The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-14 00:00:00

INCENDIARY FIRE IN ESSEX.

On Wednesday, Charles Wright, a boy of 14,
was committed for trial by the Saffron Walden
magistrates for setting fire to the premises of his
master, the Rev. J. Papillon, rector of Lexden.
The first witness was Peter Thomas Ladbrook,
who deposed to being in Lexden-street, about half-
past nine o'clock on Thursday week, when he saw
a fire at the rectory, and went and found it burning
in the cattle shed, which was consumed. The,
female servants came oat of the house, and he viol'
with them to the stable to get the horses, cows, and
pigs out. The following morning, shortly after 11
o'clock, he was told Mr. Papillon's barn was On
fire, and he went and helped to extinguish it: On
Wednesday night, about nine o'clock, whilst in
Lexden•strect, talking about the fires, he saw people
running, and heard the cry of "Fire," and went
and found it burning at a tumbrel shed, ni‘ar Mr.
Vince's watermill.
Emma Smith, servant to Mr. Papillon, stated that
prisoner lived at the house, and had been out oboe"
a quarter of an hour before she saw the first fire'
but had returned indoors about five minutes before
it occurred, and told her it rained. The ne,it
morning he brought her some firewood from tae
barn for the oven, in doing which he would have
to go to the spot where the second fire took place'
Head Constable Downs stated that on hearing of
the fire at Mr. Papillon's, on the night of the 28th
April, he went and questioned prisoner as to Its
cause, when he stoutly denied knowing anytilln„
about it. He questioned prisoner the morning
Mr. Vince's fire, when he denied causing it. rrls°-
ner afterwards absconded with his master's horse
and he traced him to Boxford, on the borders of
Suffolk. He returned to Colchester that night, but
in the morning he proceeded to Assington, virher,e
he found Mr. Papillon's horse at a gentle:ins°
house. He traced prisoner to Sudbury, and thenfe
to Halsted, where he found him at 7 o'clock in the
evening. He told him he was charged with sett"
fire to Mr. Papillon's and Mr. Vince's premises, an,.e
with riding away with his master's horse, when ,"1.
answered " Yes." He brought prisoner to the u°'•
chester borough police office, when he was told the,
charge by the mayor, and said " Yes, that's tie"'
I did it," and described how he had caused thefires:
He said that on the night of the first fire he wen
through the chaise house, unfastened the stable
'
,
door, and set fire to the furze in the cow•shed
a lucifer match, and returned to the kitchen ; nest
day he took some wood from the back yard to the
bake-office, and went into the barn by the back
door, and set fire to the straw with a match, lap in
the corner near the shed. With reference to Mr.
Vince's fire, he said he went to the corner of- the
shed and set fire to it with a lucifer match, and
returned by the mill meadow. He thought at first
the fire was out, but when he got some distance he
saw it begin to blaze. When he set fire to it he
wished he had not done it. _ _

The prisoner, on being asked what he had to sigf
observed he was very sorry he had done it.
was committed for trial at the assizes, but ordered
to be detained in the borough gaol.