The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1893-04-14 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

FIRING A MAESTEG MOUNTAIN.  TORTURING THE FARMERS.  At the Bridgend Police.court on Saturday— before Messrs R. W. Llewellyn (chairman), Charles Price Davis, and Edwin Price, C.C.—Moses Merriman, a labourer, living at Grove-street, NentYfyllon, Maesteg, was charged with wilfully setting fire to the grass on the mountain, part of Blaetillynfi Farm.  Mr David, Neath, appeared for the prosecution, and Mr R. Scale defende 1.  In opening the case Mr David said that over 500 acres of mountain had been set fire to on this Particular Sunday, though he did not say that defendant did it all. He asked the Bench to deal with the case severely, because defendant was a man of 23 years of age, who wilfully and wickedly set fire to this mountain in five different places. In these cases farmers could seldom get sufficient evidence to prove it was a wilful act, as it was often said that the man lit his pipe and threw the match down without thinking of the consequences, but this case Was entirely different, as defendant  was seen to stoop down and deliberately set tire to the grass in five different places. Considering the hard times the farmers had undergone, he asked the Bench to deal with the ease seriously, and by their decision show that such an act cannot be committed with impunity. John Maddocks, Blaenllynfi Farm, farmer, stated that on Sunday, March 20th, he saw a tire above the house on the mountain, and he ran and saw two men coming down, one of whom was defendant. Witness asked them who set the mountain on fire. Merryman said he did. Witness went to the mountain, and saw that it had been set on fire in five places, about a hundred yards from each other. Some hay, grass, and fern was on the land, and this was entirely destroyed. Defendant had since come to the house on Monday night, and wanted to settle, saying they were only lighting their pipes, and threw the match down. Defendant's lather afterwards came to him, and wanted to settle. About 20 acres of land adjoining the farm was also burnt, as was also about 300 acres of Lord Dunraven's property. By Mr Scale : Defendant had not a pipe in his mouth, neither did I see one. The other man, James Underwood, was not smoking either. . .  Richard Howell, Tywith, Nlaesteg, said on the Sunday in question he was walking from Cymmer to Tywith. He saw two men stoop down and set fire to 'the grass in different places, and he saw the farmer meet them as they crossed the line. By Mr Scale: I was about 300 or 400 yards from them. I could distinctly see the men stooping down and lighting the tire. There was no fire there before he saw the men stooping down. Mt Scale, for the defence, said defendant was on the way home to dinner from the Caerau Pits and lit his pipe. Possibly some damage might have been caused by the match. Mr David had opened the case very strongly, but he (Mr Scale) was not there to answer to murder yet. Defendant was a respectable young fellow and not one who would wantonly do such a thing. The Chairman said there had been a great deal of incendiarism at this time of the year in the past and they hardly realised the serious effect it had on the farmers. The magistrates were determined as far as they could to prevent this sort of thing, and they fined defendant £5 inclusive of costs, and also £.l damage, or two months hard labour.