The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-08 00:00:00

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CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.
OLD COURT. (Before the ASSISTANT-JUDGE and the usual Bench of
(Before Mr. Justice POLLOCK, and Mr. Justice EARLE.) Magistrates.)
CHARGE OT ARSON.—George John Ford, 35, printer, John Franklin and Charles Stone were indicted for
was indicted for feloniously setting fire to certain pre-
stealing a printed book, value 18s., described as the pro-
raises in his occupation, with intent to defraud the Impe-
Party of Alfred Sharp.
rial Insurance Company.
The charges having been clearly proved, the jury found
In another count the intent was laid to be to defraud
Charlotte Owen, the landlady, of the property. them
Th
eGehlutyrt,
asnendtenced each to seven years' transporta-
Mr. Clarkson and Mr. Bodkin conducted the prosecu-
tion.
Joseph Smith, 18, and George Swain, 18, were indicted
tion; Mr. Ballantine appeared for the prisoner.
The Learned Counsel for the rosecution having for stealing two pewter pots, value 25., the property of
p
detailed at some length the circumstances under which Penelopethe Roa'way.
From evidence it appeared, that about two o'clock
wasthe charg made against the prisoner, the following in the morning of the 18th December, both prisoners
evidence was adduced:— were met on the road near the prosecutor's house. The
Mr. John Green deposed that he was agent to the
officers
them
rceiving somethinbulky about theirarsons,
Imperial Insurance Company, and also acted as agent for
asked them theywhat had upon them, when Swain said
Mrs. Owen, the landlady of the premises in question,
they had two pots which they had found ; they :then
which were situated in Breem's-buildings, Beech-street,
produced the two pots in question, when the officer took
Cripplegate. The prisoner, upon becoming the tenant,
them into custody, and subsequently ascertained that the
was bound to insure the building in 1501., and he did so
in the first instance, and eventually, in November last, pots had been stolen from the Red Lion.
lie increased the amount of his insurance to 410/. for The ostler, at the Red Lion, identified the pots as
stock in trade, household goods, watches, and trinkets, the property of Mrs. Rodway the prosecutrix.
books, &c., andhe also insured for a twelvemonth's rent in The jury returned a verdict of Guilty ; and the
imprisonment,
each to three months'
that amount. The prisoner at different periods paid the Court se
sum of 3/. Os. 6d. for the premium, but the policy was with
grand jury having terminated: their labours at hard- labour.
not formally made out. The fire took place on the 7th The
December, and on the 9th the prisoner came to him and half-past one o'clock to-day, the Foreman addressed
the Judge, and said he was requested by his brother
said it was a very bad job, and he wished to know how
j
ho was to proceed in making his claim on the office. jurors to express their unanimous opinion that, from
The prisoner said he had not brought in all the property the nature of the cases tried in that Court, they con-
for which he had insured, and witness then told him to
sidered it was waste of their time, as well as that of
make out as correct an inventory as he could, and he
the Court, in sending such cases before them for in-
said he would lay it before the directors. At this inter-
quiry as could b© summarily disposed of by the police
view ft. prisoner told him he had been on the premises magistrates.
late on the night of the fire, and the reason was, that he The ASSISTANT-JUDGE differed very much with the
had forgotten the keys of his drawers where his razors opinion of the jury as far as regarded the system of trial
were kept, and he wanted to shave, as he was going out by Jury, as there was no other tribunal by which *us-
tics could be done to; prisoners but by sending themibe-
early in the morning.
Cross-exarained—Tho directors do not give any me- fore a petty jury for trial. His Lordship entered at
great length into the merits of trial by jury, during
morandums, and sometimes five or six weeks elapse be-
fire they send the policy to the party. He made inqui- which he illustrated his arguments by various instances
ries about the prisoner, and found that he bore an excel- in which, if summarily convicted, the persons would
h
lent character. The premises had formerly been merely have suffered innocently, and which we have noticed on
a carpenter's shop, and was in a very dilapidated con- many previous occasions.
dition ; and he knew that the prisoner had been in the
habit of using tar on the roof to keep out the rain.
There were remains of furniture in the ruins after the fire.
By Mr. Justice ERLE—The prisoner did not give me
any estimate as to the amount of his claim upon the office.
Mary Tyrrell deposed that she lived with her hus-
band close to the house that was destroyed. About
twenty minutes before twelve at night, on the 7th De-
cember, they were alarmed by the cry of fire, and on
their rushing out she saw flames coming from the pre-
mises, and apparently from the windows over the gate-
way. Part of the premises were occupied by a person
named Allen as a school. (The witness then pointed
