The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-24 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY MORNING, MARCH 24, 1845.

Richards observed, in opening the case to the bench,
that it was very important for the public that pawn-
brokers should be compelled to act up to the letter of the
Act of Parliament, and comply with all those regula-
tions which were necessary to prevent facilities being
given for the disposal of stolen property.
James llerriett, the prisoner alluded to in the infor-
mation, and who stated that he had come from the
county gaol, where he was undergoing a sentence of im-
prisonment for unlawfully disposing of the articles in
question, was examined as a witness, and deposed that
on the 21st of March, 1844, he pawned two blankets at
the defendant's shop for 45., and the name he gave was
James Strep. He added, that he did not recollect that
Mr. Messenger asked him any questions as to whether
he was a housekeeper or a lodger ; but he said that all
he did was to give him a ticket and 4s. That ticket he
had since destroyed.
Some discussion here took place as to whether parole
evidence could be given of what appeared upon the du-
plicate produced by the defendant before the bench at
Godstone, and at length Mr. Russell said that to save
trouble upon the point, Mr. Messenger was ready to
produce his book, and also the duplicate.
Mr. Messenger accordingly produced a duplicate, and
a book containing entries of pledges made in the month
in question. The duplicate and the entry appeared to
be both in the proper form, but Gower, the master of the
workhouse, who had been summoned as a witness, ex-
pressed his opinion that the duplicate now produced was
not the same that was brought to Godstone.
Mr. Messenger requested the witness Gower to be
cautious in what he stated, for ulterior proceedings
would certainly be taken if he stated what was false.
Mr. LUCAS told the witness that he was throwing a
very serious imputation upon Mr. Messenger, and he
requested him to look at the duplicate again carefully,
and then say whether he persisted in his former state-
ment.

Gewer having done so, declared his belief to be that
the duplicate now produced was entirely different from
the one he formerly saw in Mr. Messenger's possession.
Mr. Russell then addressed the Bench and submitted
that th• charge against the defendant had altogether
failed in proof. He said that Mr. Messenger had been
long known in the town as a most respectable tradesman,
and far from his ever having given any facility in the
disposing of stolen property, he could, if it were neces-
sary, show by the evidence of the police that he had on
several occasions given them valuable information and
assistance to discover offenders.

The Magistrates, after a very short deliberation, ex-
pressed their opinion that the evidence was not sufficient
to support any of the charges against the defendant, acd
the information must therefore be dismissed.

and sixpence out-door relief from St. Matthew's, Bethnal-
green, and, unless some benevolent hand is strl,tched out
in their behalf, their sufferings from want will be severely
felt. They live in a narrow court, in Manchester-street,
P,ethnal•grecr', and either of the guardians of the poor,
or the vestry clerk of the parish, or even the rector will,
we arc sure, receive any amount towards relieving their
condition.

