The Sun.
London, England, 1847-08-30 00:00:00

CHARGE OF ARSON.

On Saturday afternoon, Mr. William Payne, the
City coroner, and a respectable jury, met at the
George Tavern, Beech-street, Barbican, and were
engaged upwards of five hours in inquiring into the
cause of the late destructive fire that occurred upon
the premises of Mr. Leopold Hail, fancy box maker,
No. 361, Beech-street.
In consequence of the many rumours afloat as to
the origin of the fire, the inquiry excited considerable
interest.
A solicitor attended on the part of Mr. Hail; and
Mr. George Fogo, the chief officer of the A section of
the London Fire Establishment, was present on behalf
of the insurance companies forming the brigade. Mr.
Thomas Hodsall, the assessor of losses, attended
from Messrs. Toplis's office, the surveyors of the Sun
Fire-office.

William Arthur Ede, 12.5 of the City Police, said
that on Thursday morning last, about half-past three
o'clock, he was on duty in Golden-lane, when a per-
son accosted him, and said he thought there was a
fire in Beech-street. Witness went to the corner of
the lane, and there found smoke issuing from Mr.
Hail's premises. The smoke was issuing from the
fanlight. Witness and his comrade Langton, 138,
immediately sprang their rattles, for the purpose of
raising an alarm. He then started off to call the
engines and fire-escapes, leaving Langton behind to
arouse the inmates. Upon his return he learned from
his brother officer that all the inmates had escaped.
He then saw fire coming from the same spot as he
had first noticed smoke issuing. A number of per-
sons came out, some were undressed; but Mr. Hail
had the whole of his clothes on.
Mr. Hail stated that he dressed himself in the street.

Henry Andrew Mallet, head engineer of White-
cross-street station, said that he arrived with his
engine at the spot at 23 minutes past three o'clock on
the morning in question.
The CORONER—Can you tell in what part of the
premises the fire began ? Witnesa—From what I have
seen I should say it began at the foot of the staircase
of Mr. Hail's shop.
The CORONER—Have you since made an examina-
tion of the premises? Witness—l have. I found
the remains of a trunk and also some paper cuttings.
In the.trunk was a broken bottle that had contained
oil. The bottle was amongst some clothes, the remains
of which I found in the trunk.

The remains of the bottle were produced by the
witness, and also some paper cuttings, which were laid
before the coroner and jury.
Henry Pritchard, carman in the employ of Mr.
Ives, said, that on the 10th of the present month he
removed some paper from Mr. Hail's shop. To the
best of his recollection there were seven large bundles
of brown paper, weighing half a cwt. each, and several
smaller ones. He took that load to Mr. Hopkins, 42,
Houndsditch. Mr. Hail was not present at the time,
but some foreign gentlemen. The same evening he
took some coloured paper of different sizes to a house
on Dowgate-hill.
Mr. Thomas tlodsall, assessor of losses for Messrs.
Toplis and Sons, the surveyors to the Sun Fire-office,
said that Mr. Hail was insured in the Sun Fire-office
for 5001. There was 1801. on the furniture, 201. on
china and glass, 2501. on utensils and stock in trade,
and 501. on pictures and prints.
The CORONER—How long has the insurance been
effected ? Witness—Only since Midsummer last.
The CORONER—Has any claim been made since
the fire occurred ? Witness—Yes, on Thursday
evening. The day the fire happened, a claim for 2571.
was sent in.
The CORONER—Does the claim appear correct ?
Witness—From my experience, having settled up-
wards of 3,000 fire cases, I have no hesitation in say-
ing the claim was a most exorbitant one. He has
charged for articles that were never on the premises,
at least, not there at the time of the fire. Parcels of
goods that have been taken out of the shop have been
put down as burned.
Some other witnesses were examined; and,
The Learned CORONER having summed up the
evidence at great length, the jury retired to another
room, and after consulting for about half an hour,
they returned, the foreman announcing that they were
unanimous in their verdict, which was as follows :
"That the house was wilfully set on fire by the
tenant, Leopold Hail."
The CORONER at once made out his warrant for the
committal of the accused to Newgate.

SHOCKING DEATH FROM HARD DRINKING.—An
inquest was held on Saturday by Mr. Thomas Higgs,
coroner for the Duchy of Lancaster, at the Union Arms,
Union-road, Clapham, on the body of Mr. John Fother-
gill, aged 36, a gentleman of fortune, residing at No. 3,
Goring-grove, Wandsworth-road. It appeared from
the evidence that for the last two years the deceased was
constantly in a state of intoxication, from drinking
ardent spirits. Gin and brandy were his principal
drink, and the witnesses stated that he never took less
than twenty glasses a day. He had not been right in his
mind for the last 18 months ; and nine months since he
was so mad that be was confined for several months in
a private lunatic asylum. Since his enlargement he had
drunk as hard as ever, and for the last three months he
had not been one day sober. On Saturday last deceased
was very much intoxicated, and on funday he com-
plained of feeling very poorly, but refused to see a sur-
geon. He continued to get worse, and on Wednesday
morning his wife called in Mr. Spencer, a surgeon, of
Larkhalt-lane, who pronounced him to be in a dying
state. Medicine was given him, but he expired very
shortly afterwards. The body had since l;ee❑ opened
by Mr. Spencer, who found chronic ii,ffinimation of the
liver, resulting from taking an excessive quantity of
ardent spirits. Verdict, " Died from chronic inflamma-
tion of the liver, caused by taking an excessive quantity
of ardent spirits."