The Sun.
London, England, 1840-05-18 00:00:00

TIVE FIRE.

James Covington examined—l am Inspector of the
C division. On the morning in question I received in-
formation while at the station-house in Vine-street,
from the constable Green, about a quarter past one
o'clock, that there was a tire in Mar3lebone-street. I
ran directly to the hou e. The lower part appeared to
me to be all in flames. I went into the next house, i
No. 32, and up to the attic, and found there a constable
of the A division, who was calling to a man at the win-
dow of the adjoining house. I endeavoured to draw
the man's attention by throwing a blanket towards him.
He, however, got out of the window, standing on a
small piece of cornice, and holding on the window-
frames, and got along until he reached he window at
which I was. I and a constable took hold of him as
soon as we could reach him, and dragged him in at our
window. He was dressed all but one shoe and his hat.
Had we not assisted him, he must have fallen into the
street. I then ran down stairs, and assisted in knock-
ing a hole through the wall which divides the front
area of No. :32 from that of No. 33, and dragged a boy
through who was in the area of No. 33. He was only
slightly bruised. Constable Dranc,C,No.l4l,aslisted me.
By the CORONER—The than who escaped by the
window got out of the middle one, and managed to get
past the other window, but there was then a bleak be-
tween the cornice of that house and the one I was in,
at which moment we got hold of him, and saved him.
Mr. Superintendent Baker here laid before the Coro-
ner and jury a plan of the outside of the houses, ex-
plaining the situation of the parties.
By the CORONER—A considerable time elapsed be-
fore
there was water. I should say it appeared longer
on account of the vicinity of the engine-house. Had
the engines had further to come it would not have
seemed so long.
The Coroner and jury said the conduct of the witness
reflected credit on him, both as a man and an officer.
William Dranc, C, 141, examined—l was in Lei-
cester-square when I heard of the fire, and on reaching
the spot the first and second floor were on fire. [The
remainder of the witness's evidence was in corroboration
1 of Inspector Covington.]
By the jury—Saw no turncock. Some time elapsed
before there was water.
Edward Francis Lipscombe examined—l am a
police constable, A 63. I was with Goodchild when
we saw the smoke. The doors of the house were
closed, but suddenly I found the shop-door open, and I
went in with others. The flames were then running
round the shop and parlour.
By the Jury—l consider the fire must have originated
on :lie shop floor. I assisted Covington in getting the
trial iin at the window. When the fire burst out at the ;
win lows it appeared to come out all at once. I heard
pen wens screaming in the house. The turncock did not
app ear to know where to find the plug, and he would
not let us have the irons for us to try. Saw none of the
inmates of No. -.2.
Mr . Oxchell Duchanne examined :—(He was assisted
into t he room by two persons, being unable to walk,
ha,7ing injured his feet and arm in escaping.) On being
acc onimodated with a chair, by means of an interpreter
he said : It was about half-past 12 when I returned
hog ne that night. I knocked very hard at the door,
bu: ; no one answered. I then rang the bell, when
are 'tiler French gentleman came down and let me in.
W s both went up to the second floor, and went to bed.
I v, vas soon afterwards awoke from my sleep by cries of
fire , on which I instantly got out of bed and ran into
the front room, opened the window, and tried to reach
that : o f the next house.
B y the Jury : My friend had been in bed before he
let in .e in. We both slept in the same room, a middle
room .on the second floor. Did not know where the fire
origiea tted. There was no smell of fire when I came
horn e.

P ,v the CORONER—After I got out of the window I
belt l 'oy the sill, and kicked with my feet at the top of
the first floor window of the next house, which I broke,
and in doing so cut my feet, when I fell on the leads of
the shop, from whence I was got down by means of a
14d ler. I end my friend rented the second floor.
:ignor Robino examined—Corroborated the last wit-
-0 OS' i's evidence.

I ly the Jury—l was awcke by the smoke and smell
of fi re. Jumped out of bed and opened the door, when
I srA v • flames on the stairs.

_ .. •
v; is jam Thompson examined—.I am 14 years of age,
arr r ' ii, ve been errand-boy to Mr. Clark far
two Months
( -,:, Ty' ; in the front kitchen. Mr. Clark slept in the.
J :me! L rt )om behind the shop. The middle room %13 used
„ o,f parlour. Mr. Clark and the servant were at
hor 3e. on
Wednesday night. The servant slept in the
tai' 0., room on the first floor. MN. Clark, her child,
an 1 her sister, were at Gravesend, where they have been
" '
ortnight. Mr. Clark is a cheesemonger and grocer.
0. 3 Wednesday night I went to bed at eleven o'clock,
a'. d the servant fetched thy light away. Mr. parr, 0,,
°F the deceased, was then sitting with Mr. Ciark,
7 3o king. Does not kt:ox when Mr. Cowley, the other
U 7 !ceased, came home.
, By the Jury—There was in the shop a large
Iles'nire cheese, weighing fifty-five pounds, s:x Dutch

