Star.
London, England, 1829-02-12 00:00:00

FIRE AT YORK MINSTER.

, YORK, Fesatosar 10.
Martin is folly committed to take his trial fm having
wiltully set fire to York Minster, Owing to the very
irtitated state of the public mind, it was deemed pro
dent that he should be brought to this city at an hour
when its inhabitants should be taking their repose. In
consequence he arrived within its gates, in a post chaise,
soon after three o'clock in the morning. He was taken
to Peter priion; the Magistrates, &c. assembled, the
witnesses were called out of bed, and about five o'clock
the examination Commenced ; it continued until near
seven o'clock. A strong case was made out against
hiin, and property belonging to the Minster, worth
several pounds, was found on him at the time of his
apprehension. After the deposition of the witnesses had
been taken, he made a voluntary confession, in the most
cool and collected manner possible. After signing which,
and declaring it to be the truth, he was fully corn.
milted to the city gaol, by H. J. Dickens, Esq. and
the Rev. K. D. Curter, to take his trial at the next
Assizes. He was immediately conducted-to the gaol,
and all was completed soon after sevenn'clock.
After partaking of some refreshment he went to bed
and slept soundly.
In addition to the above, the following interesting
particulars are copied from the Tyree Mercury, to the
Editor of which they were addressed by a respectable
Correspondent : .
Htsbans, Feb. 7, 1829.
"San—As no doubt you will feel desirous of com-
municating to the readers of your valuable Paper some
authentic particulars respecting the capture of Jonathan
Martin, who stands charged with having on the 2d
instant wilfully set fire to York Minster, you may rely
on the accuracy of the following statements:
" After the arrival of the Newcastle Papers yesterday
morning, in which one hundred pounds was offered for
Martin's spin ehension, several of our townsmen set off in
various directions in pursuit of the incendiary. Among
the rest, Mr.Wm.Stainthorpe, sheriff's officer, mounted
his pony, and proceeded on the Alemouth-road, in-end-
ing to ride to Chollerford. On his way he meta person r.t
awl' 'en he inquired if a man answering Martin's descrip-
tion had been a ffering an account of his life for sale at
the village of Wall tt:e preceding day? He was an-
swered in the negative; hut the person told Mr. Stain-
thorpe that he knew Martin, and pointing to Wall
Barns, then in sight, he ob,erved, a cousin of his lives
there, a Mr. Thompson. Mr. Stainviorpe then rode
to .Mr. Tho op 's door, and on Thompson coming
out, he asked if Martin was there? Mr. Thorny).
son hesitatingly said no. Mr. Stainthorpe then asked
if Mattin was at Codley Hill, the residence of Mr.
E. Kali, who is steward for Meggisoa Pearson, Esq.
and ott.er Gentlemen, and Thompson said he was.
Mr. St iiiithorpe, on getting this account, rode
briskly off to Codley Hill, on approaching which place
he saw a little girl, of whom he made the inquiry if
Ma.tio was in the house. She told him he was. On
Mr. Stainthorpe's entrance, be found Mr.Kell and Mar.
till sitting together, the latter engaged in reading a
hymil•bonk. They both rose on his entrance, and be,
a-ros,i9e M silo, asked, not your name Jonathan
blartro ?" He immediately replied. " Yes, it is." 0:1
which Mr. Staintliori e said, " You are my prisoner."
Martin displayed very little emotion. did he even
ask why he was made a poisoner. Mr.Kell was greatly
sll.llll ed. and asked 31e. Atainthorpe what Martin was
char. e.t with ? who replied he was din then at liberty
to ie I ; but that he should require his assistance to
convey the prisoner to Ilexhaw, on teaching which place
he Would give him every information necessary. Mr.Kell
readily agieed, end the prisoner as readily seemed dis-
posed to take the road. The first Ties ion he asked Mr.
Stainthorpe was, " do you belong to Yak?" Mr. Stain-
thori e replied in the negative, and cautioned him not
to say cry thing Viat might criniin-at•-• himself. On their
coming i.l sight if Hesh .rn, from which Codley Hill is
distant nearly four miles, Martin pointing to Highside
House, l miles from Ileiham, said, yonder is the
house in which I was born, and seeing the church of
Jfeiham, he exclaimed that is a fine old church—" did
the Catholics Wild that too ?" On the way Martin
asked if any York papers came to Hexham ? And
also he said to Mr. Stainthorpe, •am I advertised in
the Newcastle papers? On being told he was, and
also that he was charged with burning York Ca.
thedrel, he readily said he had dome it I and be added.
'as soon as I knew I was advertised I intended to
tell every thing. On reaching the House of Correction
where Martin now is, his handle was opened, when it
was found to contain part of the valuable crimson
fringe. &c. which he said he had cut away from the
pulpit or some part of the Minster, a small Bible which
he had brought away at the same time, and a piece or
two of the painted glass of the Minster. An old razor
found in his pocket, with which he said he cut the
crimson fringe, &c. and with which also be struck the
fatal Ight by which he was able to fire the Minster.—
There we, e found also 7 copies of his life, but coils Id. of
money. lie appears, up to the moment of his apps Chen
ino, to have been profoundly ignorant of the extrnt of
the mischief he had occasioned; but on a Gentleman tell-
ir g tsim he had totally destroyed theCatbedral,his coun-
tenance brightened, and the sound seemed to eihilarate
him ; he ticlaimed, seemingly pleased, " have I!' He'
says he flied the Minster to revenge same wrongs he
supposes he has received from some of the Clergy, who
most likely'have been considerably annoyed in conse-
quence of •Martio's eccentticitie:., for as he considered
himself Called upon to denounce some of them f .t their
laxity of morals, Ike. and they in the capacities of
aid Magistrates having dealt with Nlattin
perhaps on son.e occasions rather severely.. the result
has been such as all good men must deplore.
" I remain, your's respectfully.
MATTHEW WILSON."
" House of Correction, Hcsbam, Saturday evening,
February 7, 1829.
" SlR—Since I wrote to you this morning I have
had an interview with the prisoner Jonathan Mat tin,
and hasten to supply any deficiency in my former cum.
munication. On my being introduced to him, he said
he had no recollection of the; but on my telling hint
1 was a local preacher in the Wesleyan Methodis' So-
ciety, he became very affable and communicative.
questioned him as to his o^ject in but flint! the Minster.l
when he very readily told me that he had long been'
wf opinion that the Clergy of the Establishment were
blind guides; that, though he felt no ill will, malice,
or personal hostility ton ads them, yet be was sorry for
them, as he believed they were leading the bights
tanks in society astray; and as to the Minster, he was
of opinion that its destruction was for the glory of lion,
the good of the people of Eon I and generally, and for the
good of the inhabitants of York in particular, as n Iron
the