out, in a model that was shown to her, the situation of
the prisoner's house and the other premises.) During
the previous nine months the prisoner did not appear to
be carrying on any business, and she believed, from
messages that were sent, that he wished to let part of
the premises. About three weeks before the fire the
prisoner told her that she need not send any more
messages to him, as he was going on a " travelling
system," and after this he would come more frequently
to the premises. On the night before the fire took place
she had observed a very great light in the prisoner's
room, which was completely illuminated, and there was
also a strong smell of pitch and tar.
Cross-examined—She did not see anything of the
prisoner after she had observed the light. She had ob-
served the same smell about twelve months before, and
on her mentioning the circumstance to the prisoner, he
told her not to be afraid, for he used tar in his business.
Mrs. John Allen deposed that she was a schoolmistress,
and resided in Beech-street, near the prisoner. She
remembered the fire breaking out at the time referred
to by the last witness. On the 17th November she saw
the prisoner in her nephew's school-room, and they had
some conversation on the subject of an insurance, and
the prisoner remarked that if a fire were to take place
on the buildings it would be confined to these walls.
Witness remarked that wherever fire once began it was
difficult to say where it would stop, and as the buildings
were very narrow she feared they would all come down.
The prisoner repeated that it would be confined to theso
walls ; and witness then asked him whether he intended
to set the place on fire, and he replied, " I hope not,"
and witness said that if he did it would be a dangerous
experiment. She believed the conversation was began
by
the prisoner asking her if her nephew was insured,
and she replied that he was not, but that he was on the
eve of effecting an insurance, to which tho prisoner an•
swered that he wished he had, or that it was a pity he
had not.
Cross-examined—There had been some talk of a rail-
road coming through this property, but she was
not aware that effecting an insurance was de-
scribed as being likely to increase the value of the pro-
perty.
Mr. Alfred Victor Allen proved, that for about six
week previous to the fire, he had occupied part of the
premises of the prisoner as a school-room. On the
Saturday before the fire he left his school-room about
two o'clock in the afternoon, and the fire was extin-
guished, and everything left perfectly safe. He had
been on the prisoner's premises about a fortnight before
the fire, and he then saw a number of articles used in
the printing business, and several cases for type placed
one upon the other, but he did not see whether they
contained any type. The prisoner did not appear to be
carrying on any business on the premises. The prisoner
generally left the key with witness, and he got it from
him on the Wednesday before the fire, saying at the
time that he wanted to bring in some furni-
ture from Highbury, where he resided. On
the morning after the fire he heard the prisoner
say that he went to his workshop to get the keys to ob-
tain his razors; and on its being remarked that he did not
appear to have been shaved that morning, he said that
he had used cold water, but, in witness's opinion, it was
evident that he had not been shaved at all. The prisoner
then appeared anxious to know whether he, witness, was
insured, and on his telling him he was not insured for a
farthing, the prisoner said he did not think his own in-
surance would cover his loss • and he added that he had
furniture on the premises. Witness replied that he did
not know of any furniture being there, and the prisoner
said he had brought it there himself on the Saturday,
and that it came from a person in Tabernacle-walk.
The prisoner was then asked what the furniture consisted
of, and he said four mahogany chairs, without the
cushions. The prisoner next said that he had been at
the premises on the Saturday night before the fire with
a light, and that in coming out he had stumbled, bat
that he did not let the candle fall. The prisoner had,
several times before the fire, talked to him upon the
subject of his own insurance, and had likewise advised
witness to insure his own property, and he told him that
he intended to do so. The witness then corroborated
the evidence of the former witness, Mrs. Allen, as to the
statements made by the prisoner regarding the fire being
confined to the walls of the buildings.
Cross-examined—After the fire he observed a con-
siderabla quantity of the remains of printing type, and
there were also portions of chairs and other furniture.
Ile did not tell the magistrate that the prisoner repre-
sented to him that he did not think his insurance would
be sufficient to cover his loss. The prisoner expressed a
doubt whether his policy was completed, and witness
then asked whether he had paid the demands of the
office respecting it, and he replied that he haC ; upon
which witness told him that if that was the case he wa
perfectly safe. The prisoner did not mention any others
furniture than the four mahogany chairs, of which he
spoke as having brought them in on the Saturday before
the fire.