INQUEST ON THE BODIES.
On Saturday afternoon, at four o'clock, a jury, con-
sisting of the churchwarden andfourteen of the princi-
pal inhabitants of St. James, Westminster, was empan-
nelled before Mr. Higgs, deputy-coroner, in the loJard-
room of the workhouse of that parish, Poland-street,
Oxford-street, to investigate the circumstances attendant
on the deaths of Mr. John Marr, cashier to the United
Kingdom Assurance Company, Waterloo-place, aged
46 years, and Mr. Joseph Cowley, clerk to Messrs.
Stultz and Co., the well-known tailors in Clifford-street,
Bond-street, aged 35 years, who were burned in the
destructive fire which occurred on the night of Wednes-
day last, at the house of Mr. Adam Clark, cheese-
monger, 33, Marylebone-street, Regent-street.
The inquiry, from the variety of reports in circula-
tion respecting the origin of the fire, and the tim o which
elapsed before water could be procured, excited the
deepest interest.
The jury having been sworn, and Mr. Russell ap-
pointed foreman, the following witnesses were called :
William Green examined—l am a police-constable,
C, No. 59. On the morning of Thursday last, about
ten minutes before one o'clock, I was on my beat at the
top of Air-street, a few doors from the house in ques-
tion, when I saw a cloud of' smoke issue from out of
the front, about the windows of the first floor of No. 32,
Marylebone-street, and go over the houses opposite. I
ran to the spot, and, as I reached it, a flame, about
two yards in height, issued from the drawing-room win-
dows. It was from the two windows next to the
County Fire-office. I then sprang my rattle, and ran
over and knocked against the shutters of the shop with
one hand, while with the other I rang the house-bell.
I then ran to the engine-house of the County Fire-
office, which was next door but one, and gave the
alarm. Mr. Carter, the foreman, looked out of window,
and answered immediately. The engines were directly
brought out, and I ran to the station-house for further
assistance. Inspector Covington came back with rue
and other constables to the fire, and assisted in keeping
the crowd back, until Superintendent Baker ordered
me to my beat.
Samuel Godchild examined—l am a police-consta-
ble, A, No. 36. On the morning in question I was
returning from duty at the Hanover-square rooms with
three other constables, and as we got to the bottom of
the Quadrant I saw smoke ; and on running back, and
getting round the corner of the County Fire-office, we
saw a policeman of the C division springing his rattle,
and as w passed the engine-house the double doors
opened, and the engine was run out. At that time I
saw no flame, but only smoke. The door of the house
was fast, and I saw a man let himself down in his night
'dress from the second-floor window by means of a
sheet. Before that I had ran to St. James's church,
in Piccadilly, and got a short ladder, with which he was
got off the leads over the shop. I then went with others
to get the long ladders, and on my return the flames
were coining out of the windows. I saw a man at one
of the second-floor windows, who was assisted out by a
brother constable, into the next house, by means of a
sheet, but how he etas it I cannot tell. At that moment
I saw several persons at the windows of the attics of
the burning house, to whom the persons below were
" Throw yourselves out," " Jump out." I
told them not to do so, as we would try to save them,
and at that time the doors were broken open.
By the CouoNra—Sae: no one come out of the
house, and should say they could not for the fire and
smoke. I remained on duty there until I was discharged
by Mr. Baker.
By the Jury—l was there full five minutes before I
saw any flames. The engines were full twenty minutes
waiting for water. I saw a turncoek come, but he was
quite drunk. I think his nurrber was 6. I saw other
turneocks come, and then water was got immediately.
The engines were all prepared long before there was
water. Had I not had to 'no at the Old Bailey the
.next day I should hate locked the turncock up. Thu
hour, was half burnt down before there was water. Did
not notice the firemen throw buckets of water on the
fronts of the opposite houses. Should know the turn-
cock if I saw him.
William Xemble examined--I am a police-constable,
A. No. 168 ; I was in the company of the last witness.
When I got to the house I knocked at the door vio-
lently, but no one answered. I think it would have
awakened any one if they had been sleeping or. the
ground-floor. I then knocked at the next house, to-
wards Air-street, nod on the door being opened I ran
up stairs into the dining-room, and on opening the win-
dow saw a person on the leads of the burning house,
who had got down by means of a sheet, wham
I assisted into the house I was in. 1
then saw another person standing on the top of the
house, near the parapet, and I ran up to the top of the
house, and through a trap-door on to the roof, and as-
sisted him throng'n. I asked him if there any other
persons in the house. He said yes ; and I then ran
down to the window again, and held out a bed-quilt,
but saw nothing of any usher person.
By the Jury—Did not see any turneoek that was
drunk.
The Jury said his conduct reEected great credit on
6int.