The Sun.
London, England, 1824-11-20 00:00:00

CHARGE OF ARSON.

Bow-sTREET.—,-On Thursday evening John Clarke, an
oilman, late of No. 21, Mount-pleasant, Coldbath-lichls, was
brotOtt before Sir 'RICHARD 'BIItNIE by Upton, one of the
officers, on a warrant, charged with having wilfully set tire to
his dwelling-house, with intent to defraud the Uounty Fire-
office. The prisoner is a middle-sized man, apparently about
thirty-five years of Age. His demeanour while at the bar was
perfettly,eatty, and free from any thing like embarrassment or

Mr. Harmer attended as solicitor for the prosecution, anti
Mr. Barber Beaumont, the managing director of the Fire-office,
. and other gentlemen of the establishment, were present. The
The prisoner was without professional assistance.
Thomas Webster was the first witness sworn. He said that
be was a coal-dealer, and one of the constables of St. Andrew's
Holborn, serying In his own right. His house is No. 11,
Mount-pleasant, nearly opposite the house lately occupied by
the prisoner. About A o'clock on a Monday evening—he be-
lieved six weeks ago, but could not fix the time—he was in his
shop, when a young man who was at the door called out
" Clarke's house. is on fire." Witness immediately ran over,-
and found the prisoner's shop-door open, anti the back part of
the shop in one " solid flame." He saw no person there. Find.
ing that the fire raged so tremendously that he could do no
good in endeavouring to extinguish it, he alarmed the people
at the next house. A mob soon collected, and the engines
arrived. The prisoner's house was burnt to the ground,
but the adjoining ones were not injured. lie did not see the
prisoner at all that night. Witness said about the neigh:
bourhood that. he did not at all like the appearance of '
things ; and he heard that the prisoner, in consequence, had
said lie would bring an action against him for slander. About
a fortnight after the fire, witness met the prisoner for the first
timo, and said, " So, Clarke, I understand you mean to swear
me." Ho replied that lie thought it very ill-natured of the wit.
ness to make remarks respecting his character, for he always
considered that they were on good terms. The witness said he
always thought him an honest, industrious tradesman, but he
certainly did not like the appearances at the fire. " How was
it," &aid the witness, " that you did not stnp to get your lodgers
out, or at least to endeavour to do so ?" The prisoner, in re-
ply; said that a jar or barrel of something had burst in his
shop, and that he wts so alarmed and hurt by the explosion,
that he was taken out senseless by two gentlemen (one of whom
'he'named,) and carried across to the Cheshire Cheese public-
house, Here the conversation ended, and they went too pub-
lie-house and drank ale together.
in answer to is question from Sir R. BIRNIE, Mr. Webster
said that nothing to his knowledge had ever occurred to create
any thing like ill blood or enmity between him and the pri.
loner. They had always lived in amity with each other.
Mary Anne, the wife of Thomas Patterson, of No. 15,
Mount-pleasant, stated, that she lived directly opposite to the
house occupied by the prisoner. On the evening of Monday,
the 11th of October, at ten minutes past eight o'clock, she was
at the window of the first floor, when hero ..taltion wits dlawA
to the prisoner's' house by a satidelt Maio bursting out in the
back part of the shop. The shop-floor was open. She in a
moment saw the prisoner run out of the shop, and immediately
run back again, and reach across the counter. She drew away
from the window at that moment, and saw no more of the pri- •
soner. She did not see him come out of the shop again. She
afterwards saw two men who were passing; run In and attempt
to put out the flames, but failing in that, they rolled sonic
barrels from the door, and removed sonic mops and brooms
which were hanging there. She watched the fire until the
house was levelled with the ground, and she (lid, not see the
prisoner among those about the premises.
Sophia Burt, a very respectable-looking woman, with an in-
fant in her arms, deposed that she resides at No. 4, Dorrington-
street, Coldhatli-fields, and is the wife of an sent to a Bir-
mingham-ware-manufacturer. On the night. of the fire, she
was standing outside the Cheshire Cheese public-house, where
she was going for some beer, when she saw the prisoner, whose
house was opposite, come to the shop-door, and look tirst up
and then down the street. Ile then went back into the parlour,
the door of which was in the centre of the back partition of the
shop, and there were shelves on each side extending round the
shop. She saw all at once a very great blaze of light, which
ran with the rapidity of lightning round the shelves on each
side, and "up the cans" which were standing there. •J'he
light ran, as it appeared to witness, as if a train of gin
had been laid on the shelves. The flame was yellow, and in
some places a little blue. Then there was all at once a great
explosion, and the fire " ran" into the shop where the pri-
soner made his paint. The prisoner, when the fire burst out,
was standing just inside the parlour door. (Here the witness
paused.)
Mr. Harmer—Be good enough to describe in what position
he was when'the tire burst forth.
Mrs. Burt—l don't like to say. I had rather Mr. Clarke
tell that himself, for he knows. I don't wish to injure
31r. Harmer—No, that cannot be. A man in the situation
of the prisoner cannot be asked • questions. You are here to
.speak the truth upon g very solemn occasion, and I stn sure you
will do so.
Mrs. Burt still hesitated. _ _ _

