Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

24 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

A VERY CURIOUS CASE.

BISMARCK'S PLEASANTRY!

WHEN WILL THEY BE SET AT LIBERTY…

IMPORTANT CASE DECIDED.

FRESH MEAT FROM SOUTH AMERICA.

NARROW ESCAPE OF AN ENGLISH…

OLD PLUNGE FOR THE FUTURE…

SWINDLING "EXTRAORDINARY!"

ITHE NEW ACT ON PUBLIC HEALTH.

WHAT WILL THEY WANT NEXT!

AN ENGLISH JEWEL SWINDLE.

FRENCH "NAVVIES" IN ENGLAND.

TRIAL OF AN INCENDIARY.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

TRIAL OF AN INCENDIARY. At Liverpool assizes o. Saturday, the court was densely crowded from an early hour to hear the tdal of Thomas Henry Sweeting on the charge of setting fire to Compton Houle, the largest drapery warehouse in Liverpool, having excited a great deal of interest. The building, it will be remembered, was entirely destroyed by the fire, and a loss of upwards of 200,0002 involved. The prisoner, a young man of respectability and good family, is about twenty years of age, and was an appren- tice of Messrs. Jeffery, the proprietors of the warehouse. There were two indictments against him, one for stealing the property of the firm, and the other for arson. He WB.8 arraigned, how- ever, only upon the latter charge:- The prisoner, though he had previously made and signed a written confession as to the crime, now pleaded "Not guilty." Mr. Aspinall, having briefly opened the case on the part of the prosecution, called Mr. Watts, one of the partners in the firm of Jeffery and Co., and the chief superintendent of the establishment, who was examined at considerable length. He stated that after the fire (and the removal of the business to other premises), having a suspicion that Sweeting had been stealing some property, he called him into the office on the 2nd June, and had a long conversation with him. Witness hinted to Sweeting that he had a strong suspicion that he had caused the fire, and urged him, for the sake of his conscience and peace of mind, if this was the case, to confess. Sweeting hesitated and equivocated for a considerable time, but ultimately did confess to Mr. Watts that he set fire to the establishment by throwing a match amongst some goods in the cellar; that he could not account for the act; and that it was done under an uncontrollable impulse. The prisoner, in answer to one of Mr. Watts's questions, said he had no unkind feeling towards the firm, who had always been exceedingly kind to him, and that in fact he had no motive whatever for setting fire to the premises. A written statement to the same effect as this evidence (which had been written and directed to Mr. Jeffery), was then put in. Mr. Jeffery was then examined, and stated that he also had a conversation with the prisoner, similar in effect to that which had been described by Mr. Watts. At first Sweeting called Heaven to witness" that he had not set fire to the premises; but next day, when witness and his brother (Mr. W. Jeffery) and Mr. Watts had another conversation with the prisoner, he dictated to them a statement confessing his guilt. Several other wiinesses, persons employed at the ware- house, were examined, and one of them stated that on the evening of the fire (but before it took place) the prisoner came to him and said, How would you like to see this place on nre ? I have often thought I should like to see it, and wonder it has not occurred where so many differ- ent characters are employed." Mr. Temple, for the defence, urged that the confession brought forward by the prosecution was no confession at all. The document produced was merely a statement of facts, and was quite consistent with the supposition that the prisoner had no guilty connexion with the trans- action. Mr. Temple called particular attention to this passage :—" I had no ill-feeling to anybody; on the con- trary, Mr. Jeffery and Mr. W. Jeffery have always been very kind to me;" and also to a passage to the effect that had it not been for the kindneiil of his masters he could not have passed the local college examinations. This showed that the prisoner had no motive, and it might be that the throwing of the lighted paper upon the goods was only an act of carelessness. It was merely a suggestion and guess that this taper caused the fire; and if the prisoner set fire to the premises accidentally and WIthout motive he was entitled to an acquittal. The confession had been evidently made when the prisoner was in a frenzied state of mind, and after he had been tortured by the injunctions and urgent appeals of Mr. Watts. His lordship said the question for the jury was, did the prisoner knowingly and wilfully throw the match or taper with the intention to set fire to the material amongst which it was thrown. The statement of the prisoner himself must be taken as a whole, and if the jury believed it to be true they must find him guilty. A malicious deed within the meaning of the act was any wrongful act done intentionally, and without just cause or excuse. The jury found the prisoner guilty. Mr. Jeffery hoped his lordship would pass as lenient a sentence as possible, having regard to the prisoner's youth. His Lordship said that it was very kind of Mr. Jeffery to interfere on behalf of the prisoner. He intended to pass what might be considered a very severe sentence, as the destruction of property was enormous, and it was ab- solutely necessary to protect the public. He would son- suit his brother Lush on the subject, and in the meantime sentence would be deferred.

BRITISH ENTERPRISE.

THE STATE OF THE NAVY.

"MURDER WILL OUT!"

RAVAGES OF THE CHOLERA IN…

THE JEWS ESCAPING THE CHOLERA.

GARDENING OPERATIONS FOR THE…

THE HISTORY OF HYDE PARK.

[No title]

[No title]

[No title]

THE MARKETS.