Star.
London, England, 1824-01-01 00:00:00

SURREY .WINTER ASSIZES-T Hp DAY. •
CHARGR ARSON. •
John Sweseid, aged 44, theesetnongeri vas indletea
Isty. ;al
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fot fefoniotr ,f, wickedly, and maliciously setting firelo
the house of Mary Bonsai!, at St. George, Southwark
with intent thereby to ,injure her. • •
Mr. Jessup, with whom was Mr. Las*, .stated the
case for the prosecution.
Mr. ANDRoss,.Mr. an'd Mr. Bannitsex
were for the de:ence.
. Mr. LAW here said he should put in the deposition of
Mary Boman, who died ationt a tot tuightaftei the fire.
Mr. Aont.Ptius—Fl st p!ove she is dead. . • _
Mary Ann • Lavender, of No. 37, qiverton-street,
sworn—l knew Mary 11:insal, She.is dead..
Hannah Baffin ssecrn--1 knew Mary Boman, she
was my aunt, she lived in the London road, and is dead. _
, Mr. Reeves" clerk of Union Hall, swore he took the
deposition now produced of the dfceased, Mary Bonsa)l,
in the prisoner's presence, the deposition has her mark.
Cross•examined by Mr. A wußF.wa.—Mrs. Bonsaliwas
brought two or three times to Union-flail, Mr. Chars,-
' tiers, the Magistrate took the evidence, throughout an
,ita.ctilqs; on the 15th of Sep ember,- Mr. Chambers
took the first deposition, on nine pieces.of paper; on
the 19th of Septembe s Mr. Allen and Mr. Chambers
were both present, no ..epos ition was then taken; on th
26th, Mr. Allen was the only Magistrate, no examina-
'don was then taken ; on the Seth Mr. Allen was the
Magistrate, a deposition of Mrs. Bonsail was then taken,
she said she was not insured, and had lost all her proPittr
'in the house; on the 7th of October no deposition was
taken; on the 14th of October Mrs. Bonsall was finally
examined; her .deposition is now before his Lordship;
and contains ,all the information that has at different
times been taken;it is a fair transcript.
Mr. Knapp, the Clerk of the Court, here read the de-
position, which stated, chiefly, that Mrs._Bonsall was
the landiaJy., and that she occupied the, attic of the
house in the London-road, the other part she let out to
a pe: son of whom the 'prisoner rented it.
Mr. A NDRaWs anJ Mr. ADoLPhos here took an objec-
tion, saying, the clerk had deposed it was a transcript,
and the most able mart, in making a transcript 'cf so
many scattered fragnients of evidence, might have made
;is mistake, and therefore it ought, if 'admissible •evi.•
denee, to he compared, fir theprisoner's Counsel was
deprived of cross-examination.
Mr. Badinfirox urged the same point.
his LORDSHIP was clearly of opiniiin that it was,not
svidence; and were the book the Crown