sometimes he prayed, and sometime. • she praised Goa.
because, as he said, he had strengthened him to do so I
good a work. He farther told me that he bad had
two dreams, which convinced • him that it was his
duty to do it. The first was—be dreamed that a man
canine to him with- a bow and arrows in his band,
and he shot one of the arrows through the door of
the Minster, and then he bid Martin shoot one, who
did so, but was so incommoded by the crowd of people
within that he could not do it us his mind, and the
arrow flew until he lost sight of it. The second was
to this effect—he saw, as he thought, a great black
cloud hang over the Cathedrid ;it then moved to the
house where he lodged, and shook it to its foundation,
and when he awoke he was fully of opinion that the
ALMIGHTY had called him tl burn the Minster; but
fearing he should meet with opposition from his wife, he
adopted the following extraordinary method of neutra
lising her t—He took the ring frorit her finger while she
slept, and tin ugh she manifested much concern at the
loss of her ring, he allowed her to vent her feelings in
unavailing regrets until he thought her sufficiently
moulded to his purpose. He then exacted a vow
from her that she was to keep his secret, and he
would restore her ring. This being agreed to, he
told her his intention, on which she wept, and
seemed greatly disturbed, and they went to Leeds.—
He still being determined on his object, left hii wife
there and returned back to York, and entered the Min-
ster on the Ist February, concealing himself behind a
tombstone until the people left,, when be went into the
belfry and struck a light, having for that purpose a
razor with a white haft. the back of which he used
instead of a steel, a flint, tinder, thatches, and a penny
candle cut in two ; but as that soon burnt out, he got one
of the was candles belonging to the Minster. He
then drew a bell rope the full length from below,
and after drawing it up, cut it and made a 1 id-
der of it. Working by candle light till about nine
o'clock, put out his candle, and finished making his
ladder in the dark. He then descended, and got over
the iron door by climbing it, and used the rope to gain
the interior of the Minster over the wooden door. He
then struck a light the second time, and with the razor
cut part of the crimson silk velvet from the pulpit and
stalls, three yards of gold fi inge, two gold tassels. The
dimensions of the crimson velvet are as follow: One
piece, 2 yards quarter by yard; second piece, It
yard by 1 yard f quarter; third piece, 1k yard by It
yard; fourth piece, 2 yards quarter by lh yard broad,
the *hole of which I have seen measured. He also took
a small Bible, and gives the following reasons for
taking these things away, not, as he says, that he had
any wish to steal them, but that he brought the crimson
velvet, the gold hinge, and the tassels away, that no in-
nocent person might suffer, but that they might testify
that he only bad done the deed ; and es be expected to'
be taken and imprisoned, he says he brought away
the Bible that it might be a comfort to him in his
confinement. He then piled the cushions and Prayer
Books in two heaps on each side near to the carved work,
set them on fire by introducing matches to eacb,and then,
as he says, being afraid of being enveloped in the smoke,
be fixed his ladder, and letting it down on. the outside,
having previously broken the window with the pincers
he left behind him, and then he descended by it from
the Minster, a little after three o'clock in the morning
of the 2J ; previous to which, he surveyed the riles he
had raised, and saw that one of them in particular was
burning 'my briskly. He proceeded on to Easing-
wold, and got a pint of ale; then to Thimble, at which
place I e arrived at eleven o'clock in the. morning;
then he proceeded to Notthillerton, staid there awhile
with a friend ; at nine that evening left Northallerton in
a coal cart, in which he travelled all night till he arrived
at J pit, near West Auckland, on the Watling-
sheet ro.d ; proceeded on to Alensford, on the Derwent,
where he slept on the Tuesday evening ; left Alenaford
about eight o'clock on the Wednesday morning ; arrived
at the Riding Mill, where he had a pint of ale; from
thence he proceeded to Corbridgr, where he arrived
about 12 o'clock, and had half a pint of ale. and then
proceeded to Codlaw Hill to his friend Mr. Kell, where
he arrived about two the same afternoon, at which
place he remained until Friday about eleven o'clock,
when he was taken by Mr. Stainthorpe. While at
Codlaw Hill, Martin having manifested great anxiety
for newspaper., I asked him whether that anxiety arose
from any idea of self-preservation ? He replied, none
whatever ; but as he was ignorant what effect bad been
produced by the fires he had kindled, he was anxious
to know. On which Mr. Srainthorpe, who was with
me, said the damage was estimated at 100,0001. He
coolly said, " they plundered my house and would
not give me a farthing for it, and they have got paid
home, I think." I asked him if he felt sorrow on ac-
count of the damage being so great ? He said, no ! not
if it were nor the glory of Gon; that if that could be pro-
moted 200 OM. would not have been too much, and that
in his opiniois it would just have been as well if all the
Minster had gone together, as the worship carried on
in it was so idolatrous and superstit'ous—he says he is
quite harpy, and fully resigned to his situation, and will
give himself up into the hands of the Loan. He again
declared that many of the Clergy were las iii their
morals, and heterodox in their opisnons, manifesting the
former by attending balls and:-,playhouses. and the
latter by not preaching the doctrines of the G. spel, and
by not insisting on regeneratiop, the pardon of sin, and
the w hires. of the Spiril,—lKE. "Oif oar leaving him, he
shook hands with ail pievgit ; and on my bolding out
tny hand to him, he took It, and, looking me up in the
fare and 'milling, s lid," Pray for me," and we left him to
his cell and to hi. strange meditations. I have thus given
you, though I fear imperfectl), a plan accoont of all I
could collect from hi in.

