The Sun.
London, England, 1834-12-03 00:00:00

UNION-HALL.

Yesterday James Stagg, an extra foreman belonging to
the London Associated Fire Office, was brought before Mr.
MURRAY, charged on suspicion with having set fire to the
premises of Messrs. Pittman and Smith, the large builders
of Rotherhithe. The investigation excited considerable
interest in consequence of the numerous fires which have
recently taken place in the neighbourhood, and the office
was thronged with parties anxious to hear the result.
M6ssrs. Secjacr. tun_. and 'L Mordan the church-wardens
of Rotherhithe, to whom much praise is due for their exer-
tions since the spirit of incendiarism has displayed itself in
the parish, were also present during the proceedings.
James Evans, principal surveyor of the Thames Police,
stated that he was on duty at Rotherhithe on the morning
of the 27th of November. About ten o'clock that morning
in passing along, his attention was direction toward a part of
the wooden pailings belonging to the premises of Messrs.
Speck and Redman, opposite those of Messrs. Pittman and
Smith. He saw the figures "2k" written in chalk on the
part of the pailings mentioned, and the figures wore sur-
rounded by chalk lines. Some hours had elapsed before
be beard of the fire at Messrs. Pitmann's, and he went
there, and on the first loft on the premises, in the north-
east corner, he observed several articles of a, combustible
nature, namely, part of a tar barrel, a piece of tarpaulin,
several pieces of deal board, also several tree nails and some
shavings, all of which appeared to have been on fire. The
witness produced the half-consumed remains of the different
articles found on the premises.

Burridge, the officer, produced some tarpaulin which he
found at the prisoner's house, but on comparing it with the
piece found on Messrs. Pittman's premises it did not cor-
respond, the canvas being of a finer texture.

Evans, in addition, stated that he knew the prisoner by
sight, but did not recollect seeing him on the night of the
fire. The prisoner belonged to the fire brigade stationed
at Rotherhithe. The witness added that he was accom-
panied, on the night in question, by some of the Thames
police-officers.

A plan of Messrs. Pitman's premises was shown to Evans,
and he said that it was accurate.

Thomas Walker, a Thames police-officer, stated that he
was doing duty under Mr. Evans on the morning in ques-
tion, at Rotherhithe. He (Walker) was in company with
Dallman. another police surveyor ; heard of the fire at
Pittman's about twenty minutes to two o'clock, and has-
tened down to the ways by the water side, to see that no
person escaped in that direction. There was no trace of
any person having done so, and he returned again to Dall-
mann, who was waiting for him in front of Mr. Stokes's
premises, and gave him his report to that effect.
In reply to Mr. MURRAY the witness said that he knew
the prisoner, and that he saw him on two or three occa-
sions during the night mentioned. Saw him afterwards on
the premises after the fire was extinguished. There were
others with him at the time, and he was exhibiting part of
a tar-barrel which had been on fire, and said that he had
smothered the flame by putting the tails of his coat over it.
R. Dallman,police-surveyor, confirmed the last witness's

testimony ; and in addition said that he passed Mr. Pitt-
- - - -

man's premises previously to the fire breaking out, and a
policeman on duty near the spot called out " All's well,"
and he (witness) went forward. He heard of the fire at
about three o'clock, and when he went there he sent round

Walker to examine and see that no person escaped by the
water side ; and he came back and reported that no one
had, saying that marks would have been visible in the mud,
the tide being considerably down at the time.
The witness, in reply to Mr. Murray, said that he knew
nothing more tending to throw any light as to the origin of
the fire. He did not recollect seeing the prisoner on the
night of the fire.
Burridge, the officer, stated that he went, accompanied
by Smithers, to apprehend the prisoner, which they effected
on the preceding evening, near the Spread Eagle, at Bother-
hithe. The prisoner, on being taken into custody, said—
" This is a rum start," adding, " That he supposed his ap-
prehension arose from what had taken place at the work-
house on his examination there, and that there were so
many persons putting questions to him that he became con-
fused, and knew not what he did say on that occasion." He
further said, " That the story he had told about seeing a
man go aft in a boat from the premises was related by Jen-
kins to him."