SURREY QUARTER-SESSIONS.
(Before Mr. Pt CKLA and a Bench of Magistrates.)
On Wednesday the trial of prisoners for felony com-
menced at the Court-house, Newington. The calendar
contains the names of 29 persons for felonies, independ-
ently of several more for misdemeanors, and the latter
part of the week will be occupied in thephoecatirrinegagoefsapo;
ap-
peals, chiefly relating to the removalo of paupers.
Harriet and Mary Loader, f the r
20 and 24, were severally indicted for plundering a Mrs.
Nixon, of Croydon, of a great quantity of clothes and
and other property.

From
the statement of Mr. Taylor, counsel for the
prosecution, and borne out by the evidence of the wit-
nesses,it appeared that the prisoners, who are sisters,
were in the service of Mrs. Hixon, the prosecutrix. That
lady having, on a recent occasion, missed some of her
property, an examination took place, during which
several of the missing articles were found is the pri-
soner Harriet's box. On a further search, another por-
tion of the property was discovered concealed us a place
to which both the prisoners had access, and this led to
their apprehension.
Mr. CHARNOCK, who defended the prisoners, con-
tended that the charge was not established against the
prisoner Mary, and in the course of the defence said
that both the prisoners had borne excellent characters
up to the period of the present transaction.
The jury found Harriet Loader Guilty, and Acquitted
her sister.

The prosecutrix recommended Harriet Loader to
mercy, and the CHAIRMAN, in passing sentence on her,
observed that, but for that circumstance, the Court
would have considered it their duty to have transported
her, for there could not be a more heinous offence than
a servant robbing an employer.
The prisoner was then sentenced to twelve months'
imprisonment and hard labour in Brixton House of Cor-
rection.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-ROUSE.

