The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-09 00:00:00

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During the early part of the week the inhabitants
of this town were kept in a state of excitement owing
to the revels going on at what is now termed the
people's pleasure fair ; but however great the excite-
ment had been during the days the carnival lasted,
it was considerably increased this morning, when
the inhabitants were alarmed by a disastrous fire
breaking out,which continued its ravages for hours,
destroying property estimated at several thousand
pounds. The scene of the disaster was Lansdowne-
road, East Croydon, at the back of the parish
church. On the ground were erected a great many
houses, containing about 12 rooms each. Theso
buildings had been roofed in, but were not quite
finished, and some contained a large stock of build-
ing materials, such as sashes, doors, &c., and unfor-
tunately the whole or principal portions of the men's
working tools were in the structure at. the time the
fire commenced. The first intimation of the out-
break was from one of the builders, who seeing
flames round one of the cupboards in the centre house
of the row, raised an alarm, and having summoned
the different workpeople to the spot, they made an
attempt to get the fire extinguished, but their
efforts were unsuccessful, and in the course of a
few minutes the building in which the disaster com-
menced became encircled in flame. The fire ex-
tended with such rapidity that in less than a quarter
of an hour the adjoining houses became ignited. In
a very brief period two engines belonging to the
Board of Health attended, as well as that of the
Croydon Volunteers. The whole of this force at
once went to work, but the flames continued their
ravages, and eventually no less than seven of the
magnificent buildings became fired, and such a for-
midable aspect did the conflagration at length as-
sume that a telegraphic message was sent to London
for additional assistance. Head Engineers Metcalf
and Izzard at once started to the spot with one of
Shand and Mason's land engines, but by the time
they reached the scene the fire had nearly spent
itself.

PRICE 4d.,
STAMPED sd.'

must have puffed out. The deceased said that ho thought
the bag held about 4?i lbs. of powder.
Capt. Coffee said that it was just possible that the baj
might have been cut by the shovel, but no powder could
well have been puffed out. It was the extreme caution of
the deceased in putting in the shovel over the 4owder that
seemed to have cost him his life ; for if the shovel bad not
been there he would simply have been thrown down by the
explosion.
Dr. Ross said that ho heard from some of the men that
deceased seemed to have observed his danger when too late,
for ho cried out "Good God," just before the explosion.
The Coroner having summed up, _ _ .

The jury returned a verdict "That deceased died from
decapitation arising from an accidental explosion of gun-
powder while instructing the Ist Tower IlamletsEngiucers
in blowing up a stockade."
Capt. Coffee said that it might be a consolation to the
deceased's mother and other relatives to know that not only
all his comrades, but Sir John Burgoyne and the deputy
adjutant-general, appreciated the excellent qualities, scien-
tific and otherwise, of the unfortunate sergeant.

Extraordinary Charge of Conspiring to
Cheat and Defraud.

John Crofts, a young man of respectable appearance, was

brought before Mr. Ellison, at Worship-street Police-court,
on Saturday, by Bull, warrant officer of this court, who
had -taken him on such author ity a few hours previously
while attending his duties as clerk of the Submarine Tele-

graph Transmission Offices, in Threadneedle-street, charged
with having on the 7th day of June last, and other days,
unlawfully conspired with others to obtain from Edmund
King the sum of £l6.
Mr. Beard having stated at great length the minnte par-

ticulars of the case, which he observed was one of a re-
markable character, fraught with systematic cunning, re-
gretted that two other persons, named Charles Mills and
. _ .

David Coppin, known as "betting men," against whom also
warrants wore out for complicity in these transactions, did
not now stand by the side of the prisoner in the dock. As

in many other instances of a similar nature nefarious prac-
tices had come to light entirely from a split having occurred
among the confederates, most probably in consequence of
an unfair or alleged unfair division of the spoil, and a vast
deal of evidence must neeessotily be heard, but at present
the prosecutor's would bo amply sufficient.
Mr. J. Barnard, managing clerk to Mr. Joseph Smith,

The official report describes the damage done as
follows :—" Two ten and twelve-roomed houses, un-
finished, burned out ; two others nearly destroyed,
and three severely damaged by fire and water."

defended the prisoner, and great interest was attached to
the proceedings.
Mr. King, of 13 A, Grosvenor-street, Islington, was then

sworn. He deposed—l am a builder. I became acquainted
with the prisoner at tho bar about four months since, at the
Cambridge Music Hall, in Shoreditch. Shortly afterwards
I met other persons there against whom I have charges to

prefer in connection with this. The first money transac-
tion I was concerned in with them was tossing for money.

