ACTON BRUNNEL STAKES.

MOuntain Maid .. 1
Dunoon.
Pinkiepoe
MONKMOOR HANDICAP.

East Sheen
•
Peignoir
Trust

Ten ran.
HANDICAP PLATE OF 50 SOVS.

Weatherwise

Charles Fox 2

Queen of Trumps

Sixteen ran.

BA NA OF ENGLAND.

Au Account, pursuant to t]
cap. 32, for the week ending
cl Nov., 1862:

the Act 7th and Bth Victoria
on Wednesday, the 19th day

ISSUE oEs
otes issued ...--£28,908,C401

' ARTMENT.

Government Debt £11,015,1C0
Other Securities .. 3.634,900
Gold Coin & Bullion 14,258,040
Silver Bullion

£28,908,01d,

£23, 9.8,040

BANKING D
Pi op rietors' Capi-
tal £14,553,000
Rest
Public Deposits (in-
cluding Exche-
quer, Savings'
Banks, Commis-
missioners of Na-
tional Debt, and
Dividend Ac-

Government Secu-
rities (including
Dead WeightAn
nutty) £11,113,992
Other Securities 19,161,851
Notes
Gold and Silver 966,531
Coin

counts) 7,35090
Other Deposits 14,004,015
Seven llay and
other Bills 767,852

£39,7, 8,084
W.

£39,778,G84
MILLER, Deputy Cashier.

Nov. 20, 1862.

THE BANK PAPER ROBBERY.

MANSION HOUSE— THIS DAY.
This day, George %licher, Robert Cummings, William
Burnett, Robert Brewer, James Griffiths, and Henry Wil-
liams were again placed at the bar before Alderman Cubitt,
charged with being concerned in the late extensive robbery
of bank note paper 'from the mills of Messrs• Portal, at
Laverstoke, Hampshire.
Mr. Freshfield, the solicitor to the Bank, of England,
appeared for the prosecution, Buncher being defended by
Mr. Pater, and Brewer by Mr. Lewis.
The first witness called was Mrs. Ellen Burnett, who
said-1 have been residing with the prisoner Burnett for
some time as his wife. My name is Ellen Alias. I decline
to state where I at present reside.
Mr. Lewis objected to the woman giving het' evidence if
she persisted in refusing her address.
The Lord Mayor said she had better answer the ques-

Witness replied--Very well, my lord. lam at present
staying at 16, Bridgewater-square, Barbican. I was ap-
prehended with Burnett on the 28th of October last. I have
known him 10 years. I have been convicted. with him for
receiving stolen goods. We were both sentenced to four
years' penal servitude. We came out of prison ;on the same
day, the 23d of February, 1861. I went to:live with him
.s gain, and we lived together till he was apprehended. We
first went to reside at Whitchurch, in Hampshire, on 26th
of February, 1861. We lived at Mr. Brown's beer-shop.
We lived there six months. I first became acquainted
with Henry Brown in March, 1861. I have a sister resid-
ing at Whitchurch. Her name is Collis. She lives at the
Three Horseshoes at Whitchurch. It was there 1 first
saw Brown. After our first meeting we saw each other
very frequently. Burnett told me to ask Brown whether
he could get some paper from the mills.
Mr. Lewis objected to the further examination of the
witness, as she had been dismissed from her position at the
bar because she was supposed to be under Burnett's influ-
ence, es she was looked upon in the first instance as the
prisoner's wife. _ _

The Lord Mayor thought the examination ought to go on.

Witne-s proceeded—ln consequence of ray request Brown
brought me a small quantity of banknote paper. I saw it was
" plain" paper, by that I mean there were no marks upon it.
Mr. Lewis—When did you look at the paper ?
Witness—The next day.

Mr. Lewis—l contend that the identity of that paper has
been destroyed, as it might have been changed in the

interval.

The Lord Mayor thought the evidence ought to go on.
Witness---I gave the paper in the first instance to Bur-
nett, and I saw it again the following morning. Burnett
did not say anything to me about it at the time. After we
got the paper Burnett and I went to London. We stayed
at 7, Melton-crescent, Euston-square. We lived there
eight or nine days. Burnett used to go out alone after we
got there. He did so the day after we arrived. He did not
tell me what he west for. He had money in his possession
when he came back. After we left Melton-crescent we re-
tu
where I met Henry
put up at the Plough: I went
know what passed be-
tween frequently
v s
ocinwuec
edna
nn. tt oi
While
theted tecohlg
Threeua‘rtvcha
she r,
there andHorse-shoes,but
Burnett and Brown often met
pI
don't
them. Shortly after our return to Whitchurch
Burnetttold me he had received soznothiag fromßrown. He
said he had brought him some paper, from which I under-
stood it was Bank-note paper. After that Brown went with
Burnett and
in
inypserulfryto-laLnoen, don) where we went to a
public-housekept
by Mr. Lees. He
did not go out till the
day after our arrival,
when we went to a public-house at the corner of Chandos-
street. When we went out Burnett took the bank-note
paper with him. On our re
turn home Burnett gave Brown
two sovereigns.We remained in London on that occasion
two nights and one day, and then returned to Whitchurch.
On our return Burnett and Brown were frequently to-
gether. On several occasions Burnett told me he had re-
ceived bank paper from Brown. Burnett did not tell me
where Brown got the paper from, but I heard Brown
tell Burnett that he had been caught taking the paper.