Star.
London, England, 1811-09-26 00:00:00

OLD BAILE r.

Yesterday E. Phillip: was indicted for setting fire
to his house. The prisoner, a dealer in potatoes.
lived at No. 70, High street, Shadwell. Early on
the 31st of July Mr. Cohen, a tailor, next door to the
prisoner, was awoke by a smell of.smoke, and on
going down stairs found the flames issuing from the
crevices of the plaster, at that-part which separated
his house from the prisoner's. Oa Mr. C.'s side the
partition is only lath and plaster, but on the priso-
ner's side it is wainscoting to a certain height. Mr. C
opened the street door to give the alarm to the watch,
and one watchman cut away the laths, in erder to
allow them to throw water on the place on fire. By
this time a nuallwr of persons assembled, and kept
hallooing and rapping at the prisoner's door i—not-
withstanding which, it was from five to ten minutes
before he appeared, which he then did, at the win-
dow, asking what was the matter ? Some of them
replied, that his house was tn fire, and bade him to
come down immediately. He said he had tried, ktit
vault not, on account of the smoke ; to which the
people rejoined, that there was no occasion for his
asking them what was the matter, when he knew it
himself. In about two minutes after an engine was
brought, and the door was broken open. In less than
a minute more the prisoner, and presently after, his
wife, came downstairs dressed, and the fire, which
was behind the bkirting of a passage on the ground
floor, was soon extinguished. It was observed that
the skirting had been pulled off a foot or two, and
that only the back of it had been burnt ; the prisoner
Said it had been loose for some time. Soon after the
fire was extinguished, Mr. Cohen's maid being em-
ployed to clear away the rubbish, found a quantity
of turpentine chips, which she gave to her master,
•wed thr • to Philli, - and asked how the,

