The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-15 00:00:00

EXTENSIVE CONFLAGRATION

AT LYME REGIS.

--
LYME REGIS, MAY 11.—We have to record a most de-
structive fire which occurred in this town to-day. The fire
broke out about half-past 9 A.M., on the premises of Mr. G.
Sellers, baker, residing in George's-court. By some means
unknown some furze in a loft adjoining became ignited, and
was speedily in a blaze, which quickly communicated to the
stables of the George Inn, the roofs of which, being com-
posed of thatch, were soon in a complete flame ; and the
dwelling-house of Mr. Sellers, the George Inn, the house
of Mr. J. Channon, and the whole of the premises
adjoining were quickly burnt to the ground, the
inmates having scarcely time to save any of their
effeets. As we have been destitute of rain nearly two
months everything was excessively dry ; and the flames,
aided by a fresh breeze at N.E., spread with the greatest
rapidity, and quickly crossed, the street to the
opposite premises, when the Victoria Inn and the
adjoining premises fell a prey to the devouring
element, the whole of the furniture and stock
being entirely consumed. Nothing could now ar-
rest the progress of the flames. Both sides of
Coombe-street being on fire, the greatest consternation
and alarm prevailed. The scene became truly awful,
as several houses caught fire at once, and women and
children were seen running about the streets in a
state of distraction, endeavouring to save some por-
tion of their goods. The wind had now carried the
flames to the stables of the Cups Hotel, which, being
all thatched, burned with the greatest fury, and soon
communicated to the dwelling-house, and the whole of
the extensive premises of the head inn in the town
were soon reduced to a heap of ruins, with barely suffi-
cient time to save the horses and different vehicles
in the yard. Meanwhile the fire corstinued to pro-
ceed through Coombe-street, the houses on each side
being entirely destroyed, as far as Mr. Munden's on one
side, and the Crown Inn on the other—both being pre-
served by pulling down a house between each and the
fire. The Pilot-boat Inn had by this time caught fire,
and, the flames spreading rapidly, it was soon burnt down,
together with the whole of the adjoining houses on the
left hand, and also behind, with the salt and coal cellars
of Messrs. Prosser. The custom-house next' followed,
being levelled with the ground; but all the books and
papers belonging thereto were fortunately preserved.
In spite of the exertions •of the firemen, and the
plentiful supply of water to the engines, the fire pro-
ceeded up the street, and the Commercial Reading-
rooms, the houses of Mr. Bowring, Captain Urquhart,
Mrs. Fox, Mrs. Sellers, Mr. Hooks, Mr. ..andrays,
the Conservative Reading-room, the extensive premises
of Mr. J. Sellers, inaltster and browser, the New Inn,
with the buildings behind, were all burnt to the ground.
The only house not wholly burnt being that of Mr.
Templeman's, which is only partially destroyed ; whilst
the shambles opposite is entirely unroofed, and the clocks
with the spire and vane, totally demolished. In the
afternoon the wind gradually subsided, and the-progress
of the flames was fortunately arrested. The amount of
damage done is immense.
The lower part of the town presents a scene of. de-
struction and desolation never witnessed here since the
memorable fire of Nov. 5, 1803, when the whole of Mill-
green was destroyed. About forty houses have now
been burnt down, amongst which is the head inn,
and five other public-houses. The greater part,
we believe, are insured, but many have lost their
all, whilst vast numbers have had their goods torn to
piece: and lost by removing to a place of safety. Great
praise is due to the officers and crews of her Majesty's
cutters Adelaide, Eagle, and Asp, which happened to be
in the roads at the time, and whose exertions to stop the
progress of the flames, both by assisting in pulling down
the houses and at the engines, were highly meritorious,
as were also those of the inspecting commander and the
coast-guard. Had the fire happened in the night the
consequences must have been much more disastrous, and
probably attended with loss of life.—Shipping Gazette.

