The Sun.
London, England, 1834-12-12 00:00:00

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Yesterday Charles Neale, the sailor in the inereginrg,
vice, who it will be recollected attempted to commit suicide
two days subsequently to the fire on Mr. Pitman's premises,
and who surrendered himself to the police, after having con-
fessed that he was concerned in the late incendiary fires at
Rotherhithe, was brought before Mr. MURRAY and Mr.
TRAILL at Union Hall, for a second examination. The
prisoner was taken to Guy's Hospital after he had made
the attempt upon his own life, where he has remained ever
since, and his appearance on this occasion indicated that he
was fast recovering from the effects of the wound in his
throat.
The following additional evidence was adduced against
the prisoner :
George Newstead, a policeman of the It division, stated
that the prisoner resembled a man dressed in sailor's clothes
that he saw at the fire, which occurred at the Blue Moun-
tain granary on the morning of the 22d of November.
The man he alluded to was dressed in a blue jacket, white
trowsers, and wore a straw hat, and there was another man
with him, also dressed like a sailor, but he wore a glazed
leather hat. Witness's brother, who was on duty, spoke
to the person last described at the time, and seeing that he
was carrying things which were saved from the fire, asked
him some questions, and be said that he was acting under
the directions of Mr. Poole.
Mr. TRAILL—ShouId you know the man again whom
you saw on that occasion ? Witness said that he bore a
strong resemblance to the prisoner, and that if be had met
him casually in the street he was confideut that he should
know him to be the man who was so busy during the fire.
The Blue Mountain granary was near the Spread Eagle.
In reply to Mr. MURRAY the witness said that he first
saw the man resembling the prisoner about 20 minutes after
his arrival at the fire. He met the prisoner coming from
the direction of the Thames Tunnel.
Policeman 87 It stated that lie saw a man resembling
the prisoner at the fire which occurred at Mr. Pittman's
premises. He (witness) was stationed at the door to keep
off the crowd, and he saw the sailor very busily engaged,
and apparently taking a great interest in all that was
going forward, and assisting at the engines. .
The first witness was recalled, and, in answer to a ques-
tion, he said that he had not seen the man who was in
company with the person resembling the prisoner since the
morning of the fire.
Policeman 199 R stated that while on duty on the morn-
ing of the 24th of November, when the fire broke out at
Mr. Payne's granary, he saw a man like the prisoner there.
On the same morning there was another fire, which broke
out at a short distance from the first, and he again saw the
same man walking up and down in front of the premises.
He particularly noticed the circumstance, and the man see-
ing that he was noticed went away up an alley leading to
the rear of the Thames Tunnel. The witness added that
the man he alluded to strongly resembled the prisoner, and
he was smoking a pipe at the time. Witness told Inspector
Stephens what he had seen.
A Mrs. Pullinger was called at the request of the pri-
soner, and she stated that she washed for him.—( Here a
handkerchief found on Mr. Christall's premises, and sup-
posed to have belonged to the incendiary who set the
place on fire, was shown to her, but she said that the
prisoner had no such handkerchief to her knowledge, all
those he used being silk.)—She said that she had known
him for the last two voyages that he had made, and ob-
served upon his return from the last voyage that he ap-
peared in a desponding way. About three weeks ago she
recollected that he was very low spirited, and when she
tried to cheer him up and asked him the reason of it, he ex-
pressed a dread that his money would be exhausted before
he got a ship, and that he would be reduced to distress.
Mr. TRAIL—Had you ever any conversation with him
on the subject of the late fires at Rotherhithe ?
Witness in reply said that on the Saturday the prisoner
cut his throat, hg called at her house in the morning, and
said that he had been hard at work at a fire, and exhibited
his hands to her as aproof of it. She said what a shock-
ing thing those fires were, and he agreed with her.
Mr. TRAILL—Did he on that occasion accuse himself of
having been concerned in the fires ?
The witness replied that he did not, neither did she
allude to that subject herself, although she had heard pre-
viously that he did accuse himself of setting fire to some
premises. She forbore to speak to him about the self-ac-
cusation, as he appeared to be very much alarmed when the
subject of the fires was mentioned. She saw the prisoner
the day after the fire at the Blue Mountain granary. She
washed for the prisoner's shipmate, a man named Bailey,
who was at her house the previous night, but who was to
have dropped down the river that morning on board a
vessel called the Anne, bound to Van Diemen's Land.
The Magistrate asked the witness if Bailey ever said
anything to her on the subject of the fires, or mentioned
'anything relative to the prisoner ?
The witness said that. Bailey never spoke to her about
the fires, but he talked to her about Neale's unhappy state
of mind.
Newstead, the policeman, was recalled, and he stated
that he should know the man again whom he saw with the
man resembling the prisoner on the night of the fire at the
Blue Mountain granary.
In reply to the Magistrate the prisoner said that Bailey
was a shipmate of his, and came home with him from Van
Diemen's Land.
Mr. TRAILL said that it would be necessary to have
Bailey in attendance, and Smithers, the officer, was directed
to follow the vessel he was on board down the river, and
bring him ashore.
Mary Pullinger, the daughter of one of the witnesses,
was examined, but her evidence was of no importance, and
the little she did say was with evident reluctance.
Mr. TRAILL here asked the prisoner if he had anything
to add to the statement he had previously made. The
Magistrate then reminded him of his having voluntarily
sur endered himself at the station, and made an accusation
implicating himself as being concerned in the late fires at
Rotherhithe ?—Tlie prisoner said that he was innocent of
the charge altogether.
Mr. TRAILL—What motive then could you have had for
giving yourself up as a criminal, and afterwards laying
violent hands upon yourself ? Prisoner—l was depressed
in spirits, and what with that and the fires they forced me
to do what I did.
Mr. TRAILL—But you now say that you had nothing to
do with the fires ? Prisoner—l had not, and was only
present at the one at Mr. Pittman's.
The Magistrates both concurred in the opinion of still
keeping the prisoner in custody, observing that there was
still considerable suspicion attached to his conduct ; be-
sides there was a great variance in the evidence given by
the first witness who was called on the first examination,
and that of others, who were also examined. Under all
circumstances the prisoner should be remanded for another
week, in order that the case as concerned him might be
I fully investigated.

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INCENDIARY FIRES AT RO'