who she. eem to e . _cps, e I
TO THE EDI TOR OF THE STAR.
I had come there ? The prisoner immediately replied,
• Stne—My communication respecting the track of " I
suppose you must have put them there." A fire-
the Cornet (see the STAR of Friday last) was merely
man soon after found, behind the skirting, a piece of
from an estimate by the eye, bat sufficiently ne•ir the
- a towel, which had been burnt; and on asking if that
truth to strew that its orbit and that of the Comet in
was Phillips's ? the prisoner answered in the nega-
-1661 are not coincident : but the observations made tr
ee, but afterwards admitted that there was a towel
in the Obervatory at Glasgow, which you have also
hanging up somewhere near the fire. It was oho
given in the same Paper, will determine the point.—
observed that the things which the prisoner's wife
Thus, taking the extreme right ascensions and decli-
breught out were very regularly packed up ; and Mr.
nations, namely, those of the Ist and 12th of Septem-
Andrews, who lives at No. 71, eext door to the pri-
ber, and making the necessary calculations, I find
soner, who sleeps on the ground floor, and whose
the inclination of the orbit to be 61 degrees, 33 mi-
bed-head is close to the pa,sage, lieerd a man's voice
notes, and the place of the ascending node 4. signs,
there before the fire burst out. The prisoner was in-
7es degrees nearly Dr. Halley found the place of sured in the Pliceirix Office for four hundred pounds ;
the ascending node of the Comet in 1661 to be about
and one witness deposed, that he did not believe his
2 signs, 22 degrees (not 22 minutes), and the inch-
stock in trade to be worth more than ten pounds, and
nation of its orbit 32 degrees, 36 minutes. his furniture not more than thirty pounds. These
The number of Comets whose places have been
circumstances were corroborated by a great many re-
computed are about 70 ; but all the orbits differ con-
ecteble witnesses ; and the Surveyor of the Phenix
siderably from the track of the present Comet, if we
i Company gave it ashis decided opinion, that the fire
except that which appeared en 1773: according to I
had been occasioned intentionally.
Pingre artd Lambert, the place of its ascending node i Mr. ALLEY took an objection to the indictment,
because was about 4 signs, 3 degrees, and the inclination of
t it ran that the prisoner had set fire to his
H
the orbit 6ur 62 degrees. We cannot, however, not- I .
evithstanding the hear agreement in the places of the
contended, that as none of the witnesses had proved
nodes, and the inclinations, suppose them to be one
that he had any such intention, that circumstance
and the sarne Comit, because it does not appear on ought not to be left to inference merely, and that the
record that any Comets were noticed at the periods .
prisoner ought therefore to be acquitted.
of SS years anterior to 1773. Yours, tic. The RECORDER said, that it certainly ought not to
ASTRONOMICUS.
be left as a matter of inference, but, nevertheless, it
TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR. was a matter of consequence ; for the consequence of
SlR—The Comet has materially changed its situa- the act, nay, even the action itself, would prove the
tion since I had the pleasure of addressing you last intent with which it was committed. Yet he would
Sunday night, and seems proceeding towards the end certainly have this point referred, for the prisoner's
of the Great Bear's Tail, as 1 then suggested.—lt sake, to a higher authority than his (the 12 Judges)
way not be unacceptable to those of your readers who should the Jury's verdict make it necessary.
are not astronomical, to be informed, thit if we were , A watchman was then called en the part of the
to descend to the bottom of a deep sell, we might see prisceer, who swore that he entered the house as
the Co net at noon day,e(the sky being clear), for it soon as the door was broken open, and on going up
crossesour South meridian about a quarter past twelve, stairs, he found the prisoner and his wife naked. Se-
at an elevation of S 3 degrees, passing within 7 degrees veral other witnesses deposed to having seen the pri-
or our zenith. At about a quarter past twelve at night stiller naked, as far as they could see of him, when
it passes our North meridian, at an altitude of about he appeared at the window.
seven degrees, and therefore now it never sets. i Many other respectable men, who have known him
I am, Sir your obedient servant, K. a long time, gave him a most excellent character ;
M— Grove, Brompton, Saturday Evening, Sept. 22. but the Jury found him Guilty—Death ; and recom-
-- mended him to mercy.—The trial lasted nearly six
Among the elegant improvements of the present
hours.
-.. age, we feel pleasure in noticing the Sarcotic and Nine were convicted of felony, viz.—J. Wharton,
Sanative Baths, lately invented by Messrs. Ames- -
for stealing an iron vice and a Turkey-stone ; LouisaToone andFoeicene, 76, Great Queen-street, Lin- Wood, for stealing a silk handkerchief ; Ceth. Mulli-
coin's Inn-fields. The advanteges which they possess
gan, for stealing a geld ring ; N. R. Spencer, for
over all other inventions of the kind, are nutnerous
stealing a pair of saddle flips ; Serail Line, for steal-
and obvious, and they are admirably calculated for •
ing a• shirt and a shift ; S. Clifton, for stealing a
Hotels, Hospitals, Public Inssitutions, Offices, and air of
T
pair sheets and two table cloths ; . M,Gowan,
all National Establishments. These Baths have at- e
tor stealing a watch ; J. Halifax, for stealing a quail-
taMed the august sanction of the PRINCE REGENT, •-.
city of lead and solder; and J. King for stealing three
for which a Patent is granted. This must be highly pint pots.
gratifying to the Inventors, and" no ordinary recom-
And four were acquitted, viz.—Frances Byas, Ann
mendation of these Baths. House, J. S. Hollingshead, and P. Riley.
The prizes given on Monday last, by some of the
respectable inhabitants of Hitchin, with a view of ' MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, SEP E. 25.
affording enjoyment to the industrious harvest la- J. Berry was indicted for attempting to persuade
bourers, and encouraging harmless amusements, were T. Hughes, a private in the 24th regiment to desert.
worthy the imitation of neighbouring towns :—Seve- Hughes stated, that on the 12th ult. he was passing
- sal brawny rustics, enveloped to their unshorn chins through London, with three others, on their way from
in bags, ran for a prize hat, and afforded the gaping Uxbridge, they stopped at a house in Drury-lane,
multitude a rich ileac ; nor were the female gazers where they bad something te drink ;an on their
less amused in beholding the graceful grins and bur- leaving it one of his comrades desired him to wait
nished faces of the playful bumpkins. Three young for a short time in the street, and gave him his mus-
' damsels, disencumbered of the trammels of finery, ket to Isola. He waited a long time, but they not
next winged their way on the light fantastic toe, and coming, he enquired for them, and discovered they
ably contested the prize chemise—but Fortune does not were gone ;00 coming into the street he met the pri-
always favour the brave ; nor in pursuit of Vectory, soner, and inquired if be had seen any of his party ;
is Justice regarded as a Cardinal Virtue : Sukey sup- the prisoner said no ; but that he would take him to
plied with strength what was wanting in speed— a party of marines, and if he would enlist he would
' jostling destroyed balance, and placed her Oppoeents get three guineas bounty, of which he, the prosecu-
on their centres—and thus was the fair amazon en- tor, should have part. He also said, he would pro-
. *bled to bear off the Holland trophy. cure a blue coat and round hat, which would dis-
• ; A melancholy and fatal accident happened last guise his person. The musket also, he said, they
. • week to Mise Martha James, of Haskard, new Mil- could sell, and divide the produce. He gave the
e Lord : returning home from Hubberstone, on Wednes. prosecutor a penny, and desired him to wait where
day, she unfortunately fell, and fractured !Ice leg so he was till he returned with the Serjeant of Marines.
.badly that the bone protruded upwards of three inches. After the prisoner was gone, the prosecutor went to
Amputation of part of the bone was had recourse to, a house, and inquired for ii Constable ; and,' on sot-
but gangrene very shortly after made its appearance, tiny the circumstance to him, he rook the prosecutor
and deprived her of life. to the Savoy. On thsir arrival the first person he
,s Monday sennight, Mr. James Wilkie, of Bonning- saw was the prisoner, who said immediately " You
ton, near Lanark, having gone into a field where are the man I was looking for," and charged him as
a bull was grazing, the animal struck him on -the being a deserter ; and told the Constable if he could,
breast; when, attempting to seize him by the horns, get the other three they could divide five guineas be•
he was thrown down, trampled upon, and tossed about tweed them. On the prosecutor stating his story to
for some time: the bull seas then joined by two bul- the Officer of the Guard, Berry was given in charge,
locks, and such was the fury of the animals, that, al- and on being taken to Bow-street, the prosecutor was
though this scene took place within view of several discharged and the prisoner detained. The' prosecu.
shearers, it was impossible to render him assistance. tor could not tell the name of the street where the
When Mr. W. was taken up,' almost every bone in meeting took place, or the names of his three com.
his body was broke 3 he expired in LWQ hours. rades, who were volunteers from the Middlesex Mili-
. .