The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-17 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 17, 1342.

that about half-past seven o clock this morning, as he
was proceeding on duty along High-street, St.Giles's,
he saw the defendant and two other men attempting
to goad on a bullock that hal fallen from being over-
driven; the animal was bellowing with pain, and, al-
though it made several efforts to get up, it was unable
to do so from its very exhausted state. As witness
was hastening to the spot, the defendant set light to a
heap of hay placed underneath the bullock's nose, and
its head became entirely enveloped in flames. Witness
directly ran up and took the defendant into custody,
the beast was removed to the Green-yard.

Mr. John Gosling, a licensed victualler, residing at
No. 106, High-street, stated that he observed the de-
fendant from his window most shamefully and cruelly
ill-treat the beast. The defendant and another man
had sticks, with a sharp nail stuck in the end, and
with which they repeatedly jobbed and goaded the
animal in some of the tenderest parts of the body. By
the defendants' direction an arm full of hay and straw,
mixed together, was brought and placed under the
animal's nose, and just previous to setting it on fire,
he thrust, with great force, the pointed end of his
stick into one of the bullock's ears, and the blood" in-
stantly spouted out like a fountain." The poor beast
writhed with the torture and moaned piteously. On
seeing the defendant set light to the hay and straw
witness rushed cut of his house as quickly as possible,
and kicked the fire away. The hair was -singed corn-
pletely off the greater part of the head of the beast,
and large blisters rose on the skin.
Mr. HARDWICK asked the defendant what he had
to say in answer :o such gross and wicked cruelty
The defendant said he did not think he Was doing any
harm : the bullock would not go on, and he was an-
swerable for getting it home some how or other.
Mr. Iltanwicx inquired of -Mr. Fitzpatrick, the
chief clerk, the highest penalty the Act of Parliament
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals authorised
him to impose ?—Mr. Fitzpatrick said 405., or 14
days' imprisonment, r.nd to hard labour.
Mr. HAnuwicK---Then that I impose upon the
defendant, and I only regret that the extent of punish-
ment is so inadequate to the enormity of the offence.
The usher of the Court asked the defendant if he
could pay the fine ? when he replied that he could
not, but he supposed that his master would: he added
that he was employed by Mr. Somers, the butcher.

