The Sun.
London, England, 1833-12-23 00:00:00

Q UEEN-SQUARE.

A young man, respectably attired, was brought up
in the custody of the police of the T division, and
charged on suspicion of setting fire to the house of
a grocer, residing in the neighbourhood of Ham-
mersmith.

The prosecutor stated that the prisoner had been
his apprentice about five years ; but in consequence
of frequent acts of misconduct on the part of the
prisoner, and the quarrels which ensued, an agree-
ment was entered into between them to put an end
to the apprenticeship. The prisoner left about a
fortnight since, but came on the preceding night,
about half-past eight o'clock, and asked if he might
be allowed to take his clothes and other articles
away. He (prosecutor) consented, and he observed
Ithe prisoner, in' company with the shopman, pro-
ceed towards the trap-door in the shop which led
to the cellar. The shopman had a lighted candle
in his hand. In about twenty minutes afterwards
he saw the prisoner coming down stairs with the
candle in his hand, and almost immediately leave
the house. Half an hour had not elapsed before an
alarm of fire was given, and on proceeding up stairs,
he discovered the first room on the second floor,
which adjoins the apartment in which the prisoner
slept, in flames. The floor and ceiling of the room
and the property therein were burnt, to the amount
of forty pounds.
A daughter of the prosecutor stated, that shortly
after the prisoner left her father's house she smelt
fire, and gave an alarm.
Policeman 156 T was on duty on the preceding
night, and on passing the prosecutor's shop that
gentleman told him that the prisoner had set the
house on fire. He (witness) immediately went in
pursuit of him, and apprehended him in King-street,
while talking to a tradesman. The prisoner asked
upon what charge he was taken into custody, when
witness informed him that the prosecutor had
charged him with setting fire to his house. The
prisoner exclaimed," Good God ! what injury does
he intend to do me now ? It is a conspiracy against
me !"

The prisoner was anxious to reply to the charge.
He then said, " 'My brother and myself went to the
prosecutor's house last night to have an agreement
signed that he would not molest me. After which
I went down the trap-door into the cellar to my box,
which wag there. The prosecutor's son came to me,
and asked me for a book, after which he shook hands
with me, and went away. I then took the candle
from the shopman to proceed up stairs for some ar-
ticles of wearing apparel; I do not know whether
the shopman followed me, but he was certainly not
near me. The time that I remained up stairs did
not exceed five minutes, and I never entered the
room which was supposed to be on fire; I never
went near it; the shopman was there, and I asked
him to send my things to the Old Bailey booking-
office. I then-left." The prisoner then gave an
account of his time until he was taken into custody.
It appeared that his brother was to set him up in
business.
Mr. GREGORIE, under all the circumstances, al-
lowed the defendant to depart on his brother be-
coming his bail, in order that three other appren-
tices arid the shopman might be examined.