MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1648, 2 June 1879, Page 2

MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

OHBISTOHUBOH. Monday, June 2. [Before G-. L. Hellish, Esq., R.M., and John Ollivier, Esq., J.P.] Dbunk and Disobdkely.—One drunkard was fined 10s. Assault. George Ford and George Franklin was charged with assaulting two females in Colombo street on Saturday night. Mr T. I. Joynt appeared for the defendants. Constable O’Connor gave evidence that he arrested the young men at the instance of two young ladies against whom they had pushed. The ladies declined to give their names, as they did not wish to appear in Court. The defendants, being sworn, said the occurrence, which took place in front of Mr Brice's shop, was purely accidental. They certainly pushed against the ladies, but with no intention of insulting them, and the ladies gave them no time to apologise before complaining to the policeman. Each of the defendants had a good character given him, and wero lectured and discharged, Bbeach of the Peace.— AmlrWs ard Maria Mitchley was charged with committing a breach of the peace by quarrelling and fighting partly inside and partly outside their own dwelling. The female defendant admitted she was out of temper, and was not answerable for what she did under those circumstances. They were each fined 10* for the disturbance, and the female an additional sum of ICs for making use of obscene language. Wilful Destruction of Pbopbriy Edmund Buxton was brought up on ten charge* of maliciously damaging .certain pro-

perty in the Ferry road. Mr Izard ap* pc tired for the accused and admitted all the charges. The particulars of the several offences have already been publ;shed in connection with another defendant, who was fluid £5. Mr Izard addressed the Bench on behalf of the accused, and called the Eev, Mr Cholmondoley and Mr H. A. Bamford, who each gave him a character for inoffensiveness. One of the charges was dismissed, and the defendant, Mr Melliah said that the expenses of the case amounted to £7 12s, and taking that into consideration, as the Bench did not wish to press hardly on the defendant, a fine of Is would be inflicted for each of the admitted cases, making a total of £8 Is. Laboenv.—Annie Beny was charged with stealing £l, the property of Charlotte Rhodes. She pleaded “ Not guilty,” and was remanded for twenty-four hours. Abson.—Frank Lewis, on remand, was charged with wilfully and maliciously setting ■fire to certain property in his shop in Colombo street. Mr Duncan prosecuted on behalf of the Crown, and Mr T. I. Joynt appeared for the accused. Richard Maj Morton being ■ sworn said—l know the accused, and am the proprietor of the property abutting on Cathedral square formerly occupied by him. His lease expired on the 31st of May last. About two months ago the accused wished to renew bis lease, but nothing definite was done about it. The premises were insured for£3Co in the South British. I had nothing to do with the stock-in-trade or the furniture. I have since ascertained the premises have been destroyed by fire. John William Cork deposed—l am a painter residing in the Gaswork road, Sydenham. On Saturday, the 24th May, I was employed by the prisoner. On that night I was opening oysters. Two g ; rls named Mary Muir and Lucy Holloway were serving in the shop. I and Mr Lewis left together about three minutes past 1 a.m. on the 25th, The girls had left. Mr. Lewis said ho had left his money behind and returned for it. He was at the door, and asked me for some matches, and then went inside. The matches were in a matchbox. Ho entered by the centre door in Cathedral square, and went to the back part of the premises. He came back with the cash-box in his hand, and turned out the money from the till into his hand and put it in bis pocket. He then returned into the shop by the same door. After that I saw a light reflected on the wall opposite to the door, and under the staircase. The light was reflected from under the stairs, and was a very strong light. I could not see Mr Lewis’s movements when he was inside the building. Lewis come out about half-a-minute after I saw the reflection. Before ho came out I lost sight of the reflection. On that night I had reason to go under the stairs for a paper bag and I noticed a large quantity of loose paper. The space was half full. There was only a bit of a curtain over where the paper was, but no door. If the door marked Don the plan were shut it would exclude the reflection. When Mr Lewis went out for the last time he shut the centre door. There’s a door leading on to the staircase, which I saw Lewis fasten about twenty minutes to one. There was a third door at the junction of Colombo street and Cathedral square. It is a glass door, and fastened inside. When Lewis returned and stepped down from the door he returned me the matches. We then joined the girls in the square. The place is lighted by gas, but there were no gas burners nearer to the stairs than about eighteen inches or two feet. That jet was put out when I saw Lewis out. There was a gas metre in the shop beneath the small window. Mr Lewis turned the gas out that night at the jet in the window, but I cannot say whether he turned it off at the metre. We then went to Mr Lewis’ house past the Clarendon and along the terrace to the back of Lewis’s house in Gloucester street. On the road Lewis spoke to me about the girl Mary Muii being frightened the night before. Before’we left the first time Lewis asked the girls what they were standing there for, and why they did not go on, as they had a man with them. About ten minutes after getting to Lewis’s house the fire bell rang. I opened the door, and Lewis followed me in ms sh’rfc sleeves. He called oat to Mary, one of the girls, and then said to me, “ Where is it ?” The girl was Mary Muir. Mrs Lewis said twice to him, “ Don’t you go, lewis.” I said the fire was in the Square. Lewis had his cost on when he followed me. He asked mo to wait » bit, as I was walking rather fast. By the Clarendon we met a man running. I afterwards recognised him as Constable Johnson. The man said, “Is that you, Lewis? Tour shop is on fire.” Lewis ■aid—“ Oh, my God, I’m ruined!” I then went and assisted to take things out of the shop. When I was in sight of the shop X saw a man trying to break into the western door, the one nearest to the Government Buildings. One of the firemen went into that door. The whole of the staircase was in one body of flame, and it was coming through the upper windows. From the time we left the shop to the time we got back twenty to twenty-five minutes elapsed. When I said to Lewis that the fire was in the “ square,” 1 emphasised the word “square,” as, from what I had seen of the reflection, and the fi-e occurring so soon after, I came to the conclusion that it was in Lewis’s place. While Mr Lewis was taking off his coat in the house, Mrs Lewis asked what is the matter with him, and I said I did not know. Mr Joynt objected to this evidence, as Mr Lewis was not present at the time. Mary Muir, being sworn, said she served in the up stairs sittingroom. She, with Mr Lewis, Miss Holloway, and the last witness, all left Lewis’s shop about one o’clock on the 25bh instant. The last witness returned with Lewis to the shop to get the cash, and they then all went home. When she left with Cork and Lewis all the lights were out in the shop. After having had supper, the fire-bell rang, and Mr Lewis went out to see where it was in company with Mr Cork. Lewis asked the witness to go with him, and Mrs Lewis tried to dissuade him from going out. The upstairs room was furnished with five round tables and a great number of chairs. There had been a piano, but it was taken away some time before the fire. Witness believed the piano was sold. [Left siitting,]