THE GUARDIANS OY THE POOR.—Three young women,
named Ann Carter, Joanna Smith, and Jane Turner,
were brought before the Lord Mayor, charged with
having broken a lamp, opposite to the City of London
Union, Cannon-street.
The policeman who took the women into custody
stated, that at half-past eight o'clock on the preceding
night, he saw them throw stones at a lamp, and break it.
The defendants, upon being severally questioned by
the LORD MAYOR, said they had long been in the habit
of working hard with a laundress, who had lately left
that business, and whose retirement put them completely
out of work, and took from them the means of support.
They declared that they were well able to earn their own
bread, and all they requested was the employment; that
they had walked about the streets exhausted and hungry,
and had, after having in vain attempted to obtain assist-
ance at the West London Union, applied to the house in
Cannon-street, but were told by the person who at-
tended at the door that they could not see the superin-
tendent or overseer, by whom their necessities might be
relieved ; and that, despairing of help of any kind, they
committed the offence in order that they might get food,
although they knew that they would get punishment
along with it.
The LORD MAYOR asked whether the defendants had
made application more than once at the West London
Union for relief, and to what parishes they belonged?
One of the defendants said that she had been born in
the very neighbourhood of the City of London Union,
and that her parents were dead; and the other two stated
that they came from Ireland, but had no friends there,
and if they were sent back to that country they would be
just as destitute as they were here, with the additional
evil of having much smaller chance of being employed.
One of the girls said they had been told, upon calling
yesterday morning at the West London Union to beg
relief, that they must call again at three o'clock; and
upon calling at three, they were told they must call again
at five ; and upon calling at five, they were told they
must call again at ten in the morning.
The LORD MAYOR-And you are willing to work?
The defendants—Certainly ; we are well, able, and
willing; but what are we to do? We can't perish in
the streets, gentlemen.
The LORD MAYOR said to Alderman Farebrother,
who sat with him, and who has often in the same place
expressed his hearty condemnation of the treatment to
which persons who had no vice but poverty to be up-
braided with were subjected, that it was most difficult
for a magistrate with any heart at all to restrain his
indignation at hearing such statements, for which he
believed there was unquestionable foundation. It was
quite evident that the three young women before him
were not such persons as should be seat either to a prison
or a workhouse. He believed they were able to work,
and he had no reason to doubt their willingness, but all
signified nothing. At the places appointed for dis- ,
pensing relief to those who were sinking under want and
fatigue there were kept porters, who, like bull-dogs,
growled and snarled at their appearance, and whose
principal recommendation was doubtless their capa-
bility of terrifying the deserving objects of public
sympathy.
Alderman FARERROTFIER said he fully agreed with the
Lord Mayor in his Lordship's observations upon the
hard treatment to which the poor were exposed, and he
reprobated the palpable neglect by which their well-
founded claims and demands upon parochial bounty were
met. The case before the Lord Mayor seemed to be
calculated to impress upon any humane officer the ne-
cessity of making inquiry into its merits in a peculiar
manner, and of affording protection and refuge until the
result of such inquiry should bo ascertained. He (Al-
derman Farebrother) thought it would be advisable to issue
a summons to the superintendent or overseer of the West
London Union to attend Guildhall Police-court, in which
district the house was situated, to answer to the com-
plaint.
_ . _

Andrew Mallett, one of the fire-brigade, deposed that,
on the Wednesday after the fire, he examined the pre-
mises, and found some remains of books saturated with
turpentine under the rubbish, which had apparently
sheltered them from the water, and they were completely
soaked with turpentine. (The witness produced the
books, which were handed to the jury to inspect.)
Under the books there was a layer of shavings, which
appeared to be covered with coal-tar. There appeared
to be about a sack full in quantity of the shavings. In
his opinion, the turpentine could not have come acci-
dentally upon the books, but they must have been com-
pletely steeped in it. On the following day witness
discovered another sack of shavings, the sack being par-
tially burnt; and, according to his belief, it was near this
spot that the fire commenced.
Cross-examined—He ha l heard that a good deal of
turpentine was used by printers for the purpose of
eleaning the types.
Mr, Matthews, a surveyor, deposed that he valued
the salvage from the fire, and he considered the type and
stock-in-trade was not worth more than 901., and that
the furniture could not have been worth more than seven
or eight pounds.
ilfn answer to a question by Mr. BALLANTINE, the witness
sa
re I. he considered, that if the prisoner had wished to
havew,(._ printing materials that were destroyed, they
_1)111,11' cost him much more than the amount for
w he was insured.
1 his was the ease for the prosecution.
Mr. BALLANT/N
on bezfthen made a very powerful speech
to the jury
of the prisoner, commenting par
ticularly upon the latterfr portion of the evidence, and
arguing that so far it appearing that the prisoner
could have had any from
ti
gain in the destruction of the property, that on thewYeeeoroneftrary he could not have re-
placed the articles that destroyed unless he had
expended a much larger amountthan he would have
been entitled to receive from the insurance office.
Several respectable witnesses were called, all of whom
gave the prisoner an excellent character.
the u
Mr. Justice ERLE having summed
after
deliberating about half an hour, returned a verdictr Of Not
Guilty.
The prisoner was then arraigned upon another in-
dictment, charging him with setting fire to the premises
of Mr. Allen, the witness in the former case.
Mr. CLAratsoN said that after the full inquiry that
had just been concluded, he should not, as the facts
would be precisely the same, occupy the time of the
Court by offering any evidence. The Company for
whom he and his Learned Friend had the honour to ap-
pear, felt it to be their duty to institute the present in-
quiry, hut after the deliberate decision come to by the
Jury, they considered they ought not to procsed any
further.
A verdict of Not Guilty was accordingly returned.
[A

