The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-19 00:00:00

THE DESTRUCTION OF COVENT-
GARDEN THEATRE.

Verdict of the Jury.--(This Day.)

This inquiry, adjourned from Saturday last until to-
day, was resumed this afternoon at three o'clock, before
Mr. Bedford, the coroner for Westminster, at the Piazza
Hotel, adjoining the amphitheatre entrance of the un-
fortunate building.

The" list of jurors having been called over by Kebble,
the summoning officer, the investigation was proceeded
with.

The first witness called was Benjamin Dallaston, jun.,
who stated he was out of employ, but he had been at
work for two days previous to the fire at Covent-garden
Theatre. On Tuesday he was assisting his father, strik-
ing the pantomime pieces on the stage, the whole of the
day. The last thing he did was to light, his father up
stairs to the step ladder, who was going to the carport
ters' shop to get their clothes. He used a composition
candle, and it was in a chamber candlestick. He re-
mained at the foot of the stairs until his father returned ;
his father had no light with him, as the carpenters' shop
was light enough for him to see to get what he wanted,
as there was a large skylight in the shop. His father
was not absent above fire minutes. He was not
aware that his father had any 'Lucifer matches
with him. When his father returned he put out
the candle ; he did not remember how he put the candle
out, and they returned in the dark down the stairs.
By the Coroner—The light was not put out till they
got to the end of the dark staircase. The candle was

lit in the property-room. There wa9 a quantity of wood
and shavings in the property-room. He believed the
candle was lit in the property-room by a man named
Boulton ; he struck a wax taper on the top of a box.
He (lid not see what he did with the match after he
had lit the candle.

By the Vestry Clerk—His father got the candle. He
was not aware that the use of candles was prohibited
in the theatre.

By the Coruner—Boulton got the candle and gave it
,o Ilia father.

By a Juror—His father was only in the carpenters'
shop for about five minutes. He had been in the ear-
penters' shop on Tuesday morning to take some things
out.

By a Juror—The gas was not alight when he went
into the carpenters' shop.
By a Juror—There was no gas in the property-shop.
His father told him, when he left him to go to get the
clothes, to wait for him, as he knew the way.
By a Juror—His father merely told him to stop at
the end of the stairs ; there was nothing said about
fear of fire.

By Vestry Clerk—He held the candle during the
whole of the time it was alight, and ho was sure no
sparks flew from the candle.
By a Juror—There was no wood or shavings about
the place where the match was struck.
The Coroner—You seem to contradict what you have
said before. You say, first of all, the candle was lit in
the property or carpenters' shop, and then you say
it was lit in the property-room.
Witness—He meant the property-room, not the car-
penters' shop.
By a Juror—He did not know how Boulton got the
candle. His father asked Boniton for a lamp to go up
stairs with, and he asked Boulton for one, and he then
told his father the lamp was not trimmed, and he gave
him the candle which he had in his hand. He could
positively swear that the candle was not taken into the
carpenters' shop.
George Boulton, 121, Drury-lane, a property man,
employed by Mr. Prescott, the property-master of the
theatre, stated that he bad been employed by that per-
son about eight years. He was engaged on the day be-
fore the fire helping to clear the things away ready for
the pantomime. The things were put in the painting-room
over the stage, and he left the theatre at half-past 9 or a
quarter to 10. The last thing he did was to put out the
gas in the " governor's " room and the property-room.
The "governor" went up after him to see that every-
thing was right. He had no candle that day, but he
heard that Dallaston took one that day out of the pro-
perty-room. He did not use either candle or match
that day. He was too well acquainted with the rules of
the theatre to do that. He saw Dallaston enter the
shop, but he did not see the boy there. The last time
he saw the boy was when he was engaged on the stage
near the orchestra. He could not recollect if he spoke
to Dallaston, but he heard him say "There's no oil in
the lamp."
The Coroner—You said something about a candle.
What was it ?

Witness—l don't think I said anything about a candle.
The Coroner—You said there was a candle used.
Witness—There was a bit of candle in the shop in
the property-room where he ground his colours.
Coroner—What was the bit of candle for ?
Witness said he didn't know.
Coroner—Nothing further was said about this candle
on Tuesday night ?
Witness—Not that ho was aware of. When he saw
Deflection he bad his tools on his back, and he had no
light with him. He was sure there was no other person
but himself in the property-room.
By a Jaror—He did not know to whom Dallistono
addressed himself when he said there was no oil in the
lamp. He had the charge of the property-room, but he
did not know who placed the candle in the property-
room.

