The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-17 00:00:00

Tfound r sue;ar-heu3e, but lb,
Lire' for many years, and were coveted
r„Toprit.tors of toe :veer-Lense glve the v,
.ity in prosecuting the iequtry, ,rnti
nest desire that the perpetrator o: the mutt
ji§s.evered. The stigar-home overleeks the
Ae windows On the nortteside are fecat,, t;
voiy. The police, Mr. Biggs, the deck in
other persons, made every pos..;itile inquiry, at.
every vessel iu the dock, and every building near it,
without being able to obtain the least clue to the
person who fired the shot, for whose apprehension, it
is believed, the Dock Company will mot only offer a
tArge reward, but also make applicetion et the Home-
c ffice for a further reward from the eioverninenr. S,•veral
captains of ships say they heard two diqinet reports
of firearms. one just before dinner (twelve o'clock), and
another at twenty minutes before one. Mr. Bigg.,, the
doek-master, states that one of his men t,ld him that he
l:eard the report of a gun, and saw the fiseh near the
river side, and close to the sugar-house, on Tuesday
Light. Tho man went in the direction of the place
where he saw tie flash, but could see no one. It is
strongly suspected that some infamous miscreant has
been wing firearms reckless of consequences, and that
many shots have been fired by the same person withont
any of them taking effect, except the last. If the shot
had been fired from the pathway, it would have tsken en
upward direction in the breast of the unfortunate man,
instead of a downward one, as the deck of the ship is
much higher than the quays and the pathways surround-
ing the dock. Mr. Watkins, a tide-surveyer, who was
standing alongside the dece tsed, when he fell mortally
wounded, is of. opinion the shot came from the direction
of the dock. The body of the deceased (who has left a
widow and tivo children, residing at No. 5,
York-place,
Limehouse-fields) was removed last night to the bone-
house adjoining Limehousei church. The deceased was
a very quiet and inoffensive man, and it is not supposed
the shoe was intended for him.

FATAL FIRE IN ST. MARTIN'S-LANE.
Mr. Bedford, the coroner, held an inquest at half-
past two o'clock yesterday, at St. Martin's Workhouse,
on the bodies of Ruth Lowe, Cornelius Caunt, and
Martha Caunt, who were destroyed by fire on Wednes-
dAy morning in the Coach and Horses public-house, St.
Martin's-lane, kept by Benjamin. Caunt,shachampiall
of England. •

Tbe jury having been sworn proceeded to view the
bodies, which presented a moat appalling spectacle—
the limbs mangled and disfigured, the entrails protrud-
ing, and their whole frames presenting a blackened and
frightful aspect. The following witnesses were then
called:—

Ann Tomlin, of 51, Castle-street, said—l m the wife
of Richard Tomlin, liceased victualler. I knew the de-
ceased, Ruth Lowe, and Cornelius and Martha Gaunt,
and I identify the bodies sheen to me here as theirs.
Ruth Lowe appeared to me to be about eighteen years of
age. She was a single woman and a servant. Cornelius
Gaunt was about six, and his sister about eight: Their
parents' names are Benjamin and Martha Gaunt. f was
not on the premises, and I cannot tell any of the facts
relating to the accident.

