Star.
London, England, 1823-04-24 00:00:00

„FIRE AT CONSTANTINOPLE.

FROM' A PRIVATE LETTER, DATED StARCII 404'
While at breakfast, on the Ist of March, we were
informed a file had broken out, not very distant
from the main street of Pei a. As these things are of
frequent occurrence, we quietly finished our meal,
aid then I went to a house in the neighbourhood
which overlooked the conflagration. It had then
burned about three quarters of an hour, being about
a quarter after nine o'clock, at which time I first saw
it ; the wind was blowing nearly a gale from the
south, the rapidity with which it was burning made
frl2 conclude it would be an alarming fire, and my
conjecture proved but too true. After watching its
progress about an hour, and seeing Pera was not im-
mediately endangered, I proceeded to our counting-
house: when I left my place of observation, about
fifty houses might have already taken fire. • The
Capitan Paella and Vizier were on the spot, but the
force of the wind, dryness of the weather, texture of
the houses, and narrowness of the streets, all tended
to thwart the most active exertions of the firemen,
with the engines. Being engaged in the counting-
house, and receiving repeated reports of its progress,
I did not again take a survey till about half-past
three o'clock, when the whole ground I had seen co-
vered with houses in the immediate vicinity of the
fire, was a heap of ruins, in which many hundred
houses were involved.
At about four I went up to Pera, and from that
until half-past five, I watched the flames from my
former observatory. It was then raging in three dif-
ferent quarters, all a considerable distance from each
other, which rendered it still more alarming Whilst
here the wind bad . become calmed, and flew round
to the north, with a little breeze just sufficient to fan
the flames. About six we dined ; when I went above
stairs, after dinner, then dark, our garret affording a
view of two of the three quarters, where the fire
raged, a scene of awful grandeur was before me,
which truly beggars description; darkness had ren-
dered that which before was alarming perfectly ter-
. rifle! An immense pile of wood buildings, which I
had accurately noticed before dinner, and which had
escaped the devouring element, that had reduced all
around it, was now in a great measure destroyed, and
the remainder burning with astonishing rapidity. The
roof fell, and the flames burst out with tenfold fury ;
a very short time and it was entirely down. Some
buildings which seemed in a measure attached by a
wall or garden, next caught, and were also destroyed.
The occasional burning of the numerous cypress trees,
gave to the whole a very imposing effect, as the in-
st:int they caught, the flames mounted to their highest
',ranches, and in some instances a few seconds termi-
nated what had perhaps for a century marked the
peaceful grave of some zealous Mahometan. In the
tame manner, the minarets of the mosques would
catch fire at their summits, the rest being stone, pre-
senting a light like an immense torch reared among
the scenes of ruin which were going on at their base.
About ten o'clock, being apprehensive that one part
of the fire was making towards the house of —.,
my former place of observation, a patty of us set out
for it, and found that our fears were groundless. It
had, indeed, towards sunset, increased a little in that
direction, but was now fast burning its way to the
water at Tophana. The discharge of the cannon at
the latter place only increased the solemnity of the
whole; this measure was deemed expedient, as the
fire was making rapid slides, towards them. The
knowledge of .a very large quantity of gonpowder
being keprhere, of course excited a degree of anxiety
for the event; however, after having secured about
twenty lighter loads, the conflagration was so near,
that the remainder was thrown into the sea, as well
as a number of brass cannon, to prevent their being
injured by the heat. The wind was now very light,
and the destructive element took everything in its
way to the water's edge, when, about twenty-two
hours after its commencement, having completely
baffled every human effort, it at length burned itself
out. The most extraordinary circumstance of this
dreadful visitation is, that all the houses and pro.
perty destroyed were Turkish ! The moment the
fire had reached the Christian quarter, the wind
changed to the northward ! The three fires then
formed as it were a huge circle, and in a manner
retracing their former steps, destroying whatever
remained. Even viewed by us, it is a most re-
markable occurrence. It is asserted, that the Sultan
was in the house, which I have denominated the
immense pile of buildings, incog. in the course of
the morning. There is a custom prevailing, that
from the moment he enters a house it becomes his;
but he gives up his right on quitting it, as he did
in this case; so highly is this honour considered here,
that the owner of the house is said to have expended
£l5OO to save it, but it
.went at last. I cannot give
a just estimate of the number of buildings burned.
There aie about twenty-seven quarters or parishes;
some mosques have escaped, only about twenty-three
have been consumed. lam assured, by good autho-
rity, the number of houses burned exceeds 20,000;
the report of the Reis Effendi, is said to be 1.5,000;
from my own ideas, which cannot be a good guide,
as well as the opinion of some others, from 10,000
to 1,000 may be stated as a fair estimate. The suf-
ferers arc mostly poor people, and they seem to bear
their afflictions with a philosophy unknown to any
but a Tui k. Those who cannot provide for themselves,
the Government are quartering on their subjects. A
considerable number are supposed to have been burnt.
—The next morning after the accident, I saw a poor'
Turk bowing himself to the earth, amongst the ruins
of perhaps his own house, with a devotion which in
a better faith would do honour to its profession. A
great proportion of the people, including many of
• the better sort, view this dreadful calamity as a judg-
ment on them, and the affair of Scip has been brought
forcibly to their recollection. The women are loud
in their complaints against the men. About mid-
night of the sth, another fire took place in Constan-
tinople, which consumed seven or eight large houses
or conacs (palaces), belonging to great Turks, and
some other houses : as there was no wind at the
time, some three or four boors terminated it.