By a Juror—lf the candle had been used at the stage
it would have been kept down stairs. Candies had no
business to be found i❑ the-property room. It WAS the
duty of the oilman to trim the lamp.
By a Juror —He thought it was Dallaston who men-
tioned about the candle after the lamp had been found
without oil.

By a Juror—He could swear he did not light it him
self with a Lucifer match.

By the Vestry Clerk—lt was about 20 or 30 feet from
he shelf of the property-room in which the candle was
to the ceiling:.
By a Juror—Do you keep lucifers or wax tapers in
,he carpenters' shop ?

Witness—No.
By a Juror—Did you keep lucifers in any place or
about you ?
Witness Yes, I kept my tapers in a tin-box about me.
By a Juror—The only way a candle could be lit was
from the gas, but when the gas was out he could light a
candle with the lucifers he carried in his pocket. When
he left the property room he hung the key upon a nail,
but the firemen knew where to find it.
Benjamin Dallaston was retailed, and, in answer to
the Curoner, raid the candle used by his son to light him
up stairs to the carpenter's shop on the evening previous
was got from the property-room. He took it off the
shelf in the room—it was in a chamber candlestick. He
lit it himself from a candle which was on a chair near
the Bedford staircase, where one had been kept burning
ever since the gas had been removed.. His son was with
hint when he lit the candle, and after he had been done
with it he put it back in the property room. He never
saw any lucifers used in the theatre. Ile never used any
himself. He did not know that Boulton had lucifers about
him. He never saw him with any. He did not notice
any lucifer struck that night.
By a Juror—After he had lit his candle from the one
near the Bedford staircase he left it burning as it was
usual. The reason that the candle was placed there
was in consequence of the removal of the gas from the
proscenium box for the purposes of Mr. Anderson.
By a Juror —He did not know he was doing any ir-
regular thing in using a candle. He thought it was
just as bale to take a candle as a lamp into a carpenters'
shop. Where he put the candle out was a light place.
It was a composition candle, and it would not give off

sparks.
By the Coroner—There had been some dispute about
the "lamp business." He believed about the expense,
but he did not know that any person had been discharged
in consequence of the dispute.
Frederick Vialls, a lad about fourteen, residing at 29,
Grove-place, Marylebone, stated that he was employed
at the theatre, and was there on Tuesday night, when
he was told to go home, but he went down stairs and
fell asleep. He was awoke by hearing the people call out
fire. He jumped up, took his coat and apron, and ran
out of the theatre.
The Coroner said be was sure he did not know what

the witness was summoned for.
Theephilas Cooper, connected with the Christian
Times newspaper, stated that about three or four weeks
before the fire he saw a van loaded with carboys
of vitriol standing by the stage door in Hart-street.
There was a tackle from the top of the theatre with a
pulley, and parties were evidently engaged in taking it
to the top of the theatre. He saw one taken up. He
went to the front of the van to see whether it was
vitriol, and saw on the front of the van, "E'ec',ric Power
and Light Company." Another person was looking at
the cart, and he asked him what it was for.
The Coroner said the person whom he spoketointhe
street might have been misinformed, but he ,as quite
right in coming forward.
The witness proceeded to say that he was informed
it was to be used in the Professor's experirants. The
carboys had all the appearance of containing vitriol.
The Coroner said he thought it would be possible to
investigate this fact further. The person who was en-
gaged in putting the carboys to the top of the theatre
could be summoned. The evidence of the witness
stopped at that point.
Jacob Henry Burn, residing opposite the theatre, slid
he saw the fire break out at 20 minutes past four. He
heard a conversation below his bed-roorr, which he
thought was the maskers going home. He got up and
pulled aside his window curtain, and he saw a rush of
flame from the carpenters' shop. It was a smokeless
flame, He had no !doubt that the flame was gas. He
believed that the gas had been turned on too full, and
had set fire to the scenery.
Peter Finlayson resided at 30, Bow-street, and was
enployed by Mr. Anderson. He had not
done any work since the Thursday previous to
the fire, but he had been to the theatre on
the Tuesday. He went there by appointment to see
Mr. Anderson about the model theatre he had been
making for him in the property carpenters'
shop. It was made of bits of pine and screws. He
used glue a week before, but no varnish. He had nei er
worked by or saw a candle in the theatre. When lie was