The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-28 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

NORTHERN CIRCIJIT—.NEWCISTLE, DEC. 26.
(Before Mr. Justice Crompton.)
Lavine Leipchitz was indicted for maliciously
setting fire to his dwelling-house with intent to de-
fraud the Phoenix Insurance Company. There were
other counts in the indictment, including one for
the capital offence of firing a dwelling-house, some
persons being therein.
The Hon. A. Liddell, Mr. Davidson, and Mr.
Blackwell prosecuted ; Mr. Digby Seymour defen-
ded the prisoner.
Mr. Liddell stated the case at some length. The
prisoner came to reside in Newcastle in Feb. last,
and took a small house and shop in Buckingham-
street, where he and. his son carried on the business
of a pawnbroker. Shortly after entering into p05...01°.
...01°. tho Ltr;..l7lor cuff o+Ad wn iriallrftnen with the
Phoenix Insurance for 800/. On July 5 the prisoner
was seen in Houndsditch, Loudon, where he called
upon a waterproof manufacturer named Kauffman.
After observing that the trade of a pawnbroker was
very bad, and he wished to start as a waterproof
manufacturer, Mr. Kauffman informed him that he
must provide himself with a stock of naphtha for the
purpose of dissolving the indiarubber. The prisoner
bought 44 gallons of naphtha, which was put in a
large bottle and packed in a box, and sent by sea
teethe prisoner's address at Newcastle. This box
was subsequently found in the prisoner's house.
The prisoner's business would be shown to have
been of the very poorest description, the goods being
of the commonest character; and on the part of ihe
prosecution it was suggested that the whole stock
was comparatively valueless, and the insurance for
800/. was effected for the sole purpose of defraud-
ing the company. An old feather-bed smelling
strongly of naphtha was on the floor of the shop a
few days before the fire. When the fire broke out,
it was shown to have burst out in different places,
and the moment an alarm was given the prisoner
would be shown to have been at the place, partly
dressed, and two women who lived in the house
came out with their dresses off, but were observed
to have their stays on, laced. The prisoner would
be shown to have taken no part whatever in endea-
vouring to put the fire out. After the fire the pre-
mises were shut up and placed in the charge of a
police•officer. The next day a small vessel was
found smelling strongly ..f naphtha, and on examin-
ing the shop the wooden shelves were found partly
burnt, the goods also, • and on the floor, partly
burnt, a feather bed, from which on analysis 2oz.
of naphtha were extracted. No other tools or ma-
terials necessary to carry on the manufacture of
waterproof were found, and on the part of the pro-
secution it was suggested that the conversation in
London was only a ruse, and the naphtha procured
for the express purpose of firing the shop. The
prisoner made a claim against the company for
7801., which was refused, and on inquiries being
made the prisoner was taken into custody. To prove
this case the folloWing evidence was called
Dinah Hundspetb, the owner of the house in
Buckingham-street, proved letting the house to the
prisones. His son was with hid on each occasion
when ho came, and the agreeloent was signed by
the son. The policy was shown to have been
effected by the prisoner for the sem of 8001.-6501.
on the stock, and the remainder on the fixtures and
fin niture.
. Mr. Kauffman proved that the prisoner called on
him in Houndsditch early in July, and had a con-
versation respecting the waterproof trade; ho told
the prisoner he must provide a stock of indiarubber,
naphtha, and necessary to )I.s. The prisoner stated
that he was short of money, and he lent him 21.
The prisoner gave him a note of hand for 101. for
the 21. lent and the instructions he gave him as to
the mode of managing the waterproof business. He
went with him and purchased four gallons of naph-
tha. It was put in a tin and carefully packed in a
wooden box. The box produced is the same.
Joseph Sampson proved that the box was shipped
from Hay's-wharf for Newcastle. The person at,
whose shop the naphtha was bought proved that
when she filled the bottle, Kauffman, who acted as
interpreter for the prisoner, ordered the bottle to
be filled quite full, so that it might not make a
noise, and the box to be tightly fastened down, so
that there might be no smell
Witnesses were called to show that the shop was
one of the poorest description, and the general cha-
racter of the goods of very small value.
Joseph Craigie was ou duty the night of the fire.
He had been in the shop on different occasions,
and observed the stock was very small. On the
19th of July he was passing the shop about half-
past 12 o'clock, and saw a light which appeared to
to gas inside ; he passld the place again about 1
o'clock. There was no light then. He got 300 or
400 yards past when he heard cries of " Fire l"
from the direction of the shop. he ran back and
found the shop in a blaze of fire. The windows
and shutters were blown out. He produced a
wooden vessel called a kit which was found in the
house ; it smelt strongly of naptha, and it smells
still.
Another police-officer saw the shop on the night
of the fire. He looked through a crevice in the
door, and the whole place seemed in a blaze. He
gave an alarm and ran for the engines. The pri-
soner gave no assistance in tryin4 to get the fire
extinguished. Examined the house attsr the fire.
Everything was burnt. The next day he found
the remains of a bed on the floor, and everything
mixed up.
William Fleming lived near the prisoner, and
was out the night of the fire ; he heard the alarm,
and ran to toe prisoner's shop. He brok4l, in the
docr, but could not get for the flames. Ho
went round to call the prisouer up. The top part
of the house was entered by stairs outside. He met
the prisoner and a woman coining out of thb door.