The Sun.
London, England, 1821-12-04 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

The Sessions commenced yesterday before Mr. CONST, the
chairman, and a Bench of Magistrates.

ARSON.

Edward Evans and Virtue Evans, husband and wife, were
indicted for a misdemeanour for wilfully setting fire to the house
of which they occupied the ground floor in Saffron-hill. There
were 13 counts in the indictment, it whiCh it was set 'forth that
it was done with intent to injure the Sun Fire-office. .

The facts of the case, as stated to the jury; and afterwards
proved by the evidence, were these :-The defendants kept a
chandler's shop at No. 46, Saffron-hill, and on the 10th of Sept.
last, about seven o'clock in the morning, it was discovered .to
be on fire by the neighbours. The female diendant gave the
alarm to the lodge-,s in the house, and having fastened the
front door, she stoottat the back door to prevent any one from
coming in to put out the fire, telling all who endeavoured to
gain admittance that.she would let no one in to rob the house
while her husband was absent. It'seemed that the male de-
fendant had gon'e out 'abthit half an hottr previOUSly. Mrs.
Marsl4l, one of the lodgers, now came screaming down
stairs, with a jug t)f. Water in her hand, crying out "• Murder,
fire I" and attempted to get into the room where the fire was, to
endeavour to put it poi.. All her efforts were, however, .fruit-
-less and Mrs. E‘--ans succeeded m pnting her from enter-
ing the room, saying" No one shall plunder my house wh:le
my husband is absent." Mrs. Marshall, greatly alarmed, said
" We shall all be consumed ;" and tills. Evans coolly replied
that she was insured. At length two neighbours, a Mr.
Sparks and Mr. Smith, succeeded in getting tao the room.—
On entering it, all was darkness. They opened the shutters and
window, and found the fire, not blazing but mouklering. They
found the bed was on fire in five orsix places ; a chair in another
part of the room ; a chest of drawers in another corner. The
fire was thus found not in one spot, but in separate parts of the
room ; and what was observed to be most singular was, that
between the bed and the chest of drawers, both of which were on
fire, there was a child's bed not touched in the slightestdegree.
There could, therefore, have been no communication between
the two fires. There was also found to be a fire under the coun-
ter in the shop ; and on a shelf there was some wood all on fire.
Several bundles of wood were also observed about the shop and
back parlour, partly burnt; and a box full of old rags all on
fire. By the intervention of the neighbours, the fire was at
length extinguished without any damage having, been done to
the houie.

In the year 1815, the male defendant had insured his goods at
the Sun Fire Office for 1001., but about a fortnight before the
fire he had increased the insurance to 3001. The total valuatien
of the goads in the defendant's possession after the fire was
only 301. 'When the agent of the Sun Fire Office called upon the
_defendant to ascertain the amount of the damage, Dlr. EVit2S
said he had lost a great quantity of property, amounting to no
less than 1591. He had lost two entirely new suits of clothes,
and 1001. in Bank-notes and cash. In a conversation with a
neighbour after the fire, the male defendant being questioned
about same pictures, said he had sent them to have the frames
re-gilt ; some other goods he had pawned, and a carpet he had
given away.as good for nothing. This was the mannerin which
he said he nad disposed of his property. About five minutes'
before the fire was discovered, the female defendant was seen at
a gin shop taking a glass of brandy. The male defendant was
gone to market with his two children, to buy some cabbage,
and returned about 8 o'clock.

This was the substance of the evidence produced on the part
of the prosecution.
ilr. ALLEY spoke on behalf of the defendants, and main-
tained that to affect the male defendant, at least, no testimony
had been adduced. lie was entirely innocent of the transaction,
whatever the wife might have been ; for he had gone to market
in the regular course of his business to buy some cabbages long
before the fire wg,s discovered. As to the female defndant, he
urged that she fad shewn no guilt in not admitting Strangers
into the house, cautioned as she had been by the notices front
the Fire-offices, not to admit persons in Mich cases to plunder
the goods. lie called one witness, who proved that the male
defendant was at the market buying cabbages.
The CHAIRMAN, in summing up, obierved upon the eN-
tremely heinous offence which the defendants were charged
with. having committed. As to the female defendant the
evidence was in his mind conclusive, and ,he thought that,
with respect to the husband, little doubt could be enteztaln-
ed, but that he was mainly instrumental in the commission of-
the crime. It was proved that be had gone out half an hour
before the discovery of the fire was made, but it was to be meet-
leetedthat the fire was found in a mouldering state, and one
witness said it might have burnt for half an hour. The fact of
the insurance was also too strong a point to be forgotten, and he
knew it would have its due weight with the Jury.
The Jury, after a very short deliberation, found both the
defendants Guilty.
The Chairman reserved the sentence for consideration:

64 You may keep what you like and return what
you please,."—This is a handsome offer at arty
time, but particularly after the Drawing of the
Lottery, and such in fact is the offer of the Con-
tractors, who will allow the Public to 'return
their Tickets or Shares at a very small reduction
of price, after Next Tuesday, when a Prize of
FIVE THOUSAND POUNDS at least •is sure to be
Drawn. The demand,as may be expected, is most
rapid, and certain dashing Speculators want to
take them away by hundreds, which the Office
Keepers endeavour to prevent, as it is their object
to oblige as many of the Public as possible.