The Sun.
London, England, 1849-08-11 00:00:00

CHARGE OF ARSON.

John Cook, aged 22, was placed at the bar on an in-
dictment charging him with wilfully setting fire to the
farm-buildings of Mr. Thomas Hollingshettd, at Newton
in this county.
Mr. Davidson appeared for the prosecution, and Mr.
M•lntyre for the prisoner.
It appeared from the evidence adductd that on the
night of the 16th of April, about eight o'clock, the pri-
soner called attention to a fire issuing from the out-
buildings of the prosecutor, the result of which was the
destruction of property of considerable value, including
some cattle, corn, and the buildings. The evidence to
fix the guilt of the prisoner was of a purely circumstan-
tial nature. A day or two before the fire he had guar.
relied with the prosecutor, his master, after which he
remarked to a fellow-servant that something would
happen before long. This was the day before the fire,
and a few minutes before it broke out the prisoner bor-
rowed a box of lucifer matches. He was then seen to come
from the spot whence it first appeared, go into the
house, and immediately direct attention to the fire. The
other servants immediately attempted to put out the fire
and' to get out the cattle, several of which were saved;
and it was asserted that all would have been saved, but
the prisoner walked about and refused to render the
least assistance.

The jury found the prisoner Guilty, and he was sen,
tenced to fifteen years' transportation.

THE CHARGE OF BIGAMY-
AGAINST LOLA MONTES.
The following account of the proceedings in the
divorce of this lady from her husband, Captain James,
taken from the official document in the Consistory
Court of London, dated on the Ist session of Trinity
Term (to wit), Tuesday, the 31st of May, 1842, will
be interesting to most readers :
" (Before the Right Hon. S. LUSIIINGTON.)
" JAMES v. JAMES.
" The libel which sets forth the cause contains the
articles instituted by the proctor of Thomas James, E q ,
against Eliza Rosa Anna, otherwise Eliza Rosanna,
otherwise Eliza James, of the parish of St. Mary, Isling-
ton, in the county of Middlesex and diocese of London,
&c., and in support of which the following evidence was
adduced.—
" The Rev. John James, whose depositions were taken,
are as follow :—I am, and for the last ten years have been,
vicar of the parish of Rathbigg n, in the county and
diocese of Meath. lam brother of Lieutenant Thomas
James, party in this case. He is belonging to the 21st
Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry, and is, as I believe,
at present in India. On the 23.1 day of July, 1837, I
solemniz ql a marriage between my said brother and a
young lady (with whom I had been acquainted only a
few days previously) of the name of Eliza Rosanna Gil-
bert. My brother at such time was I believe a bachelor,
and I believe Miss Gilbert to have been a spinster (save
a clandestine marriage which was reported to have been
previously had between them, but of which I have no
certain knowledge). The marriage which I then solem-
nized between them was had in virtue of a license under
seal of the Consistorial Court of Meath. There were
present at the said marriage, besides myself and the said
parties, my wife, and my nephew, Mr. Young. I read
the marriage service, and duly pronounced the said
Thomas James and Eliz.s Rosanna Gilbert to be lawful
husband and wife; an entry of such marriage was then
made and signed by the said parties. My brother and
his wife immediately after their marriage went to Dublin,
whore they lived in lodgings in Westmoreland street,
Dublin. I have reason to believe that in the autumn of
the year 1838 my said brother and his wife proceeded to
India. My brother has not been in England or in
Europe since his departure in 1838. I received a letter
from him about three months ago (the depositions being
taken on the 24th of October, 1842).
" Mr. Browne Roberts, on his oath, saith—l was
formerly in the East India Company's service, and after
retiring from it I remained several years in India. I
was introduced by Colonel Watson to the plaintiff. He
was then in the Bengal establishment. I subsequently
returned to Europe, and while at Dublin I met Mr. and
Mrs. James. Mr. James informed me that his wife was
the step-daughter of Major Craigie. Mr. and Mrs.
James went to India in 1838. On tho evening of the
22d of February, 1841, Major M'Mullen called on me,
and said that he had been written to by Major Craigie to
take charge of -Mrs. James on her arrival from India. I
was then informed that Mrs. James had arrived, but that
site had declined to avail herself of the hospitality of
Major M`Mullen. I subsequently called at the Imperial
Hotel, Covent-garden,-and saw Mrs. James at breakfast.
I had a long conversation with her about the reports
which had reached me, and endeavoured to induce her to
place herself under my protection, but which she declined
doing, and I never saw her afterwards.
" Mrs. Elizabeth Walters, of the Imperial Hotel,
sworn, saith—On the evening of Sunday, the 21st of
February, 1841, a gentleman and lady arrived at the
hotel in a hackney-coach, having with them a great deal
of luggage; some of the portmanteaus had on them the
name of Mr. T. Lennox, and others the name of Mrs.
James. I inquired of the lady whether one or two bed-
rooms would be wanted, to which the gentleman an-
swered one bedroom, and the lady added, We want
only one bedroom.' They were then shown into a sit-
ting-room which had a bedroom. The same gentleman
and lady supped together. I cannot depose that I actu-
ally saw the said lady and gentleman undressed or in
bed. They were only charged for one bed. On the
following morning Mr. Lennox paid the bill and went
away. I afterwards saw Major M'Mullen and delivered
his message to Mrs. James; she replied that she should
not go. She also told me on the same day that Mr.
Lennox was gone to see his parents at Bognor. After
admitting her name to be James, she said she
was going to marry Mr. Lennox. Mr. James, after
Mr. Browne Roberts had called on her, left, and went
to Great Rider-street, and upon seeing her there, she
said that she was expecting Mr. Lennox every minute.
" Mr. Richard Walters, the husband of the last wit-
ness, after giving corroborative evidence, said, in ad-
dition, that Mrs. James informed him that she had
come from India with a Mr. Lennox in the ship Lar-
kins, and that she was about to be divorced from her
husband.
"Mrs. Ann Martin, formerly of 7, Great Rider-
street, St. James's, on her oath, saitb, that Mrs. James
occupied lodgings in my house for about a month. She
desired my maid servant, in my hearing, not to admit any
one up stairs to her except Capt. Lennox, and on the
following day a gentleman who gave his name as Cap-
tain Lennox called, and was shown up stairs. He was
in the daily habit of visiting Mrs. James. He frequently
came as early as nine o'clock in the morning, but he did
not remain later than midnight. I am not aware that
Captain Lennox ever slept there. The rent was partly
paid me by a cheque signed by Captain Lennox, and by
Mrs. James.
"Mrs. Sarah Watson—l am the sister of Lieutenant
T. James. Mrs. James returned from India in the
month of February, 1841. About two cr three months
previously I received a letter from my brother, dated
Calcutta, in which he informed me that his wife had met
with a fall from her horse, and was otherwise so out of
health that her return to Europe was necessary. My
brother also informed me that he bad written to Mrs,
Rae, in Edinburgh, to come to England to protect, to
ofl whatae being
ehi na gd
eft e ofr hheiin cr wife,
a r mMerds
areucnetivtoe, takeoatn James.
arAg
occurred, I called, and saw Mrs. z'James at Great Rider-
street, when I informed her that I had been made aware
of her having passed a night at the Imperial Hotel with
Mr. Lennox, besides other eircumstaeces which had oc.
curred between her and him during the homeward
voyage from India, and pointed out to her the unutter,
able ruin that awaited her in persisting its such a course,