Susannah Thorpe—l live at 5, Kensington-park-road,
Notting-hill. I went to Mr. Caunt's in the afternoon of
Tuesday. lam a relation of Mrs. Caunt's. I sae there
when an alarm was given shortly after two o'clock in the
morning, Mrs. Caunt and myself were in the bar when
the clock struck two, and we went to bed shortly after.
The three deceased persons went to bed some hours be-
fore. They all slept in one of the attics. I saw them
when they were going to bed. The servant was sober
and apparently well. Mr. Count wan not at home, and
I slept with Mrs. Catent. When we had got into bed the
man servant gave the alarm. We had test put out the
fight. Mrs. Caunt had not got into bed, but I had. The
bermen came and alarmed us. Mrs. Caunt immediately
ran &en etairs. We saw fire in the middle room; we
lay in the front room ou the second flour, immerlietely
under the other:. The deceased were in the room above
us. We saw smoke and fire in the middle room on the
flour in which we slept. I don't know if there was
a fire in the room where the deceased lay. I
did not see the deceased token out. Tne barman
had gene to bed. There were no other persons occu-
pying the attics that night. I suppose the fire broke
out in the middle roam on the second fluor. A servant
and the baby were in an adjoining roora; there was no
lire in tither of these two rooms. I cannot account
how the fire originated. The barman slept in one of the
!.1; tieS. There are three rooms on each flour. The bar-
mare went into the room where the girl and the baby
were sleeping. .1 don't know much about the /nme or
its arrangeurente. Eire. Caunt and myself ran down to
give the Latina). We were very much frightened,
Edward Noakes, cellerman to Mr. Cannt—l had been
in bed about a minute, or a minute and a halt, before the
ulatin of fire was given. I slept in the back attic. I
had no candle went I went up to bed; there wet n e fire
in the room. 1 lit a candle after I got up, and put it out
before I went to bed. I heard no noise. I sat up in
bid, and hallooed to Mrs. Caunt it she was lighting a
fire. I got (minor bed, and she said " No; the house is
on tire." I then ran down stairs, and saw the fire
in the middle room, Two beds were on fire in the
room. I went through the room into the other room,
end found that the nurse and the baby had gone down
stairs. There was no fire in any other room but the middle
room. There was no fire in the room where the aurae and
baby were, but there was smoke in it. I knew the
deceased was sleeping in the attic adjoining when I
slept there. I ran up stairs again, and woke a man who
was sleeping in my room and the decesSed. I could not
see them, but I could feel and hear them, though the
smoke was so great that I could not see them. Three of
the children generally slept in the same attic. The little
boy Ben called out, " Here is the window," and then
went to it, and I got him out on the tiles, and the bar-
meid and myself us well. The flour was not then burn-
ing, but the room was full of smoke._ The three of us
got over the tiles to the next house. I
did not return to
the room again. and could not. On getting out I saw
the fire escape in the street, but could not get to it. The
fire originated in the middle room. I have nothing else
to:say.
By the jury—The potman slept in the same room with
me, and he got out of the window. No one slept in-the
middle attic. We got out at the front window, and
passed through the room occupied by the deceased.
Rtith Lowe was cook. The barman, barmaid, myself,
and one of the children escaped. Mrs. Caunt and the
witness Thorpe ran down stairs. I thought the deceased
hard escaped. They did not cry out. I heard no alarm
frOm the street before I discovered the fire inside, but I
heard Mrs. Cnunt crying out "Fire" at the street-door.
'Dominick Carr, police-sergeant. F 15—I was on duty
higSt. Martin's-hale, and passed. 'by the Coach teed
Horses about three minutes before the alarm of-fire was
Oren, about fifteen or eighteen minutes past two. At
that time there was no symptom of a fire. I met the
constable on duty and returned back again in about
three minutes, and turned up New-street, when I heard
a ermine cry out " Fire" and " I ran back, and
at!the corner of the street found the constable running
and springing his rattle. Mrs. Gaunt was on the pave-
in4nt, crying out for her children, and that the house
was on fire. I went inside the door, but could see no
fire or smoke. Throe constables came en, and I sent
fore the engine and fire escape. I ascended the staircase.
Mrs. Caunt attempted to follow, but I ordered the te.n-
eteble to prevent her. I ascended, end when I reaehel
tl4 !eliding on the first floor I heard the cracking of the
flaines. I went to the second floor, end saw that the
bark pan cf the house was all in flames. On the se-
cond floor front I found tee bed clothes down. Tao fire
was in the adjoining room. I asked wrier() the children
were, and they rbered out "higher up." I attempted
to'get up the staircase, bet could not. I. was nearly
utiocased. It was impossible to get to the ettiee. I
did net see or hear any one above. I them got down,
and the fire escape arrived about three minutes after I
tir.ft enteied the house. The fire escape was placed
against the window on the second floor, but I ordered
them to put it to the top of the house. liTp to this time
the was no cry from . top of the house I got upon the
adjoining house, and saw the fireman at the attic win.
den. lie broke the wine:lon, and the fiernee rushed out,
and ho said it was naposeible to render assistance. The
btsrtnan was not sober when I saw him. He was drunk.
Tt'ic only possibility of saving, the children was from the
top of the house. .1 saw the deceased taken out from the
the top attic, where the fireman attempted to get in.
It 'was unfortunate the men had not remained on the
roof. Thu tire must have originated from the middle
robin on the seeend floor.
PY the jury—I can't say that the children would hero
hi ea saved if the fire escape had been put to the right
window at first. The floor on the attic where the de-
ceased were found was not much burnt.
A juryman stated that it was sev.n minutes after the
alarm was given before a policeman came.
a
voof suhnet juryr«ls av
iedr sit oh:st wasof' t hneoirt
The witness and seiveieuarrceahl
tree..
other and of
,1
on,
eacoonotrfatahicetojruyryof
a fire:lTT!:the testimony of
the witnesses.
a2called to the fire about
a-linnrcenuieinnuterering it found I could not get up be•
1 went up to Caunt's
house,tsventy
Ford Girrard,
yond the second floor beck room. I then came down
up the staircase, and commenced
working gotrking thsheeenil:isne e. The staircase leading to the attics
was gone. We got into the attics about twenty minutes
effer we commenced working, and hearing that two
children were lost a search was made for them, and they
were fund. Some of the tiles had fallen in. The fire
had got up the staircase and not through the ceiling.
The floor was not burnt through. The windows down
stairs were open, which was a great help to the fire.
The fire originated in the second floor back; but how it
originated I cannot tell, nor do I think any one eke can.
One of the children was half under the bet, and the
other was close by.
Sarah Barker—l am barmaid to Mr. Caunt—l went
to bed at half past eleven on Tuesday night. I slept in
the front attic with the deceased girl. Three children
slept in the same room. I heard Mrs. Caunt cry out
" Fire." I got out of bed, and lifted the three children
out ed. bed, bet saw nothing more of them, and thought
they went down stairs. The cellarman came in and we
get out of the window. The cellarmun was quite sober
then. I saw no fire in the attic, but there was a great
deal of smoke.
Charles Latham, fireman—l went to the house with
the fire engine. I entered the house, and found it was
impossible to get beyond the. acconcl floor. I made
search for the bodies. I firstland the eltull of the boy;
t:oiememtheneered partin th
ofeths,,e,obnoddyflowoarsburke.r the bed. The be -
diee were buried under 'whet, fell frem the roof. The fire
John Short—l was called to Catat'e house, and put
the machine to the: window of the second floor, as I was
told there were children there. I went in, and tried to
get into
the back room, hut could not. 'I then put il e
mentairce to the attic, and broke the window, but could t
genie from the volume of the flames.
This toyed the evidence, rind the jury returned a ver-
eietnen That the deceased had come by their death from
fire, -but thee there was no evidence .88 'to how the fire
originated."

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