The Sun. — 1844-08-28 (London, England)

THE LATE ATTEMPT AT MURDER IN HOLBORN.—  In this journal on Monday appeared the final examination of the Hon. W. Touchet, at Bow-street, on Saturday last, for discharging a loaded pistol at Mr. Smith, the proprietor of a shooting gallery, No. 288, High Holborn, on the 6th of July. Last week Mr. Smith was thought sufficiently recovered to leave St. Bartholomew's Hospital, and on Saturday he attended at Bow-street and gave evidence of the occurrence. During the examination he appeared very weak, and gave his evidence suffering great pain. On his return home he became very ill, and was compelled to have medical aid. He continued to get worse, and on Monday was again received into St. Bartholomew's Hospital, where he now remains. The wound has broken out afresh, and portions of bone are forced through it. On inquiring at the hospital yesterday he was ascertained to be better than on the preceding day, but still he lies in a dangerous state.  DESTRUCTIVE FlRES.—Yesterday letters were received at the principal insurance offices in the City, detailing the particulars of two dreadful fires which occurred in the village of Winsham, situate near Chard, in Devonshire, and which terminated in the complete demolition of no fewer than thirty houses. The first appears to have broken out soon after ten o'clock on Sunday morning, during Divine service, and on the alarm being raised the fire was found raging in the upper part of a house situate with twelve others, at the extremity of the village, and the thatch roof soon igniting the building was speedily reduced to ashes. A crowd quickly collected, and attempts were made to check the flames from running along the thatch of the adjacent houses, but ineffectually, for within the space of a quarter of an hour, no less than eight of the adjoining dwellings had caught, and, there being no engines in the neighbourhood, the fire extended its ravages until the whole of the buildings were consumed. The village had scarcely been restored to its usual state of quietude before it was again aroused by a second outbreak, far more destructive than the previous one, taking place at about halfpast ten o clock on Monday night. The flames were first discovered raging in a small out-house at the back of a dwelling in Church-street ; and the wind unfortunately being high at the time soon wafted the destructive element to the surrounding property, and scarcely had an hour elapsed after the alarm before upwards of fourteen houses were enveloped in flames. The distress that prevailed amongs the poor villagers was of a character truly heartrending. At an early stage of the conflagration an express was sent off to Chard for the fire-engines, but it was full two hours before they arrived ; and, as may be expected, the havoc in the meanwhile was most extensive. Six other houses, all tenanted by small tradespeople, had fallen with the rest, and it was sadly feared at one period that the whole village would have fallen a prey to the flames ; but the buildings being deprived of their thatch they were therefore preserved. It is supposed that these fires were the work of an incendiary, but nothing decisive is as yet known. The loss must be very heavy.