....... -
Sir R. Illustm—Do not be alarmed, Madam. You are
sworn to speak the truth, and the whole truth, and public jus.
tice requires that you should tell all you know without favour
or afliTtion one way or the other. (iod forbid that you should
say more than is true to the injury of a fellow-creature; but it
sbarwowlnlrp.
aCil)aerrktenaetretllytipoarrlaoutror.iclooh):
ie imperative upon you to relate every circumstance within your
it was
knowledge, let the consequences be what they may.
sliaryu brut then
he t
whether
es:
in a stooping position, with something alight in his hand, (I
cannot ray
which he raised first to one side of the door towards the shelves,
and then the other, and the light which I have described fol-
lowed instantly at each place.
The prisoner here lifted his eyes and hands, and smiled.
Sir lt. BinNl E.—Prisoner, I really cannot help remarking,
that it would be better in you to refrain from laughing; for
surely this is no laughing matter. It is not decorous, nor do 1
think it tells at all in your favour.
Prisoner.—.l beg pardon, Sir ; I will not repeat it.
Mrs. Burt continued.—She called out 4, Fire I—Clarke has
set his house on fire 1" and then ran home to call the men who
were at work in'the factory, to assist in putting out the fire.
She saw Mr. Webster knocking at the next door as she went
away. She knew the prisoner well, haying occasionally dealt
at his shop. She had never the slightest quarrel with him.
She told the particulars of what she had seen to her husband,
who desired her to tell no one else, for she would only get into
trouble about it. She never had told- any one else except Mr.
Barber Beaumont, who came to her on Wednesday upon the
subject. She had said to some who had asked her about it, that
Clarke set his house onilre ; but she had never told any one of
the particulars, except as before stated.
In answer to questions from the prisoner, she described in
what manner he was dressed on the night in question, and said
that she did not see him reaching up as if to move things away,
nor did she see a desk under his arm when he ran out. The
prisoner was proceeding to put other questions, when Sir It:
111 EN E said, 44 I understand you have no legafadeiser here;
is it so ?"
. _

l'risoner—lt. is, Sir; I was taken quite unprepared, or. I
should have been provided in that respect.

Sir Riot/tun Bin:in—Then would it not be better that
you should reserve any questions, or whatever you may have
to say in answer to the charge, until you have the benefit of
legal mlviee? Your situation seems to me a perilous one, and
I should recommend you not, to say more at present.
The Prisoner (bowmg►)--I thank you, Sir.
Mr. Harmer said, that he had many other witnesses to call,
but as the prisoner appeared to have been taken• by surprise,