THE LATE DREADFUL FIRE.
ADJOURNED INQUEST.
The inquest was resumed before Mr. Baker, yes-
terday, at two o'clock.
Charlotte Summers, wife of John Simmons, of 17,
Little Prescott-street, said, her husband was a
labourer, and lived in the back attic of the said
house. She, her husband, and three children were
there on Wednesday night, when two children, were.
burnt, the youngest being saved by her husband.
The age of Chaves was five, John was seven. She
heard a dreadful scream proceeding from Mrs. Hol-
land's baby, in the adjoining room. She was un-
dressing and going to bed, and opened the door imme-
diately, but the smoke was so dense that she could
not see out. Her husband was gone to bed, but he
opened the window and got out, dragging her after
him. He went to the next house by the tiles, while
she remained there. The gutter broke at last, and
her clothes were on fire. A ladder was brought, and
she was rescued by a man there. Ihr husband, after
saving the one child, made every effort to save the
others, but could not. Had not seen the bodies of
the children, but her husband had. Knew nothing of
Younker, and had not seen him since the fire.
John Summers, husband of the last witness, was
next called, but he merely confirmed the statement.
of his w iii:
Phoebe Moss, wife of Abraham Moss, said that she
lived on the first floor of No. 17, Little Prescott-
street. Her husband was a general dealer. The other
room °tithe same floor was occupied by the Dutchman,
Younker. Witness was out when the fire happened,
and did not return till the worst was over. Found
her children in the streets, two young men having
saved their lives.
Ann Moss, last witness's daughter, said that about
a quarter at ten she beard a sudden explosion, and
her sister rid—" Oh, the Dutchman's Dutch drops
have boiled over ;" and the candle looked all manner
of colours. She rushed to the door, which a young
man forced open,
stairs ; another young man doing the same to ,her
sister. She could not account for the fire in any other
and hiehedraegxgrieodsiowni,tnessusppdosoiinvgn
way than, judging by
that " the drops" had boiled over. The smell was
was
nrofiurse
beforenatur witness and her sister gote, such as she had often
smelt before from Younker's room. The Dutchman'sorof a
room
out, and he was down stairs.
John Younker, or Vandyke, was then sworn, and
was told, by the Coroner that he was not bound in
law to say anything to criminate himself, if he should
have been engaged in any
,illicit occupation.
A Juror, of Dutch extraction, acted as interpreter,
and explained the preceding remark to the witness,
adding that what he said would be taken down.
The witness said he wag a licensed hawker, and a
dealer in Dutch drops and shawls. He had occupied
the premises in Little Prescott-street for about twelve
months. He could not state how the fire originated.
HeHe was sitting
a d with
which was in the room had gone
four other persons, taking coffee.
near the fire, and, a spark falling upan him, he ran
to the corner where the straw and glass was, and in
an instant the whole place was on fire. e had,
about an hour before, put some labels on the Dutch
drop bottles, which were not then packed in straw.
He found the dog this morning in the same corner,
burnt to death. The materials of which the drops
are com
itspos composed
contactwould
wi
tnoth ignite
broughtthem.
honieresnrhkeing;and the smoke came
bottles and straw were
There were none of
theall atp a
er tnyc
ei in
rtehme room
lying. The drops are composed of oil, saffron, and
turpentine. He had gold, silver, and diamonds in his
room at the time.
Mr. BAKER suggested that it was possible some of
him
might have set the place
ete some of these valuables
tehnefiprie7twieisthciailiviniegrtuptoonse
in the confusion.
Examination continued--The people who called
upon him were customers, and from his own country.
He found yesterday five small diamonds, and some
silver clasps, used for Dutch pockets. He had about
300 bottles of the drops in his room at the time. He
lost about 50/. in money and 2001. in valuables. The
remainder of the property recovered was here shown to
the Coroner. it consisted of bits of silver and some
small stones.
John Isaacs, Wellclose-square, fireman, of the
London Brigade, said he was at the fire about twenty
minutes past ten,.and a whole posse of engines were
at the place in a short time after. The flames were
bursting from the first floor windows in solid jet of
three or four feet. Got the pipe into the passage,
and the water was conveyed up stairs. The fire was
considerably abated in half an hour, and altogether
exhausted in an hour and a half. The sulphurous
smell was overpowering. When the fire was subdued,
he (witness) found in the second floor back two little
children at the foot of the bed quite burnt. Found
in the third floor back two more children in each
others' arms, and burnt to a cinder. Went to search
for more, and found a female in the third floor front
room, and two more females in another corner of the
same room, close beside her. They had not been in
bed,. as the' turned up couch in the corner had not
been doWn. Had no doubt the fire was accidental.
The fire enveloped the-houS6 almost instaneously, and
though they knew that son e. persons were in the
house, they could not for a time render assistance. He
however thought that life in most of theni would be
extinctserg eearnetth
the engines arrived.
Wm.
Leach, No. 15 of the H division,
said that after he had got to the scene of the fire, he
saw a policeman come out of the house, and a female
on the second floor throw her leg over, and fall in a
sort of rolling way over the window. Witness ran
to break the female's fall, but ere he reached she was
on the ground. The female was Julia Holland. She
was lifted up, but died in a few minutes after.
This being the
Whole of the evidence adduced, Mr.
BAKER addressed the Jury, pointing out that the
whole evidence appeared to contradict any supposition
that the fire had a felonious origin, and the Jury
unanimously returned a verdict of " Accidental death"
in each of the eight cases. •
wereT threatening Dutchman,
he
of the police, as a crowd of 200 or 300 persons outside
vengeance upon him. The
Younker, claimed the protection
summary
inquiry lasted about five hours.

It is proper to observe that the general opinion in
the neighbourhood is,
render that assistance which might be naturally ex-
pected from them.
Mr. Classen, a hightly respectable man, residing at
hat the police-officers did not
30, Great Prescott street, states, that when he went
up stairs to endeavour to save some of the inmates, he
saw several officers round the door, and called on them
to assist him ; they, however, declined to do so, and
he went up alone, and brought down one of Proud-
foot's children.: Mr. Classen' says that when he
reached Younker's room he endeavoured by kneeling
down on the floor to close the door, but was unable
to do so in consequence of its being entangled in the
carpet. Ile then. went to the second floor, and look-
ing into Proudfoot's room saw a little boy sitting up-
right in bed, whom he took in his arms and carried
down stairs. He saw no other children in the noun:).
The Hollands were a very industrious family, and
followed the occupation of waistcoat-makers. oit.tliti
had only her nightdress on, when she threw , herself
from the window.
.
Younker is a man of some property. ,Ho. _was in
the neighbourhood during the morning,. and, about 1i
o'clock, while looking over the ruins, discovered a box
partly burnt, containing
diamonds valued at 200/.
The greatest commiseration is felt by the inhabi-
tants of the locality for their afflicted neighbours,
and a subscription will be immediately set on foot for
the survivors.