The Sun.
London, England, 1834-11-06 00:00:00

NCENITIARY FIRES.

Since the fire at Mr. Gray's, of Lodge-farm, in the pa-
rish of Barking, ou Wednesday night last, the officers be-
longing to the Bow-street patrol who are stationed in Ilford,
Romford, and Stratford, assisted by the magistracy, gentry,
and respectable farmers resident in the vicinity, have been
most active and unremitting in their exertions to discover
the perpetrators of the diabolical act. A few days ago they
apprehended two men named James Hunt and Stephen
Larkins, who have been for some years suspected charac-
ters in this part of the country, and who, though they
scarcely ever worked, always contrived to live well, and
spend a good deal of money at public-houses and beer-shops,
on suspicion of firing the property. It appears that on the
morning of Thursday the same men were taken into cus-
tody on the premises of Mr. Gray, by Western, the Bow-
street officer ; and the circumstances which led to their
apprehension were these :—Shortly after ten o'clock on the
night of Wednesday, Mr. Gray and his family retired to
rest, and in about an hour and half afterwards, he (Mr.
Gray) was awoke by hearing loud calls of " Fire, fire,"
proceed from the farm-yard. He instantly jumped of bed,
and on going to the chamber window, which commanded a
view of the rick-yard, he observed one of the large stacks
on fire. On making inquiries subsequently, he ascertained
that the cries which had alarmed him, were those of Hunt
and Larkins, who at the time were the only persons in
the farm-yard: These men being, as has been before
stated, of bad character, they were questioned as to
what had brought them to the place, and they accounted
for it by stating that they had been assisting a drunken man
from Barking, when they observed the stack on fire, and
being anxious to give an alarm, they ran thither with all the
haste they could. This statement, however, was not deemed
satisfactory, for, admitting that it was true, it was the opi-
nion of many who bad heard it, that had they observed the
stack on fire, at the place they say they did,•it must have
been completely enveloped in flames, and nearly consumed
by the time they would reach the house of Mr. Gray, the
distance being nearly a mile. They were in consequence
taken into custody and conveyed in the course of the day
before the Rev. John Fanshaw, a magistrate in the neigh-
bourhood, and underwent a lengthened examination. At its
conclusion, the Rev. Gentleman did not think the evidence
and circumstances of the case would justify him in detain-
ing the prisoners, and he therefore discharged them. Since
that time, in consequence of some important information
which the officers had collected, Western, Othan, and an-
other of the Bow-street patrols, a second time apprehended
Hunt and Larkins, who, after a short examination, and the
Rev. Mr. Fanshaw being made acquainted with the nature
of the additional evidence, which for the ends of justice it
would not be prudent at this time to publish, were re-
manded for further examination for a week.
The fire has caused a considerable sensation throughout
the entire southern division of the county ; and that Mr.
Gray should have been singled out as the victim is to every
one who knows him a matter of the utmost surprise, as there
is not in the county a more liberal employer, or a kinder
master, or one who in his public capacity as vestryman of
the parish more strenuously advocates the cause of the poor
and needy. Though the circumstance has given him and
his respectable family much pain, yet it is fortunate for Mr.
Gray that he will not suffer any pecuniary loss by the de-
struction of his property, as it is amply insured in the Royal
Exchange Fire-office.