The Sun.
London, England, 1829-03-09 00:00:00

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

On Saturday 2foses Jacobs, who is charged with having
set fire to his house in Phoenix-street, was brought before
Mr. CONANT for final examination. The following ad-
ditional evidence was produced
Wm. London stated that he was assistant to Mr. Phil-
lips, officer to the Sheriffs of Middlesex. On the night of
the 23d of February he was in possession of the prisoner's
dwelling-house ; at half-past ten o'clock he heard a voice
on the wooden bridge which communicates from the ware-
.house, and soon after the alarm of fire was given; the
prisoner came into the house and solicited him to procure
a ladder to assist in the unfortunate deceased's escape,
which the prisoner seemed anxious to effect.

Mr. Robert Ray, policy -clerk in the Sun Fire-office,
stated, that previous to the 27th of January last, the pri-
soner's stock and fixtures were insured for 2501. On the
.10th of October last the prisoner applied to the office to
increase the total amount of the insurance to 2,500/. The
prisoner had not paid any insurance during the years 1825
or 1826 ; the building was insured for 1,0001. in the joint
names of Moses Jacobs, Isaac Jacobs, and Peter Charles
Heande ; the prisoner bad paid a deposit in October for
the additional insurance, so as to increase the total amount
to 2,5001. ; but finding that the company required a higher
rate from him than the sum (three and a half per cent.),
the policy of insurance was confined to 1,600/. ; the policy
was signed by the Directors on the 26th of January last,
fbr the additional insurance of 350/. on the stock and fix-
tures.

Mr. John Capon, of the Sun Fire-office, deposed, that
in the month of Odober last he commenced the survey of
the prisoner's premises, which he completed in December.
He told the prisoner the rate of insurance would be higher
than the deposit he had already paid, and the prisoner de-
clining to increase it, lie advised the Company not to
raise' the insurance above 1,6001., and it was accordingly
confined to that sum.

Robert Edward Storey, who had been employed as a
fireman by the Sun-office for S 7 years, state 4 that he was
directed to examine the premises after the tire. His at-

tention was particularly drawn to the burnt portion of the
I counting-house, which was three or four feet from the fire-
place. The floor was only slightly scorched, and it seemed
as if the flames had fallen from the ceiling on the floor.
He was of opinion that the flames burst forth simultaneously
at different parts of the building.
George Rows, a fireman belonging to the Plicenix,
office, deposed that, en the night of the fire, at which he
was present, he taw Mr. Jacoby, who begged him to ren-
der all the assistance be could in saving. his premises ; Mr.
Jacobs begged of him more particularly to save his dwel-
ling-house ; the prisoner said nothing about Mts. Davis
(the woman who was burnt) ; witness had been upon the
• premises since the fire, and observed the appearance of the
beards near the fire. place ; Mr. Jacobs was rendering all
the assistance in his power to put out the fur.
Wm.- Allam--On the night of the fire I saw, AIN. Davis
at the window screaming; I tried to force the door of the
warehouse, but coyly not ;' at this time there was only
smplie issUing from the house; a ladder was raise:l to the
first-floor window, and a young man went up, but was
forced to come down again ; I do not know whether Mr.
Jacobs assisted in raising the ladder; I saw something fall
- from the counting-house like a lump of burning-wood.
There were flames then bursting out from the cPWltir;:
house window. Something fell upon the and reboonded.;
I do not know what it was, for it scaVered all over thit
place. I then went to Mr, HObstin's warehouses in the
yard, and saw a body of fire from front to hack, from which
arose a dark black smoke ; I also saw the flames running
along the warehouse boards.
George Storey, a fireman of the Sun-office, said that he
was sure the fire did not originate in the deceased's room.
He knew the place tvhere the deceased's body was fottO.
It had fallen from the second floor, and via* fotind in the
ruins. He chid tot think it =hi have fallen from the first

floor. lie did not think 'a fire in the warehouse would
have endangered the dwelling-house.
John Eales deposed, that he in Phoenix-street ;
was first alarmed by the cries of the deceased woman,
Davis; he saw smoke coining out of the deceased's room,
but no fire; he assisted to break the gates open, and the
first thing that arrested his attention was the first pair
window. Ile saw something drop of a butnin7 nature,
but did not know what it was ; when it reached the ground
it rebounded, burnt a little time, and then went nut.
Other witnesses were examined, whose evidence went
to corroborate the circumstances already disclosed, and
they all concurred in stating that the prist.tier was ac-
tive in his exertions to facilitate the unfortunate deceas-
ed's escape.

The prisoner took notes of the proceedings, and fre-
quently addressed observations to his counsel, Mr. Clark-
son. At the conclusion of the examination, which lasted
five hours, Mr. CONANT fully committed the prisoner to
Newgate for trial.

An elderly man named William Baker, who formerly
carried on a respectable business as an undertaker, in John-
street, Portland-town, was charged before ME. DYER, on
Saturday, with h.tving obtained various sums of money by
means of forged orders in the names of Secretaries to
Friendly Societies. The office was crowded with parties
who had charges against him, and it was stated that on the
21st of Feb. he went to the Crown and Bliley Ahr
Gray's-inn-lane, and presented the following order to Mr.
Thomas, the landlord:—

" Sir,—Please to pry the hearer 31. for Mr. Richard
Power, a country member, being three weeks' money due
to him. Signed John Beswick, Sec., No. 22, Brown's-
buildings, Stanhope-street."
Mr. Thomas, on receiving the note, remarked that the
hand-writing did not resemble Mr. Beswick's, upon which
the prisoner replied that Mr. Beswick, who is an under-
taker, was out of town attending a funeral, and the order
was written by his son. This answer satisfied Mr. Thomas,
and he paid the prisoner the above sum. The next charge
against the prisoner was made by the Loyal Amicable Society,
held at the Talbot, Gray's-inn-lane, when he presented a
forged order to the landlord, on the 11th of February, for the
sum of 21. 10s., bearing the signature of Mr. Thomas
Luff, the secretary. The cheque was drawn in favour of
Richard Prihec, a member, who, the prisoner represented,
had broken his arm, and this order was also paid. On the
25th of January the prisoner presented an order to Mi.
Gibson, of the Craven Arms, Carnahy-street, purporting
to be signed by Mr. Thomas Bannister, of 11, Henrietta-
street, Cavendish square, secretary to the Benevolent
Brothers, in favour of Charles Brown, for the sum of 21.,
which he received. Similar cases against him were stated
by the secretaries of societies hell at the Horse-shoe,
Gray's•inn-lane, and another public-house in Oxford-street.
The prisoner was taken into custody in consequence of
having written a declaration of being", on the box" to Mr.
Luff, in the -name of a member named Charles Salter, and
on comparing the hand -writing of the declaration with the
forged order to Mr. Thomas, they were found exactly to
correspond. Evidence having beers given of the signatures
being forgeries, Mr. DYER • committed the prisoner- for
trial on Mr. Lull's charge, and approved of the intentions
of the other societies to prosecute him: on several indict-
ments, as he had carried on the scheme of fraud with con-
siderable success.