Muanan.—A Coroner's Inquest was held at Deal,
.on INlonday, on the body of J. Bird, a Door man,
•whose. murder, we lately mentioned ; when, it was
.confessed by his own son, a youth aged IS, that he
was the perpetrator of the horrid deed. He shot his
• father Dun' a hack window, and disappeared far the
Light. Ile has of course been committed for the nourder.

• • 'a :
CQSOIERS INQUEST ON 444 CHARM
BAMFITDE,:zurr:
A •

4. ^ 4.11 P • .•
• • Yesterday, consequence of a representation made
to THOMAS STIRLING, Esq. the Coroner, by the fa-
Mily of the deceased, that it was theirs ish that an
inquiry should be held, in order, if possible, to eluci-
date any further circumstances which could haveied
the assassin, Morland, to the commission of the dia-
bolical act ; and as various unpleasant rumours were
circulated in the neighbourhood, it was thought ne-
cessai y to adopt this course, although the body had
been soldered up.
The CORONER consequently issued his warrant,
and the following. Gentlemen (having been previously
summoned) composed the Jury, at the house of Sir
Charles, in lontague-square:
Sir W. heir Grant, Foreman William Parry, Esq.
Colonel E. H. Doyle John Dunlop, F.sq.
Colonel Robert Gordon Richard Purcell, Esq.
Colonel Robert lloustoun William March, Esq.
Captain Henry Stuart Richard Trench' Esq. and
John Woudhead, F.sq. Robert Lazton, Esq.
The Jury were assembled in the drawiag-room ;
and on being empannelled, the following evidence
was adduced :
Dr. Henry Ainslie, of Dover-street, Piccadilly,
being sworn, deposed, that he was sent for on the
evening of the 12th instant, and found Sir Charles
in bed; he was free from fever, had a very quick
pulse, bar was very composed : a wound was shewn
to him in the deceased's back, which appeared to
have been made by a ball. Sir Charles grew worse,
and witness attended twice a day until he died, which
took place on the evening of the 19th. Until within
the last twenty-four hours of his death, he did not
appear to •be materially getting worse; there were
considerable variations from the time of his visiting
until he died.