mable substances. In the top story there was a large
quantity of empty castor-oil packing-cases, whilst
' the other stories contained a vast variety of chemicals
and drugs more or less inflammable. It need
scarcely be wondered then that the flames progressed
with the greatest rapidity and intensity. Parties
who saw the breaking out of the fire state, that
first there issued a dense black smoke, and then, as
if by a simultaneous movement, the flames
burst forth from every window. Almost in a second,
the whole building was in a blaze. Those who were
not on the spot will scarcely credit the effect of the
heat. The eyes of individuals who stood at least 40
yards from the building, and in a contrary direction
to the wind, were severely scorched. A better idea
of a volcanic eruption, perhaps, could not be given.
The roaring of the flames, as they ascended hundreds
of feet above the walls had a most overpowering
effect among the spectators, many of whom shrunk
back in terrror. About a quarter to five
o'clock there was a terrific explosion, as of
a thousand rockets, arid the flames rose higher
than ever. Volumes of densely black smoke then
made their appearance. This was followed by a second
rush of brilliant red flame, and then a third, which
was succeeded by a discharge of light green vapour.
The flames on these occasions reached across Wood-
street and ignited the hack of Bold-street premises,
which were at some distance. Ladders were imme-
diately raised to the walls by the exertions of the fire-
men, and in this direction the fire was soon subdued,
although a chimney of one of the houses which ap•
peared to have been ignited, by some of' the flakes of
red hot fire which were floating about in the air,
continued to burn for some time. The roof stood
much longer than could have been anticipated, and
the molten lead was seen running from it in large
quantities. The warehouse was topped by large
heavy free-stone cornices. These, by the great heat,
were soon cracked, and they fell to the ground with
tremendous crashes, greatly endangering the lives of
the officers who were standing below.
The fire brigade worked with great faithfulness
and determination, and to their exertions alone must
be attributed the almost miraculous preservation of
the houses adjoining. Had the flames extended in
any direction, the consequences must have been ap-
palling. Next to the public-house of Mr. Cato was
the workshop of Mr. James Swallow, lathe and
axletree-maker, and adjoining this was the soap and
candle manufactory of Messrs. Brown and Co., the
materials in which places would have been an easy
prey to the devouring element. Opposite the laba-
tory, in Back Colquitt-street, was the warehouse,
well stocked with drugs and other articles most
susceptible of fire, whilst a cabinet-maker's shop
stood to the south. Nothing, therefore, had the fire
not been confined within its original limit, could, in
our opinion, have saved the whole of that part of the
town. Human exertions would have been used in
vain to stop the flames.
The Mayor, although not yet recovered from his
late severe illness, was early on the ground, and re-
mained until six o'clock, when all apprehensions that
the fire would spread were allayed. Amongst other
gentlemen present were Mr. Rushton, Mr. Alderman
Turner, Mr. J. Aspinall (who attracted some little
attention in consequence of his attempting to protect
himself from the flakes of the fire and the water from
the engines by means of an umbrella which he held
over his head), Mr. Harbord, Mr. Sheppard, Mr.
G. H. Lawrence, &c. The head constable (Mr.
Dowling) was early in attendance, and exerted
himself in the most praiseworthy manner, as also,
we need scarcely add, did Mr. Hewitt, Mr. 111Tad-
zen, Superintendents Brown, Quick, and Leverett, and
in fact, the whole of the police force, officers and pri-
vates. Great emergencies like the present prove the
superiority of our fire-brigade and the talent and
energy of the force generally. The West of Eng-
land fire-engine was on the ground, and the men,
under the direction of Mr. Kelly, exerted themselves
well.

Alarmed by the appearance of the fire the poor
people in a few of the small houses in Wood-street
removed their furniture, and we fear they will be con-
siderable losers thereby ; it is a matter of great satis-
faction, however, to be enabled to state that not the
slightest accident occurred to life or limb.
The loss is roughly estimated, including building,
stock, and machinery, there being a grinding-mill
and steam-engine on the ground floor, besides other
valuable pieces of machinery, at 50,0001., and we
understand that the greater portion is insured in the
Manchester, West of England, Phcenix, and another
office, the name of which we did not learn. In con-
sequence of some dispute, the Liverpool office, fortu-
nately for itself, as it now turns out, would not ac-
cept the risk at Christmas last.

The origin of the fire at present remains a mystery.
It is stated that, in the third story, where the smoke
was first observed, there had been no fire used that
day—nothing but the steam-pipes passing round the
building. Mr. Superintendent Leverett saw the la-
boratory at twenty-five minutes after three, and then
there were no symptoms of fire. It appears to have
burst forth instantaneously.

The four blackened walls are now the only remains
of :this fine building, if we except the tall chimney,
used for conveying the smoke from the furnace; and
the firemen, at the time we write, are still plying the
engines, and pouring water over the now mouldering
embers. There is not the slightest chance of any fur-
ther damage being done.—Liverpool Mercury.