and was. pieseni for ,
Oci riot allow it. The book of evidence could not
be looked at..
Mr. Keair continued the reading, of the dePositiOn.
Henry Cutbfroth xworn; exammed by Mr. JE-40,...
I live at Nix,1617, LOndon.road ; I am a cheesemonger,
and four door,' from where the fire begin; I was in
my shop on the night of the tire ; 'I saw Swaffield's shop
about 12 O'clOck; it was then open ;,about a quarter-past.
twelve 4 heard the alarm a s, e, I ran out, found it was
at Swaffield's; I co timeaced breaking open the shop door,
and when I had got it open, We perceiired a fire at the
back part of the shop; 'some ditairce froth where the gas
pipes were; the fire wail .at the back part of the shop ;
I saw nothing .of the prisoner; my next attention was to
knock up Mr s..llonsall, and Yet her,.oin; in this I suc,
ceeded, and then Went. away. I saw the.prisoner. or? the
Mcnday following• about 10 u clock. Swatfield came up
to me in the London-road, and said; "I am' obliged to
you, Sir, for the character yOu have.been giving Mr."l
said I have not giyin. yoe any character, aid taid L was
the first %visa broke open the door and saw the' fire at the
back of the shop; he said,...l kirrw it was on fire twenty
minutes before I left' the house." I then said you
take your oa h of it
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Cross-examined hy•Mr.. A NortEws.—My houie is not
opposite, and unless sornetl?irig particular hal pitted, I
should not have been attracted out of It. SWaffield
tame to tax me with circulating sou e.hiug *tollis, 'pre-
judice ; he spoke in the presence of many people;
considered it very ridiculous for a man to sa) lie was
twenty minutes in the house after itwaionfire; he also
said-it must have been the upper pert of the lruSe on '
fire; I kno* he was takep into curdy ..about lug an
honr after this collier:2l6On.
• Giorgi Walmslef swern.—l am a pawnbroker ; I
lived peat door- to the prisoner at the time of the:fire;
I heard the alarm, I went out, saw the fire, and ~then
returned to secure my own property ; on the following
Monday I saw the prisoner in the 1.,9nd0n-road ; Jheird
him say he knew' the licinie Was on fire twenty minutes
before he left it, and that it commenced up ttaiii; I
heard nothingfurther,
Cross-examined by Mr. Aninairioa.7-1 saiv,a mob,
Which induced me to come Out; there were thirty or
forty perions there; Ido not recollect Ctitbooshi4ying
he was standing outside the .hop
,when the bell. went
12 o'clock I cannot swear the words' were not a that
must have been twenty minutes before, and in the apPer
part of the house." •
Cutbodsh recalled..--At twelve there was bot symp.
torn of fire to be seen.
Henry Gravatt swr;rn.tl am a priviiite watchman in '
the Londonrroad; was so on the .13t1s cif Septembgr • I
heard an alarm of fire; I went, and saw it was at Swaf.
field's ; when about four yards Imo the house I saw the
shop door broken open; I saw some butter fiats on fire,
.ey were in the middle' of clue shop; a partitioupastked
the *shop and back rnom; which was also on fire:. I rek
mined there but a little Lime; weirt:toThep.awnbroker's
next door, and stopped till three ia = dig morning ; did
riot see the prisoner thi 'whole -
Cross-examined by Mr. ljiiriutricia.--;ti4 trot go into
the shop; could see through Nam light.; -whenlcame
out, at three O'clock, the.botlie was burnt clown.
By the Count.—lt is a very tong shop; I.could-see
through, though I was' noi-acitially 100* I assisted in
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breaking open the private door, when the.i.indows began
to burn, down.; I saw Mre.Tlonsall brought out in her
.
night-gown.•
• Joseph' Baker sworn.--I life five -dogi-4 from Awaf-
field'i heard'the cry of fire-; went but ;, sivithe shut.'
lets brOke.ciciwii,', and could see the fire was in the back
shop, and diet • it bufnt .ferously; 'and had. very soon
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eriveldped the whole hbuse. ..
Cros,•,..exaioinird by Mr. Auoitws.—Saw the eonsta.
'Me pick's.Ootucandlestielt from the ruins.; *there is a
paligt,leacfrog fr-Otirthe -AN) to the upper part of the
' 114104 ittlei"...riot Icriciw'avhe.ther any communication
141strs the pa age f. laited twohours.
ilt:the7Ccirtirtc4iid ito(iee'prisoner the whole time.
in.theLoOdock.-ioad
and'*tff gm. eg the 194;4kg*i-tishu st §wairreld's
were about idtsit4riiiOris'qr.door;
' • Crbss,ltairtihtility Mrfkie,:aiittiff•& tat tio active
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part .Irt ihi;="ip:i4teutr.i;k:t„eras'ir4tisd: over Mr..
dritiebirrito Aist: •
Sockland to conditetsie-ine. . • • .
St witnesses reissiessl to Ile raarolned. - -
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, Mr..„! • A•A'


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