The prisoner, in reply to the Magistrates, said that he
had no questions to ask Burridge, his statement being per-
fectly correct.
Evans was recalled, and, in reply to Mr. Murray, he said
that a sewer ran into the Thames, at the rear of Pittman's
premises. The tide was half ebb at the time, so that no
person could go from thence to a boat on the river, with-
out 'Ming' footmarks in the mud, There were no signs of
footmarks.
Smithers, the officer, confirmed Burridge's evidence with
respect to the words he used when taken into custody. The
officer also produced a pocket-book taken from the prisoner,
the papers and memorandums in which Mr. Murray exa-
mined minutely.
Mr. Wm. Hartnee stated that he was patrollingliother-
bithil- en die- night in question with some other ientlemen,
whom he named, and recollected having seen the figures 21
written on a piece of the palings opposite Mr. Pittman's
premises (the fire broke out about half-past two o'clock).
While w:tness was standing near the end of 1!)Wt,111..14-0ii, be
q.r.4 th 9 *PP ran to thV'e'fithuice of, Wle§srs.
Pittin4th; premises, and from thence to the water side,
ppm whepce he could distinguish the reflection of the fire

in the middle loft. He ran up a ladder leading to the trap-
door, followed by Mr. Crestall, and succeeded in forcing it,
open with a small crow-bar and a capstan-bar. On enter-
ing the loft they saw the place on fire at the further end.
They proceeded to extinguish the flames, assisted in their
exertions by Mr. Ransom, and afterwards discovered that a
tar-barrel, or tarpaulin, some pieces of wood, and other in-
flammable materials, had been the articles on fire. The
whole of the materials were placed in such a manner as to
leave no doubt it was the work of an incendiary.
In reply to the Magistrate, the witness said that be saw
the prisoner with others on the night in question previously
to the fire, and he recollected him saying, that he thought
the Fire Company ought to allow their foremen to patrol
the streets without their uniform, and in plain clothes. Did
not recollect seeing any firemen in the loft until after the
fire was extinguished.

Mr. Crestall confirmed the evidence of the last witness
n all its material points, and, in answer to the Magistrate,
he said that he saw the prisoner a little before two o'clock
on the morning in question with Jenkins, going towards the
Surrey canal. He afterwards saw the prisoner in the loft
after the fire was extinguished.
Mr. William Ransom's evidence was not material, only
as corroborative of some portion of the foregoing.
Edward Riley, a policeman of the R division, stated that
he had known the prisoner about fifteen months ; that upon
one occasion, while he was on duty at Rotherhithe, he
overheard the prisoner say to another man that he was
- sorry there were not more fires than there were in
Rotherhithe.

Mr. MunnAY. —To whom did he address those words ?
Policeman—To a man named Jones. It was on the Ro-
therhithe-wall, and I was passing them at the time.
Mr. MURRAY—Did you mention it to any person ? Po-
liceman—l told it to No. 58 about three months since.

Mr. MURRAY-Why did you not mention it to your in-
spector? The policeman, in reply, said that he did not
mention it to any of his superior officers at the time, as he
treated the expressions lightly, there being no fires at the
time about Rotherhithe. He, however, told inspector Raw-
ley three days ago of the circumstance.

Inspector Rawley, who was absent when the policeman
made the above statement, was sent for, and in reply to Mr.
MURRAY, he confirmed Riley's account as to the words he
heard the prisoner utter.
Policeman 58, of the same division, stated that he recol-
lected Riley having told him, about three months ago, of
the words attributed to the prisoner.
In reply to the Magistrate, it was stated that the mate-
rials found in the loft appeared to have been burning about
ten minutes before the fire was discovered.

Mr. Taylor, the second clerk of this office, gave evidence
as to his having heard the prisoner, when applying for a
fire summons, say that he saw a man in a boat push off
from Mr. Pittman's premises, and pull down the river.
The prisoner's deposition, taken at the workhouse on
Thursday last, was read, in which he stated that it was a
man named Jenkins who told him that he had seen a man
push off in a boat from Messrs. Pittman's premises on the
morning of the fire.
Jenkins was called, and he denied that he had ever made
any such statement to the accused.

A witness named Matthews stated that he was present
in the company of the last witness on the morning of the
fires, and heard a policeman make the remark with regard
to the boat attributed to the prisoner.

Riley was recalled, And in answer to a question he said
that he had been two years and a half in the public force.
The prisoner said that he was one of the first who
assisted in extinguishing the fire, and that in his hurry to
get there he fell over several pieces of wood which were
lying in his way. He denied ever having used the words
attributed to him by the policeman, and said that it was all
false, and that he was quite innocent of the offence with
which he was charged.

Mr. MURRAY said that it was necessary for the ends of
public justice to remand the prisoner, and this step would
also be best for him, and give a farther opportunity of pro-
ducing such testimony as would have the effect of clearing
his character from the charge.
The prisoner was accordingly remanded for a week.