" 1 rennin, your 's relpectruliT.
" MATTHEW WILSON."

Jar rhan Martin on Sunday arse, noon paued through
this town in custody, in a post chaise, on his way to York.

DREADVUL Acmourr.---Friday seunight, a% a young
girl, about 16 years of age, servant of Mr. Bradley, of
Carlton Miniott, near Thirsk, was attempting to pass
the horst-wheel of the thrashing machine, ,he was caugh:
by the head and breast by one of the shafts, which
completely twisted her head round on her body, and
other lane so dieadinlly crushed her, that she Instantly
expired.
A diliessing accident, which tern insted fatally, oc-
culted on Sunday evening, the Ist inst: to MTS. Elizabeth
Nlosin, of Denbigh, a maiden lady, bettieen seventy
and eighty years of age, by ber clothes catching 61e
while sitting in her. spa,lour. Her servant, who hap.
pened to be out of the house, did not, unfortunately,
come to her assistance till too late. The poor Lady
lingered till about two in the morning, and then ea-
piretl, 'Chester Courant.

--
Cathedral was destroyed they would be compelled Tuesday adm t man, about five fret four inches
to disperse themselves to other places of worship, wlifle .high, dressed in a green surt.nit coat, and very muck'
they would hear the gospel preached. On my asking
,pitted with the small-pox, entered the shopiof Mr.Readf
him further, whether he, as a prriessedly jest eller, Jermin-street, Sr. James's, and Ivhile the lad
ratter, felt no condemnation at the time he set fire to was reachay him sorpe a! titles of jewellery, he snatchet
the pile or since? be said, none, a hatever, but on thej op. a vAlisAsie gold liet:ting watch, ran out of the shop,
contrary ; he, when in the Mow, waa vile hisiov.itst id neared with his booty.
nnr. •

.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
tOUILT OF KINGS B . Wsarrosua s, Faa it.
M H
THI 1C1240 V. Islllloll/1. •
Lord Titurenban, aftet..vanselting with the other
Learned Judges, said—This is a very grave arid itimus
question, and the Coast will look into every'citcuM
stance of the case before it pronounces its judgment
The matter must thvrefore be adjourned ; and if we
think proper to grant-the rule Wariest of judgment. it
shall be drawn op as of this day, and it can be heard at
the Sittings out of the Term. In the mean time it is
suggested that the defendant wishes to go bat k to. the
prison from whence he came. To this we do not roe
any objection; bat in the mean time he dust be com-
mitted to the custody of the Marshal of this Court, as
he is the only legal officer that the C9urt can recttgnise.
The defendant was then removed; during the whule
of the investigation he placed his hand before his eyes,
and was evidently mach affected. A number of Ger.-
tlemen of the highest respectability in the neighbour-
hood where he sesides were in attendance.