TRAFALGAR-SQUARE.—TWO policemen now regu-
larly keep guard, and their presence checks every
attempt at nuisance. The persons who frequent the
square conduct themselves in the most orderly manner,
and probably, in a short time, they will be able to do
without their keepers. The proprietors of Waterloo-
bridge would find it to their advantage to adopt the
same system, and make the bridge, what it formerly was,
one of the most delightful resorts in London.
DEATH OF JOHN GUTTEEIDGE, ESQ.— This
venerable and much-esteemed individual departed this
life on Sunday last, in the ninety-second year of his age,
at his residence, Denmark-hill, Surrey. Mr. Gut-
teridge was one of the founders of the Sunday-School
Society, and, for more than half a ,century, a zealous
promoter of various religious and benevolent institu-
tions.; among which may be named, the Baptist Fund,
Stepney College, the Baptist Mission, the Widows'
Fund, and the Dissenting Deputies. .Fl's active services
were succeeded by many years of severe personal suffer-
ing, borne with exemplary submission to the will of
God, and closed by an eminently peaceful death.—The
Patriot.
ACCIDENT IN HYDE PARE.—Monday afternoon,
about three o'clock, as James Frogget, a groom in the service
of Lord Byron, who resides at No. 21, Eaton-place, B Ilgrave-
square, was following his master, on horseback, in Hyde-
park, the horse he was riding, a young and spirited animal,
suddenly reared and dashed off at a railroad pace, passedhis
Lordship, and at length threw his rider with 1 considerable
violence to the ground. The horse, after a shag, chase, was
secured, without his having sustained any inwry ; but the
unfortunate groom was conveyed in a state of insensibility to
St. George's Hospital, followed -by his Lordship. He was
immediately attended by Meisrs. Hawkins aid Bannister,
the house-surgeons, who discovered that the prior fellow had
n
sustained a fracture of the spine, besides other juries. He
lies at the institution iu a deplorable date of a ering.

~ .J ~

•
LAW INtEtta6-ENtt.
COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, May 14.
'Sittings at Nisi Prius, before Lord Chief Justice TEIDAL
'• and a Common Jury, at Guildhall.)
BAUNDIR V. STRATTON.

Mr. Sergeant Talfourd and Mr. Warren were for the plain-
tiff; Mr. Sergeant Channell and Mr. Cole fur the defendant.
This was an action to recover damages from the defendant,
Mrs. Stratton, for an injury done to the plaintiff's horse. It
appeared that in the latter part of last year, the defen-
dant was driving in a photon from Grosvenor-square,
along Mount-street, and as she was turning into
South Audley-street, the shaft of the phaeton struck the
plaintiff's horse on the off shoulder, which considerably in-
jured him. It was proved that the horse, before the injury,
was worth 20/., and that it was sold afterwards for 50s. It was
alleged on the part of th• defendant, that the injury arose
from the negleet of the plaintiff, who was on the look-out
for a fare instead of attending to his horse and cab.
The jury retired for a short time, and soon returned with a
verdict for the plaintiff—Damages, 201.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
UNION-HALL.

Thomas Leary, a well-known young thief, was charged
before Mr. Traill with stealing four pairs of gold ear-rings
if9lll the shop of Mr. Morris, jeweller, in Snow's-fields.
It appeared that in February last the shop window of Mr.
Morris was cut with a glazier's diamond, in which were ex-
hibited several articles of jewellery. A lad who witnessed
the circumstance saw the prisoner and two other boys (since
convicted) standing near the complainant's window at the
time, and observed one of them introduce a stick with
a crook at the end of it-into the aperture of the pane of glass,
and draw out some gold earrings, which he handed over to
the prisoner, who immediately ran away. Two of the offen-
ders were taken the same evening, but the prisoner managed
to elude discovery until the preceding night, when he ven-
tured back to his old quarters, and was taken into custody.
The prisoner was remanded to give an opportunity of find-
ing the stolen articles.
Harriet Edwards was charged with striking a woman,
named Glindon, with a " life-preserver" on the head, and
inflicting a severe wound, from the effects of which she was
suffering.
The parties, who live in one of those disreputable streets
leading out of Waterloo-road, had a dispute on Sunday
night, in the course of which the prisoner and her sister at-
tacked the complainant and beat her in a very brutal manner.
Mr. TRAILL convicted the prisoner, and sentenced her to
pay a fine of 31., or be committed for six months. The
Magistrate gave directions to apprehend her sister, as she
seemed to have been the chief aggressor in the outrage, and
said he should commit her for trial.