Colonel Doyle.—What time elapsed from the time
of your visiting him until his death?
Dr. Ainslie.—F.ight days; he died on the 19th inst.
Examination continued.—He attended the exa-
mination of the body ; a pistol bullet was found stick-
ing between two ribs: it apparently had taken its
course through his back, and had broken a rib and
part of the spine; shortly after his receiving 'the
wound, an effusion of blood and inflammation fol-
lowed, whic:i was the immediate cause of his death.
Mr. Benjamin Hopewell, of No. 60, George-street,
Portman-square, apothecary, stated, that on Monday,
the 7th, abbot half-past four in the afternoon, he was
sent for to attend Sir Charles: he found him in his
dressing-room in a standing position considerably
agitated. He informed the vittiess that he had been
shot by the man Morland ; he examined and disco.
vered a wound three inches below the shoulder blade
on the right side of the back ; he instantly ordered
Sir Charles to be put to bed, and kept quiet, until
his surgeon (Mr. Heaviside) had arrived. Witness
had attended upon Sir Charles until his death. The
ball had occasioned great sloughing of the wound,
and inflammation of the pleura.
The CORONER.YoII saw him immediately after:
was there any great effusion of blood ?—No great
deal ; but subsequently there was a violent internal
hemorrhage, which was the cause of his death.
Colonel Doyle wished to know whether he might
ask the witness whether the deceased had made any
communication to him, and, if he bad dose so, was
it evidence?
Coaotrea.—Certainly, in all cases, if the parties
considered themselves in danger.
Colonel Doyle.—Then I shall ask the witness whe-
ther the deceased made any communication, and if
at that time he considered his life in danger?—The
deceased made no material communication, and I
believe he did not consider himself in danger until
towards the latter part of his illness.
Sir W. K. Grant.—Pray was there any other sub-
stance found in the wound than the ball ?—Part of his
flannel jacket, which was immediately removed. •
Sir W. K. Grant.--Did the deceased at any time
state how the wound was occasioned?
Witness.—Yes, Sir, he did; he said that there was
a prosecution for an assault pending nainst Morland
by his (Sir Charles's) servants, anti that Morland
came up to him and asked him to forego the prose-
cution, and that Sir Charles said he would not have
anything to do with him, and told him to go about his
business; that be, Sir-Charles, then felt a pain at his
back, as if by. a violent blow from a stick, and that on
looking rodnd, he saw the murderer bleeding at his
mouth, and then Sir Charles-concluded that he him-
self had been shot. Sir Charles did not mention that
any other person was with him at the time of the oc-
currence. Witness knew the man Morland very well,
and saw and recognised his body at the time the In-
quest was held on him at the Worcester Arms.
Sir W. K. Grant—Did you understand that his
words, when he spoke of Morland, implied that he,
Sir Charles, would have nothing to do with him or
the prosecution ?
The Conon:tit remarked, that he thought the words
could imply nothing snore.
John Heaviside, Esq. of George-street, Hanover-
square, surgeon, stated he was sent for on Monday
the 7th inst. between four and five in the afternoon,
to attend Sir Charles Bamfylde. • Witness went im-
mediately, which was about half an hour after the
affair happened. Sir Charles he found sitting irr a
chair below stairs ; a wound was in his right side,
apparently inflicted by a pistol-shot. Sir Charles at
thit time complained of great pain, from the Fide
wounded to his left side; and which, on examination,
proved to be the direction which the ball had taken.
The ball entered on the right side, between the-11th
and 12th ribs. All that Sir Charles said at the time
-as, that he was killed.

was, th.
The Conomtn—Did he mention shy *names ?
None at all.
The CORONER—Did he say anything ibont the
person bleeding at the mouth ?—He dui norsay any
thing about him. He invariably complained of the
pain in his-right side.
By a Juror—You knew who he- meant by that
man?—No, I did not.
Colonel Doyle said, they wished to have the rest
'of the medical gentlemen called in and asked the
qucstion, whether the wound was the occasion of Sir,
Charles s death?
Drs. M'Gregor, Guthrie, and Howthip, were of
that opinion.
Thomas Jones, John Longhorst, and 'Lucy Stbktit
were called to prove that Morland was the coin-who
, fired the pistol: to the latter Sir W. Y. Grant said;
I you had a good deal of conversation with Morland

•
that day ?—I did not speak much to lain that day ; '
be anrisared very low spirited:: 7 -- • •
SON. K. Grant—What saes al a me i was boa
Lila he appear a bad man?--(e was a dark swarthy
wan have known him eight years.
The Conotaa—Did he say he could persuade Sir
Charles to stop the prosecution?—He said he wished
to speak to Sir Charles to stop the prosecution, in
order that he might be able to get a situation.
Sir W. K. Giant said, he understood he was en-
gaged as butler in York-place. •
The CORONER said, a man coming to ask a civil
question need not be prepared with a pair rf
It would he necessary, he Said; for the Jury to look
upon the b7aly, and he was of opinion.they would not
want any further evidence.
The Jury wished to see the'letter'referred to..
The Conorren.said, he could not say whe had the
letter: but at all events the contents could not justify
any man in shooting another. .
The Jury having viewed the body, returned.
The CORONER said, they had heard the evidence;
they had also seen the body ; there was no doubt Sir
Charles was murdered by this man ; his name also
appeared to be Joseph Morland.
The Jury then returned a verdict—" That Sir
C. Bamfvlde, Bart. was wilfully murdered by Joseph
Morland deceased."—The Court was then dissolved.