The Sun. — 1844-07-29 (London, England)

ARSON.— TV. Rapsey was indicted for setting fire to a rick of hay, the property of John Hook, at Honiton. Mr. Poulden conducted the case for the prosecution, and Mr. Cox defended the prisoner. This case depended entirely upon circumstantial evidence. It appeared that in April the prosecutor had a rick of hay at Ottery Moorfield, near Honiton. It was burnt on the night of the 16th of April, about 8 o'clock in the evening. On that night, about 7 o'clock, the prisoner went to a house in Honiton and bought a box of lucifer-matches. At about 20 minutes past,lo o'clock he went into the same shop ; they were talking about the fire, and the prisoner said, "D— it, it burnt well, by God." The prisoner was intoxicated on both occasions of his going to the shop. About half-past 7 o'clock that evening the prisoner was seen to jump up behind the Forester coach as it was going out of Honiton. The coach would go somewhere near the spot where the rick was. In about 10 minutes after the alarm of fire the prisoner was again seen in Honiton ; and was heard to say that it was not ad— of odds if he was on fire. Just as the fire was first seen the prisoner was observed sitting in a hedge two fields off, with his face towards the fire. The prisoner was seen to go down Otteryfield-lane immediately after the Forester coach passed the top of the lane. The prisoner was heard that evening to say, " He was sorry for Hook, though he had been a rogue to him, and it was a pity that lucifer-matches should have been invented." The prisoner was apprehended two days afterwards near his own house. He was asked if he had purchased any lucifers, and he said he had, but that he had lost them out of his pocket. The question at length became one almost of seconds as to the times at which the prisoner was seen in different places. Mr. Cox addressed the jury with great force for the prisoner, pointing out the various improbabilities of the case. Mr. Justice WIGHTMA3I having summed up, the jury Acquitted the prisoner. In the Civil Court the business has all been of the most uninteresting description. There has not been a single case to justify a report.  MIDLAND ClRCUlT.—Nottingham, July 26. The Right Hon. Lord Denman and Mr. Justice Coltman arrived in this town yesterday afternoon, and, having opened the commission for the county and county of the town, at about five o'clock, proceeded to attend Divine service at St. Peter's Church.  Their Lordships took their seats in the county-hall at ten o'clock this day—the Lord Chief Justice presiding in the Crown Court, and Mr. Justice Coltman on the Civil Side. The calendar presented 25 cases and 30 prisoners for trial. One man, William Saville, stood charged upon four indictments for murder, the sufferers being his wife and three children ; and four with a burglary in the dwelling-house of George Clarke, at Sutton-in-Ashfield, and rape therein (see infra.) There were also two cases of cutting with intent to murder, and one each of manslaughter, rape, arson, assault, stealing from the person, and horse-stealing, and two of sheepstealing. On the civil side there were 12 causes for trial for the county, of which four were undefended, two are for special juries appointed for to-morrow morning, and two are indictments against the parish of Hickling. One of the others was a writ of inquiry, of which the facts were uninteresting, wherein the jury have returned a verdict for 2001. In the town there is one cause, " Whitmore and others v. Hideout" (the bank case), which is a remanet from the last assizes.