MTJRI)ER AT BATTERSEA.
WANDSWORTH POLICE COURT.
Yesterday being appointed for the re-examination into
the circumstances attending the murder of the female, Sarah
Eleanor M'Farlane, upon Battersea-bridge, on the night of
Monday, April 29, a very great crowd of persons assembled in
the street leading to the Court-house, no doubt with the in-
tention of seeing the prisoner, who was, however, by the
admirable arrangements of Superintendent Bicknell, who is
entrusted with the getting up of the case, brought down as
early as eight o'clock, and lodged in a house adjacent, until
the hour appointed for opening the Court.
Soon after ten o'clock Mr. Clive entered and took his seat
on the bench, and a few night charges having been heard,
the prisoner was then brought in and placed at the bar. He
exhibited the same nonchalance that had before so much dis-
tingnished his conduct. Mr. Gilliam, his solicitor, had been
in attendance at an early hour.
Timothy Wells, 83 V, was the first witness examined—
Remembers the 29th of April, and was on duty on the Chel-
sea side of Battersea-bridge that evening. .It might be a
quarter before eleven when I heard the cries of " Murder,"
apparently from the bridge. The voice sounded like that of
a young girl's, and when I ran on the bridge I met a young
girl with a horse and cart. I asked her if she had called
" Murder ?" She said she had. I asked why ? She replied,
because her father of out of the cart, and would not come
along. She said is was all she cried murder for, and
eib
I then got ba on the Chelsea elide. Soon after
a man came running, and asked if a horse and cart and girl
had passed over. I said yes, and he then drove back the
horse and cart again. I asked him if anything was wrong
over the bridge, and he said a woman had got her head half
cut off. I said why did you not tell me so before, and I ran
over to the toll-house and saw a pool of blood, found the wo-
man in the Swan, and then ran for a superior officer, Sergeant
No. 14 V.
By Mr. Gilliam—Do not recollect seeing the witness Cook,
and am sure that he did not speak to me on the bridge.
John Timmons—l am a carman to Mr. llalding, coal mer-
chant. Remember the night of the 29th of April. Was the
worse for liquor, but knew what I was about. Was standing
on that night at my master's stables, in Duke-street. I was
standing with James Cook, and heard a man call " Police,"
who afterwards said a woman had cut her throat on Batter-
sea-bridge. No one was with me but Cook. The man called
" Police, police," aloud, " a woman has cut her throat on
Battersea-bridge." Those were the words he said. He stood
against the church wall, at the corner of Church-street, when
I saw him. He had on a surtout coat, but I would not know
him again. I then went to attend to my work.
By Mr. Gilham—Cook had been with me about five mi-
nutes. I can't say how long he was with me. I am sure it was
after half-past ten, because I had brought my horses home,
and before I got to the stables I heard ten strike. I was in
the King's-road when it struck. No one but Cook and I
were together. Cook and I have spoken about the thing since
he was brought up here. The only thing I had drank was
beer, but I could both stand steadily and do my work. The
man was not running when I saw him ; he was standing
when he said the woman had cut her throat. I did not see
where Cook went to, as at that moment.' turned and went
to finish my work.
Wells recalled—lmmediately on seeing the man with the
cart, I went to the toll-house. Know Cook, but did not see
him on that night. ,
Cook recalled. '
Wells—l did not to my knowledge see this man Cook, but
he might have run over the bridge with the other persons
who followed me immediately.
William Evans, a boy of 15, was next called, and after
being examined as to the nature and obligation of an oath,
said, that he lived in Manners-street, Chelsea, and about 25
minutes to eleven, saw a man and woman standing on the
bridge. A few minutes after heard a faint scream, and saw
the woman run from the top of the bridge towards the toll-
house. She was running towards the toll-house when Mr.
Hall caught her. The woman had a straw-bonnet and dark
shawl. He thought it was the same woman who screamed
that he afterwards saw at the toll-house. I thought she said
at the toll-gate that " a man had cut her throat," she said,
" Cut my throat." Did not see the man when the woman
was running.
By Mr. Gilham—Two minutes after I saw the man and
woman together, I heard the scream, but did not see the
man then.
By Mr. CLIVE--I saw them-together, but had my eyes off
them just before I heard the scream.
Superintendent Bicknell was recalled, and his evidence
respecting the letters produced yesterday was read over. On
the Tuesday morning following the murder went over the
bridge and found the first spot of blood near the first lamp-
post on the Middlesex side. Traced it to within fourteen or
fifteen yards of the Battersea toll-gate, and there I found a
pool of it, not on the side-walk but in the centre of the road.
By Mr. CLIVE—The first spot of blood was nearer the
Middlesex than the Surrey side. I should think that a per-