The LORD MAYOR —I shall send a summons to him to
attend here, for I have no idea of transferring a case of
this kind to an office in which a magistrate with views
wholly at variance with mine upon so important a sub-
ject may sit to adjudicate. I found occasion the other
day to make some observations upon the manner in
which the affairs of the City of London Union have been
transacted; to the utter carelessness and contempt which
seemed to prevail amongst those in power when investi-
gations should take place into the alleged condition and
claims of applicants. I have received a letter from the
board of guardians professing to be an answer to these
observations, but it is no answer at all. Of that, how-
ever, hereafter. I have now only to declare that
nothing whatever shall either coax or intimidate me
from the performance of such a duty as the conduct I
every day see proofs of in the treatment of the poor
imposes upon me in my capacity as chief magistrate of
this City.

Alderman FIREBRO'rIIER.—I fully agree with you in
the expression of these sentiments. We unfortunately
see in our experience as magistrates afflicting instances
of the punishment of poverty as a crime. These three
girls appear to me to be strongly entitled to our com-
passion, and the keeper of the Giltspur-street Compter
will receive instructions to take care of them until the
necessary inquiries shall have been made.
THE RULES AND BYE-LAWS FOR THE REGULATION
OF THE WATERSIEN AND LIGHTERMEN OF THE RIVER
THAMES.—The LORD MAYOR said he considered it to
be necessary, in order to give matter of so much im-
portance to the community the greatest publicity, and
to do away with the possibility of excuse upon the
part of those whom the new steam vessel regulations
were particularly to affect, that he should read the most
essential rules and bye-laws which had been passed by
the Court of Aldermen, and allowed by Baron Platt.
His Lordship then read the regulations which im-
posed penalties upon over-crowding steamers, and upon
dangerously rapid transit through the river. The sub-
stance is as follows :
lis.
ac `nnTs
licensed
betty
tnoeoe
carryu t e
yat illaneu
moret
ire ts a i
CI
truhegae
knb o
oneun d navigated
gre,for
hhai
beexcept
r
four superficiaar of
seven
children under
years, and the crew, for
every
yin the gunwales, feet of the deck, to be measured
partdeducting from the gross admea-
surement one-tenth thereof for the companions,
,luzgeon,itpe deck. And if any
skylights, steam-chests, &cp.
passenger exceeding
in command
ygsel:iuceeding such
violation of this rule take
r or captain without
sum not ex-
shall forfeit and pay, for every p
number, any sum not exceeding fortet
" That if any person act as mu
being licensed, he shall forfeit and pay any
ceeding 51. for each trip.
" That no steam-boat of 200 tons burthen or upwards,
registered tonnage, shall be navigated westward of
George's-stairs, Deptford, at a greater speed than at the
rate of six miles in an hour with the tide, nor more than
four miles in an hour against the tide. And that no
steam-boat of less than 200 tons burthen, registered
tonnage, shall be navigated westward of George's-stairs,
Deptford, at a greater speed than at the rato of nine

AIVERTISEMENT _______„____________
WA'S 01 ]--DOCTOR BINNS AND HOLLO-
TI•ITMENT.—Doctor rtinns, who is one of the prin-
cipal physicians in the island of Janiaica, has expressed him-
self in the following manner respecting the surprising healing
properties of Holloway's Ointment I—.. e
i. mad any of this Ointment in cases of Chronic Ulcers, which several
trials
years experience in the West Indies taught me to consider as
incurable. lam now happy to say that :iii all case s i
Ft
really and truly efficacious. Signed, E. BiNss, M.D. F. S.A.
Sco. "
. 1
Holloway's Ointment will cure bad legs, however lon
standing ; likewise the most obstinate cases of King., EVLI
or Scrofula. Sold by all medicine vendors, and it Professor
Holloway's Establishment, 24-i, Strand, London.