The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-11 00:00:00

Serious Charge against a Tradesman.

On Monday the Hereford magistrates were occu-
pied for several hours in investigating a charge
against Robert Atkinson, a young man who has for
some time past carried on business as a grocer and
provision dealer, in Broad-street, of having, during
the night of the 29th ult., wilfully set fire to the
premises in his occupation. An elderly woman
named Atkinson (the widow of Robert Atkinson's
father) was also included in the charge, as she was
the only other person in the house at the time of
the fire. Owing to the prompt arrival of the engines,
and the judicious course taken by the superintendent
of police, the fire was extinguished without doing
much damage. Had it been otherwise it is fearful
to contemplate the destruction of property that must
have occurred, with probably the loss of life, as the
cellar—in which the fire broke out—of Atkinson's
house runs partly under the premises of Messrs.
Duggan and Chave, chemists and druggists, much
of whose stock is of course of an inflammable nature.
After the fire had been extinguished, the superin-
tendent thought it prudent to take possession of
Atkinson's cellar, and on subsequently making a
careful examination he discovered a condition of
things which raised a strong presumption that the
fire was not accidental. The contents of the cellar
were of a kind that would readily burn, viz., faggots,
boxes of wood, lucifer matches, candles, &c. ; but
the strangest part of the matter was that these
articles, with various others, formed a succession of
tiers, into which lucifer matches, greased strips of
wood, candles, a bottle containing paraffin oil, &c.,
Iseems to have been systematically introduced. The
superintendent gave evidence at length in support
of the prosecution, and produced a model of the
contents of the cellar in the condition in which he
had found them ; and he was supported by a man
named Elland, who has had great experience in Lon-
don fires, and who expressed a strong opinion that the
contents of the cellar had been wilfully fired in two
or three sparate places. It was also proved that
some few months ago the prisoner, Robt. Atkinson,
had applied to the legal agent for the Scottish
Union Fire-office to insure his stock and furniture
for £l,OOO ; that the order was taken, and the
policy actually made out; but that subsequently
the agent doubted the propriety of the insurance
being carried out, upon which a district inspector
of the office, who had formerly been in the grocery
trade, was sent to examine Atkinson's stock. His
opinion was that the value of the stock did not
much exceed £lOO, and that the policy which had
been made out was therefore cancelled. After this
Atkinson applied to the agent of the Westminster
Fire-office, with whom he had an existing policy for
' £lOO, to increase the amount to £5OO, and this
order was executed and the policy in force at the
time of the fire. It was further proved that the
value of the stock was much the same now as at the
time of its inspection by the district officer of the
Scottish Union, the only notable change being some
addition to the stock of bacon. At the close of the
inquiry the magistrates• committed both prisoners
for trial at the next assizes, but consented to take
bail for the female, for whom much commiseration
is felt, as she is believed to be wholly innocent.
Mr. Gwynne James appeared for the prosecution,
and Mr. Gwillim for the defence, the court and its.
prcinccts being crowded throughout the day, the
excitement at the atrocious act charged against the
male prisoner being very great.

THE GLASGOW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE
CURRENCY QUESTION.—The Glasgow Chamber of Com-
merce, at its annual meeting on Monday (Mr. Alexander
Ronaldson presiding), entered upon the consideration of a
memorial to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the subject
of banking and currency, drawn up by a committee ap-
pointed by the directors. The memorial refers to the Act
of 1844, the enactments and restrictions imposed by which
are spoken of as having been highly injurious to trading and
commercial interests, and as producing and aggravating to
an extent previously unknown frequent, extreme, and
sudden fluctuations in the rate of discount. In conclusion,
the memorialists strongly recommend :that all exclusive
privileges and restrictions on issue and banking should
be repealed, and that while the State should strictly
regulate the weight, purity, and fineness of .the sove-
reign, the issue of bank notes, payable in gold on de-
mand, should be left entirely free. The adoption of the
memorial was moved by Mr. Henry Dunlop, seconded by
Mr. William Kidston. Mr. Bolton moved as an amend-
ment, " That while cordially concurring in the opinion of
the committee that the business of banking should be left
entirely free and unrestricted, the Chamber repudiate the
doctrine asserted in the proposed memorial, to the effect
that the right of free banking necessarily involves the right
of free issues, as at once untrue in fact, fallacious in prin-
ciple, and certain to prove pernicious in its consequences."
Mr. Walter Paterson seconded the amendment. A show of
hands was taken, when the motion was carried by a large
majority.