he should propose to stop for the present, and ,y a fitture slay
the prisoner would be better prepared to meet the charge.
So R. Biaern said; he Mg, have proof of the insurance be-
fore he.eould commit, that being the essence of the charge.
Mr. Charles Acland, clerk to the Coitnty Fire Office, proved
that the prisoner was insured in that office after the following
rate f—stock 0001. house 2,01. ; and furniture, apparel, &c.,
palitilrioileTilodat.indsr:::::diiiipitiie(‘r.f.„,aoleisolrralyt,w3:ll:ooe:rukto/. Previous to las
time t Midsummer, ins stock was
,h.n• oldeytsosfittio
role: nee!
'bitctiehet
exceeded
ieliantdrafttotite
ehat lsdoubledi.trl,areriitxi,
n Noise: insuranceleeartvine. t
Til:t
had since the fire sent in his claim tie dee full amount of 200/.,
r
tted to
some of the first tradesmen in the city of London would become
security for him to any amount ; but he was toil that such a
thingwas quite impossible,
ROBBhRY BY' SERVANTS THROUCIII TilE• FA-
CILITY AFFORDED BY RECEIVERS.
Girt e re L.— Monza Cliff fliHlCharles Austin, two boys
in the -employ of Mr, Taylor, , the printer, in Shoe-lane, the
eldest of whom was not more than 12 years old, were brought
up yesterday before the Sitting Magistrate, Ille„ Aid. IVal Tete
maze, chergeel with robbing their master.
Hy the evidence of James Coghlin, Charles Pafford, and
John Illytion, three boys also its Mr-Taylor's einphey, it ap-
peered. that the prisoners bad been for' some time back in the
habit of Stealing from the cupboard in the offiee, in which they
were deposited manuscripts, proofs, and other copies, and sell-
ing them for waste paper at the theesemangera and porkshope
round the neighbourhood. Cdghlin and Fedora, to whom the
prisoners had made no secret of what they had done, gave in-
formation to the foreman, anti the other boy, Mysiiii who had
been so far a participator in the offence as to go with ;Item once
or twice, and see them sell it, and had on one occasion received
:ltd. out of' the proceeds, had' made a full confession; so that
the fact of the robbery and of the disposal of the property was
fully proved.
Ccirby, the officer, and Mr. Gyde, Mr. Taylor's overseer, had
been to the difibrent tradesmen where the papa had been sold
the most of them were in attendance to produce the. property.
The first examined was John 'beiges, the servant of Mr.
Hawkins, eheeeemonger, No. 09, Fetter-lane.
Mr. Alderman WAITIIMAN' addressing him,' saitt.L". 1
would have you be cautious in the evidence you arc about to
give, for you stand in a very awkward situation. You, bare
been purchasing property which has been stolen, and we have
case now before us, in which we have thought proper to make
an evidence of the thief, for the purpose of bringing the re-
ceivers to punishment."
Hodges then identified the boy CUR as having sold hint
some waste paper last week ; he could not say the amount lie
paid him, but he had given hint only 2d. a pound lot it. it
was mostly dirty printed paper.
Mr. Alderman Warrmetax—Did you inquire where ha
brought it emit.
Hodges—No, Sir ; I did not ask him any questions.
Mr. Alderman WAITH MAN—Do you buy paper of boys of
this age without making any inquiry where they get the pro-
perty P This is very extraordinary. You live in a neighbour-
hood where you may almost be said to be surropnded by printers
—most of whom are in a very extensive line, and you buy
paper, which every body must have known to have come from
a printer's warehouse, of a parcel of boys, without making the
least inquiry.
Hodges excused himself by saying that he hail only been one
month in town, and was not aware that boys were in the habit
of robbing their masters.
The ALDERMAN asked what was the regUlar price for Waste.
paper
Mr. Taylor replied 30. or Ad. a pound. This was not the
first time, he said, that he had been robbed by the boys he em.
played of slmilar property ; and he attlibuted these denreela-
tions wholly to the facility they found in disposing of it. • He
could not refrain from saying that sufficient caution was nut
used in such eases ; for was it likely, he would ask, that boys of
this description should be in possession of quantities even of
wastepaper ? Ilaw were they to get ft hut by isteelineeia- •
'The Alderman desired the chose of the Act of Parliament
(22(1 Geo. 111. cap. lfBy to be read, which provides that every
person who shall buy or receive any goods knowing ehem to
have been staler), shall be guilty of n misdemeanor, and pile
nished by fine, imprisonment, or whipping, even though the
principal thief be not convicted.
On the reading of this clause, John Hodges Behan to suspect
that he was in a fair way of getting a whipping front his want
of caution, and reiterated
loudly his protestations of ignorance
of such wicked practices, and declared that, since this ail:dr, he
had refused to buy of 'a boy who could not give a good account
of himself.

Alderman IVArei;MAN.—.I do not wish to throw
putations upon respectable tradesmen, who may probably only
have acted incautiously. There can, however, be nothing
more suspicious than the purchasing from boys of such tat age
as these prisoners ; and when to that is added the purchasing
at an under price, and without asking any question., is it ex-
tremely doubtful whether a Jury would not think it sufficient
evidence of a knowledge that the goods were stolen. Theie are
regular dealers In waste paper, who purchase In large quanti-
ties from the printers, and by them tradesmen can always be
supplied ; and those who purchase from boys, merely because
they can get waste paper at a penny or two.pemce a pound
under the regular price, should be warned of .01e danger they
Incur by this sort of traffic.

