The Sun.
London, England, 1826-12-19 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT4OF COMMON PLEAS, Die. IS.
GOLDSTONE: AND SIARYs V. /I. BEAUAIONT AND (quails.
(Concluded front our Paper of yesterday.)
Mr. Sergeant WthnE, for the defenilantia, said that the case
before the Jury was one of a class of cases whieh were always
important, not only as they affected Fire Offices, hut in their vela-
tipu to the/oldie. It was desirous, on the one hand, that n Lee
an honest man suffered )(Jay from fire, his claim abould have the
sympathy of the ifoldic, anti the protection Of the law ; and it
was also neceasaty that public Companies should be protected
from fraud,' and that the public generally should have some secu-
rity from the evil coosequenem which might arise from the work
of incendiaries. The present trial was of great importance to the
County Fire Office, inasmuch as it had been insinuated that they
were in the habit of resisting claims. He asked his Learned
Friend upou what authority could such an imputation be' cast
upon them. It was tr,le that office, had r,sisteil the claim of
API for a time ineameessfully, hut that party oltimitely
bad no 'elate of triumph. The f.eariied Sergeant went
the whole of the evidence, to show that that ease wpm one of
grass fraud, anti that the plaintiffs were not entitled to recover.
The Rev. Mr. Crosby, curate of the parish, was examined as to
the certificate. Ile said he signed it as a matter of form, think-
ing that he was not bound to ingtiire into the partietilars of the
loss sustained. It had been preiented to him fur signature by one
of the parishioners.
The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE reprimanded him for 'signing any
paper without being fully satisfied of its correctness, and although
he acquitted the Rev. Gentleman of any improper motive, he re-
quested that in future he would be more cautious.
James Peacock, a watchman of Shoreditch parish, was going
his rounds near the house that was buint. About the hour of
one he came opposite the boned, He few smoke issuirig•from the
crevices in the shutters. He saw Mr. Keeley there. He went to
the door. There were several ether persons present when be
forced in the door. A column of' flame burnt out immediately ;
it was impossible to see in through it. The fire prooeeded front
the middle of the flour. The house Was burnt in about an hour.
No person
:email enter or save any property. He left the re-
mains of the fire in the bands of the fireman. One of the plain-.
tiff's and another` erson called upon him since, and warms' him
to have some drinwhich he declined. He Would know the per-
son again. (The plaintiffii were then called but neither of them
appeared.) What they said to him was, " that if he came for-
ward and gave testimony, they would make it worth his while—
that he should be rewarded for his time."
John Leary, another watchman, said he looked in under the
smoke, and could not see any bracket*, or goods of any deserip-
tion; he SAW nothing but a body of flame issuing tram the centre
of the shop; be could see a part of the wall inside, and some-
thing like a shelf but nothing on it.
John Terry, a fireman—He assisted at the fire. After the
ruins were cooled, he searched tar property, but found none, ex-
cept a few bare and rabbit akin*, and some caps ; the whole of
them he brought away in a handkerchief. There were 600 hat.
rims. If there had been 650 cups, he should have seen more re-
mains in the ruins, There were no remains of wooden shelves;
if wooden shelves had been burnt, there would have been charred
bits remaining. The walls were not burnt.
Aire. Good—Lives near the house which wee burnt. She had
frequeut opportunities of looking into the plaintiff's knese. In
the ware-room, there was generally a young person at work, but
she saw no property there; it could not be them without her see-
ing it. There was a sort of counter in that loom. The tipper-
onp'opomr.t‘ttlyo‘ovf se-
eing into closed
etSl with "It!: ;a
st)l4;:tatviteird. noel
yards from the house.
An officer: front the County Fire Office proved that he went
early that morning to.the fire; lie gave directiOns to have the
ruins searched, and the good* produced were all that were found.
Sarah Stephens lives next door to the plaintiff's house. At
about ten o'clock, on the night of the- tire, she lutird a noise next
door, which processed from ti number of persons ; they
were not talking English; she think* it wasnebrew. She went
to bed about twelve o'clock. There must have been its many us
skg. persona talking. When she heard them the Was in the yard
taking in clothes.
Thos. Young lives in a house adjoining that which wee burnt ;
he !taw Asks in the street on the night of the fire ; it was then
;shout pine o'clock ; there was it perion with Marks before he went
to boil ; beard a noise, as if goods were in the act of being re-
moved; he thought at first it WA* in his own house; upon which
he went up stairs to see; the noise was repeated, again ; it was a
heavy dead sound; it was about en hour and a half before lie
went to bed.

- . . , i•
daughter; I voittintinicotea toe w oof, in tile conversation tc, my
Several witnesses Were called, who proved that the most of Ihe husband, and Capt. Bowie, al4O spolx to hlin about it in two or
awoices were fictitious. One for Upwards of 3004 was fi'ont a thret„jas.,, . „„ the 1a or 32ti of Alar,ll, we were ill the dining.-
person who could not pay his rate, and was a pauper; another ' tl fir'; C3Ptal" nnwk`i al"I trrY daughter wt" I"
room, ii,-ar _ ie - , .
was front a person who was lately burnt out himself. • 1 t,aa a.. (!aptaln ..that no • riltjaction had been
hug tor-ether ;
and, from this moment, 1 con-
Elivatbeth NVarren was called to contradict the testimony. of a ma-de by Inv 1111,h:old to I,i, oifer of marriage ; 1 then 'asked him
witness fur the plaintiffs, who swore that Marks never spoke to whit, time he tised fur the marriage, and he then took my band,
iWI id I don't doubt your honour. I
her about a girl who got rd. for giving information respecting a , and Said "I am a man of liororiir,
fire; illi9 said there might be 200/. worth of property in the house. sitter oireir" your 'On ei
daughter way a
Mr. Seixennt VAUGHAN addressed the Jury at some ii,,,th tbi• tow hint that ill the tweet of marriage, its my
the plaintiffs, contending that if the Jury found'a verdict for the , c„tholie, I wished her to be married according to the rites of the
defendants, hit clients would lie tent out of Com with I it,t. I Roman Catholic Churl +, and hr said he bail no objection. MY
I a'A ' I + haul ' ' ,
round their necks.l (how-titer a tialignter on the 10t11 of Mardi, 1826. .Captsita
,
The 'LORD CutEr JusTicv., in summing up observed, that he 1 Bowles and my daughter loft no house on ,the night of the :Id of
thought in the present instance the oftice had acted in a verY Pr"" I .April, IfQ5. 1 did not see Captain 11011+1 arm, that. lii about
per manner in re a
sisting the claims of the plaintiffs, s klarneti ; two. month, after they went away (she. way absent until Septern-
brother lota told them, that by finding a verdict for the defendants, ! ber), I fiumil lie at Kensington, in a halgingshonse. 4114.
they would be putting a halter round the neeki, of the plaintiffs i I month before- copt,iiit 1-lolrles came to its, I Jolt 14 1011.; Captain
this was improper, 1 1 11
1111(.' tiaoll.l, not have hien said. lle WOulki in- Houk- oiten told me not to cry' and 11.0 too An' hill's. art -I should
1 •