DREADFUL EXPLOSION AT

LIMEHOUSE.-TWO LIVES LOST

On Saturday afternoon, shortly after three o'clock, an
explosion of a very terrific character, and which has in-
volved the loss of two lives under circumstances of a
most distressing character, happened at the Patent Marine
Signal Light Manufactory, the property of Messrs. Rob-
son and Higham, the patentees, situate on the north side
of the Commercial-road, Limehouse, immediately adja-
cent to the Regent's canal.
The factory in question formed a portion of the right
wing of some large works that were built several years
since, but which have been apportioned off for the imam-
facture of various articles. Its walls were brick, with an
iron roof, covered with slates, and was not more than 36
feet in length, and about 29 in breadth, and one story in
height. The interior was divided into five compart-
ments, viz., the store, case, machine, boiler, and stuffing
rooms, the divisions being composed of wood and iron,
all of which contained a good stock of the articles re-
quired in the formation of the lights and signal rockets,
the more dangerous part of the combustibles being kept
in a small adjacent outhouse.
Employed in the several portions of the factory were
Jas. Terry, John Chesterman, Henry Harris, Henry
Jones, and a boy, and a little girl, known by the name
of Charlotte, about thirteen years of age. The latter is
said to have been engaged in the store-room, in which
was a stove alight for the drying of the cases, &c., la-
belling the lights, and, as she was about to remove a
quantity of them off a shelf, she accidentally pulled the
shelf down, and one of the lights falling against the
stove its instant ignition was the result. Quick as light-
ning were the stock of them, including a small portion of
rockets, which were stowed on some shelves round the
south and east end of the building fired, producing the
most fearful explosions. The massive iron roofing was
at the onset torn asunder, and, by the following shocks
all that remained was scattered in various directions.
Of the interior everything that had been erected in the
shape of machines, divisions, &c., were blown, compara-
tively speaking, to pieces, and how it was. that the prin-
cipal portion of the human beings employed therein
were saved appears to be almost a miracle. Terry,
Chesterman, and Harris saved their lives, but how or in
what way they could not state.
When the fire was got under, Smith, the engineer of
the School-house-lane engine station, immediately com-
menced searching for the remains of the unhappy crea-
tures, and on going about the centre of the factory, he
found the body of the lad, not so much burned as might
be anticipated, although the clothes were, to a great ex-
tent, consumed. Having removed it to a neighbouring
carpenter's workshop, an active search was then insti-
tuted for that of the little girl, and, after much trouble
in turning over the blackened rubbish, heavy irons, and
other ponderous materials, what was left of the body
was dragged forth, a shocking spectacle, from that part
of the manufactory used -as the boiler rooms. All the
flesh was literally burned off, and the young creature had
evidently bees blown with much force to the spot where
she was found—the extreme end of the building—her
death, no doubt, taking place almost instantaneously.

THE DRUNKARD'S FATE.—On Thursday night Mr.
Baker held an inquest at the Sebright Arms, Well-
street, Hackney-road, on view of the body of Susannah
Kearn, aged 50, the wife of a tradesman carrying on
business at No. 6, Half-Nicholls-street, Bethnal-green.
It appeared from the evidence that the deceased was
occasionally addicted to excessive drinking. On Tues-
day morning last she called on an acquaintance at No. 5,
Gloucester-place, Hackney-road, before breakfast, and
drank a quartern of gin at a draught, upon which, in a
few minutes, she took a pint of ale. She then sent out
a little girl, the daughter of the landlady, who said she
fetched for her two quarterns of gin. The landlady,
fearing that she would also drink that, went to the room,
where she found that she had just swallowed the whole.
She soon after fell asleep, and in the course of the after-
noon was discovered dead in bed. Verdict—Apoplexy,
brought on by excessive drinking.
INCENDIARY FIRE AT WESTLETON.--About one
o'clock on Thursday morning, some sheds were set on
fire at an off-hand farm of Mr. Thomas Capon, at Westle-
ton, but fortunately were early discovered, or the
whole extensive premises must have been reduced to
ashes. The inhabitants showed praiseworthy exertions,
and pulled down some part of the buildings, which was
the means of preventing much damage. A shed, a
load of hay, two fat hogs, all the fowls, and a quantity
of harness and implements, were destroyed; the damage
is supposed to be between 501. and 601. One or two
persons are in custody on suspicion.—Suffolk Chronicle
HAMPSTEAD-HEATH.--For several years Sir Thos.
Wilson, the lord of the manor of Hampstead, has endeavoured
to obtain an Act of Parliament to enable him to build on the
land adjoining the heath, but the Bill having been actively
opposed by inhabitants, every attempt made to pass it
tnrough Parliament has proved ineffectual. The object of
the Bill was to give the lord of the manor power to grant
long building leases, he only having a life interest in the
proprty. He has now commenced, at his own risk, to do
that which Parliament refused to sanction, and several villa
resideirei are being erected op the *pins fields aiolioioing
the heath, to the.grea tdetritneut of the picturesque beauty
Of the Pepe.—Post.