The Sun.
London, England, 1826-04-04 00:00:00

SHEILIFI4"S COURT.

THE nEr. THOS. SNELL v. THE ill/NDItED or WOKING.
Yesterday a Jury assembled at the Three Tuna Tavern,
Southwark to assess the damages in an action brotight'by the
Rev. Thomas Snell, Rector' of the Parish of Windlesliam, in
the county of Surrey, against the Hundred of Woking, to re-
cover compensation for the destruction of some premises by, fire
.
at the hand of an incendiary, on Sunday morning the 27d1 of
March, 1825. A reward of 310 guineas was offered at the time,
which uiu was chiefly raised by the subscription of gentlemen
who reside in the neighbourhood where the outrage was com;•
mitted, foe the apprehension of the offender or offenders ;
but from that hour to the present the incendiary has not
been discovered. The damages in the action were laid
at 2001.
Mr. Titssiatit appeared on _behalf of dut"plaintifF; and
after stating the case, called the following witnesses
The Rev. Charles ,Jerrom, of Cobham stated, that on the
30th March, 1825, the plaintacame before hint, and made the
deposition, which was now put in. Witness Was the neareet
Magistrate to NVindleslitn.
The deposition was then read. It was to the effect, that
about three o'clock in the Morning of the if7th of March, 11825,
the barn, stable, and out-buildings of the plairtfiff, situate in the
parish of Windlesham, were eonsurned by fire, at the hand of
some evil-disposed person or persona.
Evidence was likewise offered to prove that the premises
were situate in the Hundred of Woking, and also that due no-
tice had been given, as required by the statute (the 9th George
I.), to the Hundred, below an action like the presentOould be
brought.
George Hatfield examined.--I was servant in husbandry to
the Rev. Mr. Snell on the 27th of March, 1825. My wile is
likewise a servant of the Rev. Gentleman's. The parsonage
house is divided by the road from the one in which the plain.
tiff resides. I and my wife had lived in it. A yard adjoined
the parsonage, in which there was a barn. At that time there
was wood in the barn, which was detached from any other
buildings. 'rite out-buildings were several yards from the
barn. On the evening of the 26th of March, I returned home
front a public-house at Bagshot about nine o'clock, I had been
to a benefit-club that was field there. I remained at the par.
sonage-house until nearly eleven o'clock, when I went to sleep
as I was accustomed, at the plaintiff's residence. The night
was very fine. It was star-light. There was no appearance
of lightning. It was frosty. About three e;ock tne
ing morning, I was awoke by a great light, and I jumped
out of bed, when I saw flames issuing from the barn, which
seemed to be on fire inside. The wind was in the north, anti
although there was very little, yet it blew the flames towards
the out-buildings, which presently caught fire, and they
were burnt down as well as the barn. Every means were
used to prevent the flames from spreading to the build.
logs, but ineffectually. There was even some difficulty
in preserving the house, and horses, and carriage. There
was a back door into the barn, in which any person might
enter unperceived, and set the wood on lire that was in
the barn.
Crose.examined by Mr. Alio/Gets, who appeared for the
Hundred of Viroking.-1 usually went to bed before eleven
o'clock, but on that night my wife had not finished her work
earlier. It is unusual for me to be so late. When we went to
bed we had no light. Ido not usually go to bed in the dark,
I went out to the gate, which I found open, after I came front
liagsliew. During my absence, my wife could not have struck
a light, because there was neither flint nor tinder in the
house. The house is twenty or thirty yards from the barn.
I have a fellow-servant, who is not here to-day ; neither Is my
wife here.
Re-examined—l never went round the premiees with a light.
I never knew any one else do so. There was no light in the
house when I was first alarmed by fire. The house is south of
the barn.
Septimus Thomas Allen, F.sq.—On the 28th of March, 1828,
I was at Mrs. Cooper's, of Windleshem, the widow of the late
rector. She resides very near the parsonage.,houtie. I went to
bed, and being very 111, I could not sleep. About three o'clOck
the following morning, I got up, and paced up and down the
apartment. I then observed the atmosphere to be light, and in
a few seconds, I went to the passage-door, when I beheld a vo.
home of fire issuing from the barn. The bett.rooui window
looked in a contrary direction. The flames seemed to have only
just burst out. There was, to appearance, a great hotly of fire
within the barn, when the flames burst through the roof. The
fire seemed to me to have commenced in the barn. I awoke
Captain Triquet, who was also in the honer and we went down
stairs to render what assistance we were able. The wind blew
the flames from the barn, and they presently communicated with
the out-buildings.
Cross-examined—The barn was More than 20 yards from the
room in which I slept. I did not hear any person moving about
on the outside when I was pacing up and down the room ; neither
did I see any one when I looked out of the window, running
away front the fire. The barn was at the back of the house, and
I slept in front.
Re-examined—There was a garden-wall between the place
where I Saw the flames first burst forth and the barn.
Captain Triquet continued the evidence of Mr. Allen, as to
his being awoke and accompanying hint to render assistance to
quench the fire.
In his cross-examination, he said that he had lived upon in.
tintate terms with the 11ev. Mr. Snell, and he supposed that
wood was kept in the barn, not merely for the kitchen, but the
periodr fire.
oe„eesunieed—Had a spark fallen among the wood in the
barn as early as II o'clock at night, it would hardly have re-
mained 'mid two or three o'clock in the morning before it broke
out into flames.
A carpenter, nettled Dale, who was called in immediately
after the fire to estimate the damages, laid them at 2531. 3s. 3d.
which he considered to be a fair valuation of the property de.
stroy ed.
On being cross-examined, he admitted that he did nut value
the premises as if belonging to one having only a life-interest
in them, but as if belonging tb one who had the fee-simple.—
He said, moreover, that he knew the premises well fur many
years, and that he did not value them as new but as old build-
tngs.