The next purchaser, Mr. (airtime, clicesentonger, of No. 3,
Gray's Inn-lane, denied having bought any of the ,prisoners ;
but three of the boys agreed in the story of having sold hiui
111bs.

Mrs. Ford, pork butcher, IV bite's-alley, Chancery-line ; Mr.
porkman, 40, Fetter.lane; Mr. Prith, cheesetriongcr,
95, Fetter.lane t and Mr. Stevens, another cheesemonger to
Fetter.lane, had severally been purchasers from the prisoners ;
but as most of them were present at the lecture the Alderman
had read to Hodges, he did not think it necessary to do more
than give them a general caution, and directed such of Jhem
whose evidence was important to be bound over to *end
the Sessions, and the two prisoners were committed. to New.
gate tbr trial.

RIVER 'NENE OUTVALL--,111 COllittNUl.nre Of a
letter having been received by the Corporation of Wisbech, from
Lord William Remind, a numerous anti respectable 'tom*
was held at the Town Hull there, on Wednesday last, tar the
purpose of ascertaining the sense of the inhabitants the
town on the propriety of contributing .toyairds the ex.
pences which will he incurred preparatory to the .britir.
ing a Bill into l'arliament for erecting.* bridge ttikr the
river at Sutton intailway, and tOr improymg the outtMi.of,the
River Nene from ‘risbech to the sea, *Mr the drainage of
lands discharging their waters 'into it—irtten a resolution' iVall
pulsed, that it was contrary to the interest of the town of Wis..
Lerch to appropriate any sum from the funds of the Corporation
for furthering the said plan. The meeting was addressed at
considerable -length by many of thelnost respectable lobo.
bitants.

ANOTHER DEATH BY FIGHTING.---On Wednes-
day the 10th inst. two lads, the one 17, and the other 111 yearn
of age, apprentices to a wheelwright at Farnham, in,the county
of
.Surrey, agreed to nettle a trifling dispute by a pugilistic
rencounter. They accordingly proceeded to Farnham Park ;
and after fighting upwards of an hour, one of them received a
severe blow about the temple, which knocked him
He lay on the ground for some minutes, and was taken up
in a state of insensibility, and carried to the Seven Stars,
where, in the course of the carne evening, he expired. An
Inquest was held upon the. body ; and after the examina-
ation of several witnesses, the Jury returned a verdict of Man-
slaughter against the survivor," who was immediately com
oro -
mitted on the Cner's warrant to llorseuinger-bute -jail
to take his trial. The seconds are allowed• to escape, inertly
because they did not attend officially, but were casual epee
tutors that assisted them up when down. The deceased trul-
Often been heard to say, that if ever he fought lie would stioner
be killed than give up to any one.

Tho twelve persons sentenced at our -deist
Quarter Sessions to one month's imprisonment for a rite at
BrentwOOd. were yesterday morning (Thursday) iiheritnt
from prison. A stage coach with four horses decorated with
ribbons was sent from Brentwood ttt convey theni to thekre-
spective homes ; band of music met them at Shenlield, when
the horses were taken from the coach, which was drawn into
the town by men provided with ropes, and where there appear-
ed on the part of the inhabitant* a hearty congratulation at their
return into the bosom of their families and connections.—
( Chelmsji)rd Cironicle.)

LITERARY NOTICE.

THE FRUITS of EXPERIENCE; at MEMOIRS of JO-
SEPH BRASBRIDGE written in his 80th and Old
years.