Prisoner was not with them on the first occasion, but was
afterwards. I considered it fair tossing. Prisoner did not
toss himself, but bet upon it. A person named Saul Cohen,
besides others, was present while tossing was going on, and
he took a principal part in the betting. I lost by betting
about £4O, perhaps more. At tho time the Newmarket
Spring Meeting took place I backed a horse called Plutus.
My bet was with Cohen, believing at the time he was bet-
ting for his master, a Mr. Hall. I backed Plutus for, I be-

Have, £l6. A man named Copping apparently backed
Plutus, and then induced me to do so. After the bet, and
on the same day, I found that a horse named Student had
won the raco, and that I had lost my money. On or
about the 31st of August last I was at a supper at Kite's
Coffee-house in Commercial-street, Shoreditch. Cohen,

Copping, and others were likewise present. Copping left
the room, saying he was going to fetch the cards, and he

returned with a pack, and proposed playing at " blind
hookey." I and prisoner took part in the game. I be-
lieved that the players knew no more of the game than I,
and that the play was fair. I lost £l7, and declined
further play. I paid a few pounds to Cohen and Copping,
and on the following day gave a cheque for the remainder.
Cohen then proposed another wager—viz., that ho would
be blindfolded, and point out afterwards any ono of three
articles which had been touched while he was in the dark.
A man named Solomons bound the eyes of Cohen, and ono

of us touched the article. I did so sometimes. There were
three wino glasses placed in a straight line on the table. I
lost about £4 with Cohen, who started the betting. Three

months since prisoner met me at the Cambridge Music-hall,
and in the course of conversation observed " Charley Ray-
ner, the trainer at Newmarket, has been very intimate with
my father, and still corresponds with him. lie has told him
some very good things about horse racing. The other day
he met him in the street and promised to write to him as he
had no time to stay and talk." About a week after that he
(witness) met prisoner again in the same place, and the
latter said to him, "My father has received a letter from
Charley Rayner. What it is about I don't know, but think

it must be something about a horse for one of the great
handicaps. I believe it must be a good thing, as my father
talks about purchasing a public-house. It must be very pri-
vate, too, for he has locked it in a desk where he keeps his
private papers." Copping said to him, "You must get some
keys and procure the letter, as if it is about a horse we
must back it before the weights come out." Copping said
he would get some keys himself, and prisoner promised to
lot us know if the letter was about a horse. Two days
afterwards I again saw the prisoner at the same place.
Copping was present. Prisoner said Copping had got some
keys for him, and the desk was opened. On the following
Saturday I met prisoner in Commercial-street, and ho pro-
duced a letter which he asserted was from Rayner. The
contents advised that a horse named Lampoon should be
backed for the Cambridgeshire Stakes, that it was the best
thing the writer had ever known, that it must not be backed
in town, that Holt and Crook, of Leeds, were the best per-
sons to transact business with, and that it was important to
keep the matter a profund secret ; the letter was signed
Charles Rayner. Witness continued—l showed the letter to
Copping, who said, " Mr. Holt used to put up when in
town at the York and Albany, Regent's-park. I know him,
having seen him on race courses. I wonder if he would
recognise me." Prisoner then proposed that he, I, and
Copping, should go to the Albany on the following day and
ascertain if Mr. Holt did still put up there. Consequently
on that day (Sunday) all three went to the York and Albany.
Copping asked the waiter if Mr. Holt still frequented there,
and whether he had been there that day, or if it was pro-
bable that he would call again. The waiter said a person
named Holt had been there, and in all probability would
call again. Copping told the waiter if Mr. Holt did come
while we were there to ask him to look in upon us, and in
about three-quarters of an hour a person entered who re-
presented himself as Mr. Holt.
It was here suggested that at so late an hour it would he
impossible to finish the examination of the prosecutor, who,
in answer to Mr. Beard, merely farther observed that he
had by the nefarious transactions of the prisoner and his
associates been defrauded of between £2OO and £3OO. A
future day was appointed for the further hearing, and then
Samuel Cohen, of 22, Primrose-street, Finsbury, who was
asserted to be an unwilling witness, although it was upon
his statement on oath that the warrants wore granted, was
bound over in the sum of £lOO to appear at the next ex-
amination and give evidence. His sworn statement was
that he (Cohen) knew David Copping and John Crofts
(the prisoner); that ho was present when they arranged
between them how each was to toss so as to enable them
to win, one of the plans being that when the hand was
placed square on the table the coin was to be a head, and
when across the table it was to be a. woman, or tail ; that
this was in relation to transactions with the prosecutor
King ; that they induced him to back horses ; that Copping
requested him (Cohen) to get King to back a horse called
Plutus for the Newmarket Spring meeting, and that it was
known shortly afterwards on the same day that the
race had been won by Student ; that King therefore
lost £l6, which was paid him (Cohen), and by him to
the others ; that on another occasion Copping said, " I
shall make £2O by cards to-night of King," and that he
did make £l7 at the game of blind hookoy, &c., he know-
ing the cards; that subsequently ho (Cohen), at the request
of Copping, assumed the name of Hall, a well-known cha-
racter on the racecourse, and passed as him to further the
plans of Copping and the prisoner.
Mr. Barnard said in reference to the charge that the well
known remark of ono story being good until the other was
hoard was applicable in this instance. All he asked at pre-
sent was that his client, a respectable young man, holding
a responsible situation, be admitted to bail.
Mr. Ellison observed that this was a most grave adsfeori-
- i.
ous matter, and upon the evidence it was shown that and
gory had been committed. The prisoner would
re-
manded, but might put in bail to the amount of £2BO.

A WISE POG.—A curious fact has occurred in an
isolated country house in the neighbourhood of Toulon.
A person flying from the epidemic came to seek an asylum
there, and was perfectly well received by the occupants ; a
watch-dog only, after having smelt at the, new comer, left
his master, and took up his quarters in an adjoining house.
On the following night the guest died of cholera, and the
dog returned.—Galignani.
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