son standing at the toll-house might see two persons stand-
ing at that lamp. I do not think, however, they would
see the whole as they would be down a declivity. I saw
another pool of blood about seven yards from the toll-house,
Andrews,home
living at Bolingbroke Gardens, Bat-
t e r
and another at the toll gate.
sea , Wm.
was Daniel
bed when he heard of the deceased's
death. She is my sister, and her name is Sarah Eleanor. I
ai et I
oi
n
found the paper produced, marked No. 11, in the deceased's
clothes' chest, at her house, 13, Bridge-road, Battersea. I
gave it to Mr. Bicknell, the superintendent, on the Tuesday
morning. .
The paper was then read in Court, and ran thus :
"To all those whom it may concern, I hereby declare
that I haw.. made a solemn promise to Sarah Eleanor M`Far-
lane to marry her, and for that purpose I have published
the banns in the church of Kensington, and I have also bound
myself in the sum of 5001. in the current money of
the realm, not to marry any other person, and in case of my
decease before such fulfilment of my promise, I annex my
will, by which I give to Sarah Eleanor M'Farlane all pro-
perties I am now possessed of, or may get afterwards by
inheritance or otherwise. My present property, consisting of
two dwelling-houses in my native city of Tours on the Loire,
in the kingdom of France, now in trust of Jean Landert, I
so bequeath ; as also all moneys, or any other my personal
property.
(Signed by Augustus Dalmas, and addressed to the de-
ceased. The will was dated the 12th of March, 1844).
Richard Messenger was then called, and gave similar evi-
dence to what he had before given. He bad seen a man
looking over the bridge, and found the wounded woman at
the toll-house. Would not know the man again.
Mrs. Messenger was also called, but neither could she
identify the party.
Frances Scott, housekeeper to Mrs. D'Oyley, of Bolton-
place, merely proved that the deceased had come with the
prisoner's youngest daughter, on the night of the murder,
and that the deceased had waited about ten minutes, and then
went off. Witness observed a man walking before the house.
Would not know him again.
By Mr. Gilham—PrLsoner's daughter had afterwards
discharged herself. She had not been told to go and see her
father hanged.
Mary Lawrence—l am a servant at the Home of Plenty
coffee shop, 5, street, Russell-square, I was up in the
morning of Tuesday, the 30th of April, at 5 o'clock. When
I went to take the shutters down, I saw a man standing
alone under the arch. Five minutes afterwards, he came in
and asked for coffee. He went out, as it was not ready?:and
came in twenty minutes after. He saw a policeman passing,
and he turned-his face away from him, then pulled out a
penny, threw it down, and went away again. The witness
was directed to look round and see if she could identify the
person. She could not, and Mr. Clive
at once directed that
her evidence should be struck out.
John-Robert Davies, a pawnbroker's assistant, produced a
dress coat pledged at 4 o'clock on the 30th of April, the day
after the murder. It was pledged by the prisoner in the name
of John Watt. There were stains upon the sleeve, but did
not think they were those of blood.
. William Cumming, sergeant, 3 D, was then called, and his
evidence was read over to him. It simply stated that the
prisoner had surrendered himself at the Marylebone station,
and made a statement in which he denied that he had at all
gone upon the bridge
Augusta was the only witness who had spoken truth.
Mr. Gosling was then recalled, and identified several letters
as some of those he had received from the deceased's brother,
Andrews. Among them were those marked 12 and 13.
Augusta Dalmas proved them to be in her father's hand-
writing.
The letters were then read. The first was addressed to
his "ardently-beloved Sarah," and concluded "Your affec-
tionate husband, Augustus Dahlias." The second was signed
" Your most affectionate, A. D." They contained references
to his daughters, and a desire that the deceased would meet
him at a place appointed, that he might introduce her to
" Dr. Morrison as a most respectable widow, and who was
acquainted with the mast religious persons in Battersea."
Charlotte, the prisoner's eldest daughter, was then called
in, and briefly confirmed her evidence taken on the last
occasion.
All the witnesses, thirty-two in number, were then called
in and sworn, when the evidence was read over seriatim.
On reading over the evidence of the witness Cook, and
where he stated that " he had told the potman at the Swan
that he had (al the same night (the night of the murder)
seen a man (Dalmas), who had said that a woman had cut
her throat upon the bridge,"
Mr. CLIVE asked what was the man named to whom the
communication had been made, and being answered Good-
child, directed that he should be called as a witness at the
Old Bailey.
After the witnesses had been bound over to attend at the
trial,
Mr. CLIVE asked the prisoner if he had anything to say in
defence?
Mr. Gilham said that his client, by his advice, had deter-
mined to reserve any defence for another court.
The prisoner was then removed.