The Author of this 'Work had long been known
as n respectable Tradesman in London, but has
retired many years, and amused himself during his
leisure in recollecting and recording the chief events
of Irtsloeg life. The work is written with spirit and
with apparent truth. Indeed we may say, in the
words of JonNsom, " he that sits down calmly
44 and voluntarily to review his life for the admo-
" nition of posterity, or to amuse himself, and
leaves this account unpublished, may be corn-
'ti nuttily presumed to tell Truth, since Falsehood
" cannot appease his own mind, and Fame will
44 not be heard beneath the tomb."—But, on the
present occasion, we have an additional reason
for reliance on the Author, as he publishes it dur-
ittg his life, and is consequently exposed to con-
tradiction in any mis-statements. Many charac-
ters are brought into review who will probably
be recollected by his elderly readers, and many
that have appeared within.our own time. Judg-
kg from his description of the latter class, we
may venture to depend on the accuracy of his de-
lineations respecting the former. The work is writ-
ten in an easy, lively, and often in a humorous style,
and exhibits all extraordinary possession of mental
powera at the advanced age of the Author. The
object of the work is to demonstrate the efficacy
of rectitude, moderation, and civility in all the
concerns of life, and particularly in the trading
world, and with such a tendency it may reason-
ably be expected to operate with a moral effect
upon all his readers. One striking proof of
conaciouti truth may be derived front the severity
with which he attacks many living characters,
which he would hardly have done, if he did not
bid defiance to contradiction. The only parts
that appear to us to be chiefly objectionable, are
those in which lie explores the humble origin of
those who, by industry, have raised themselves
into rank and affluence, forgetting the liberal old
adage--" Speak opine as I am, not as I have
beets."—Several of these persons are living, and
such humiliating records cannot but wound the
feelings of themselves and their connections.—
We are ready to admit, from the liberal feelings
of the Author, who has delineated his own cha-
racter, and recorded his own errors with laudable
sincerity, that his motive was to skew the good
rffircts of preserving industry ; but he has been
too particular in his details, and might have con-
tented himself with stating that their original con-
dition by no means held forth a promise of their
successful career. Altogether this is a very
amusing example of AUTO•DIOURAPHY, and is
likely to be attended with a very beneficial
result.

WLIGHT; AND MEASURM—It does not ap-
pear to be generally known, that by an Act
paised in the. last Session of l'arliatrent a total
alteration will take place on the Ist of May next
la the legal Weights and Measures of the king-
dom. The ohjeet of the Act is to establish an
t►niform system, to enforce «hick penalties are
enacted against those who sell goods by any
other standard.

The Schnell Posters (Quick Posts), which are
every w here making such progress on the Conti-
nent, it seems, are aboutlito he introduced into the
kingdom of Hanover. The experiment com-
mences with the new year, though they will at
first he confined to those roads which lead to the
chief mercantile towns.

raking up some ground lately near Fattier's,
in the Department of the North, the workmen
• found a considerable quantity of blackened wheat,
and blackened apparently rather by the hu-
midity of the earth than by the action o( lire.
The wheat was posited in two layers amongst a
mass of rubbish, consisting of old broken Roman
tiles, and other antique materials. Immediately
• ander the wheat was another layer of white
matter, extremely light, and altogether devoid
• of taste, in a pulverized state, which some per-
sons► pronounced to be farina ; it is about to be
analyzed. An antique double mill was also
found among the rubbish, of a grey pearl stone
colour, resembling a very hard sort of pouding.
The two pieces which constitute the mill fit one
,upon the other, and by a rotator• motion given
• inversely or contrary-ways, the corn placed be-
. tween them is ground ; there is a gentle inclina-
tion towards the centre of the stones, to prevent
the corn running out over the mill-stones, and
~the two surfaces which perform the process of
goindiug are furrowed, or indented with small
grooves, so as to hinder the corn from rolling out
unground. An engraving is about to be made
• of this ancient piece of machinery .—(Constitu-
ttionel, Nos. 10.)
It was FiIANCIS ROIERTSON, Esq. of Lin-•

coin's Inn-fields, as mentioned is this paper, and
not a Mr. Robinson, who had his pocket picked
-• on Thursday at the Auction Mart of 4,000 L The

whole of the notes and their numbers that he tiltd
-c in his pocket were known, and on referring to
those l►e laud paid as a deposit for the Chilcute
Estate, as agent for a client, the remainder
• ()hose ►stolen) four of 10001. each was ascer-
tained. Payment was stopped at the Bank,
►►nd 1001. reward is offered for them as lost. It
is incorrectly stated that a person, well known
to the police, is suspected. 'No suspicion at-
taches to any individual. .Yesterday a -beadle
or street-keeper, decorated in gold ince, was
• for a time, during Mr. Robins's ►sale, stationed
•in the room. One of the apple women or
venders of cakes from 'the 'Change, would equally
have served for the protection of property.---
Policy Officers, who are in general well ac.
• quairsted with pickpockets, should, on certain
occasions, be stationed at lids place and Gar.
• sway's, which would have the effect of entirely
e►ccluding the light-fingered gentry, and the
punishment of public whipping would be the
means of diminishing the crime of purloining
,from the pockets. .The fraternity would then
relinquish the profession, as degrading. At pre-
sent, except in glaring cases, imprisonment,
w4iere they are visited and maintained in luxury
•'by `their gang, is no check to this species of crane.