515. LEA JOSEPH SOLOMONS proceedingsdefend This name instance is in set 2682. was indicted for that she on the 21st of August, about the hour of twelve in the night, wickedly, maliciously, and unlawfully, did set fire to a certain pair of wooden chest of drawers, and to a certain chest being in a certain room up two-pair-of-stairs, in the house of John Bosworth proceedingsvictim , D. D. of which house she was tenant, with an intent feloniously to set fire to the said house .

2d Count. For maliciously and unlawfully setting fire to the same things in a certain other house, of him the said John Bosworth < no role > , D. D.

3d Court. The same, only stating it to be in the dwelling-house of her the said Lea Joseph Solomons < no role > .

4th Count. For attempting to set fire to the said house.

JOHN HOW < no role > sworn.

On Saturday evening the 21st of August last, as I was coming down Warwick-lane, towards my own home, at about a quarter after twelve o'clock I was alarmed with the cry of fire! I went immediately down to the Oxford-arms passage , where the cry proceeded from, and on entering the door-way of the house I perceived Mrs. Solomons, the prisoner at the bar, lying on the stairs, three or four stairs up; I asked what was the matter; she said for God Almighty's sake my house is on fire. I asked where; she said up stairs; I called to the servant, who was in the kitchen, for a candle; the girl very readily got it. On my turning the wind of the door blew the candle out; I desired the girl again to light the candle, which she did. Mrs. Solomons lay across the stairs, so that it was impossible to go up fairly; I stepped over her, and ran up stairs; she observed to me that she had a very valuable trunk, and said if that was lost, she was ruined; in the one pair-of-stairs, she said, this trunk was. I went into the one-pair-of-stairs room, and got it down stairs. The trunk was very weighty. I immediately ran into the two-pair-of-stairs room, and the first object that struck me was a chest upon chest on fire; I ran down stairs in order to get some assistance, and at the bottom I met Francis Bursell < no role > .

He came to your assistance? - Yes, by the alarm of Mrs. Solomons I apprehend. As soon as we entered the room I observed on the right-hand, a very large window, before this window there was a curtain, which was so near to the chest upon chest, that I was afraid of its catching fire; I said Frank, whatever you do, pull that curtain down; he did so; we ran down stairs and got some water; while we were down, several other neighbours were alarmed; we went up again and extinguished the chest upon chest; upon going into the room then we observed a wooden chest and the closet on fire, but I am not sure whether we observed that at the second or third time of going up. Here is a plan of it in paste-board (delivering it into court). The square in the corner, that is partitioned off, is the stair-case.

When you saw the fire in the other-chest, what situation in the room was that with respect to the bed? - The bed was close to the chest, it was between the things that were on fire; I did not see the bureau on fire, but upon examining it afterwards I saw it had been on fire; I observed the fire burst out all at once in the closet; there was a little window in the landing-place; I had a candlestick in my hand; I immediately knocked the glass into the closet.

Was the closet door shut or open? - Shut.

So that the fire could not have communicated from the room into the closet? - No, it was impossible; with eight or ten pails of water we quenched the fire; several neighbours then came round the chest; when it was properly extinguished, the lid and under part were burnt a good deal, there seemed to be in it the remains of an old blanket, some straw, some papers, and other things.

As to the chest which she said contained all her valuables, what was found in it? - An old blanket and many other things, I do believe put there for the purpose of burning; there was nothing to appearance to the value of twopence. I examined the bureau two or three days afterwards. When I came down stairs and every thing was quiet, Mr. Procter observed it was necessary to know what she was insured for; she said she was insured for 700 l. but 3000 l. would not put her property in its place. This induced some of the gentlemen to ask for the key of the trunk, which was taken out of the one-pair-of-stairs room that was opened, and there appeared to be nothing of any value in it, but every thing packed up, all her clothes, as curious as possible.

Cross Examination.

If I understand you there were a chest of drawers and a trunk on fire in the two-pair-of-stairs room? - There were a chest of drawers, a box which was near six feet long, which is here, and a closet, all in a blaze.

And something else you say upon the three-pair-of-stairs? - That I cannot speak to myself.

You have been speaking to a box in the one-pair-of-stairs, in which there were some valuable things? - She seemed to hinge upon the value in the one-pair-of-stairs room.

There was then a box of value in the one-pair-of-stairs room? - I saw it opened, it principally consisted of her clothes.

The alarm of fire you speak of arose from the exclamations of the prisoner herself? - Yes; I was curious to examine if there was any one else in the house.

You have examined all the house over have not you? - I have.

No part of the house was on fire at all? - The paper in the room was burnt and the shelves in the closet.

Nothing drew your attention to this place but the voice of the prisoner? - Yes.

And she must have called out to you almost as soon as the flames were perceptible. - I cannot think it.

You yourself went up several times, which took up some considerable space? - Very little time.

It must have taken up five or six minutes? - Not so much; we were very expeditious; there is another thing; she said she had been in bed; it was observed that if she had been in bed, she could not very easily have dressed herself, and be ready to give the alarm in the situation she then appeared; it led me to examine whether she was completely dressed; she had her shoes buckled, her stockings on; she was completely laced, and it appeared as if she had not been undressed at all.

Counsel for the Crown. There were no symptoms of her having got up in a violent hurry? - No; none at all.

FRANCIS BURSELL < no role > sworn.

I was journeyman to a Mr. Rutter, a butcher in Butcher-hall lane; coming by the house, at about half after twelve o'clock, I heard an alarm of fire; I went down the Oxford-arms passage; I saw Mrs. Solomons lying across the stairs; she cried out fire, and that she was ruined, she was ruined. I said let us come by; she said I am ruined, I am ruined; take care of my chest, take care of my chest, and upon the stairs I met Mr. How; he and I ran up stairs together; I saw the drawers in a blaze; there was a great curtain hanging about a foot from the drawers; How said go in and pull the curtain down; I did so, but the fire began to be so bad I could hardly get out of the room. How and I went down stairs; the maid gave us two or three pails of water; I took the water from How, and threw it into the bottom drawer, and put it out; the bottom drawer was burnt through. In turning round afterwards How happened to see a light in a closet on the stair-case; he took the bottom of a candlestick, and broke the window; I threw three or four pails of water through that; afterwards we went with inside the room, and opened the closet door, and put that out.

Was the door of the closet shut or open? - Shut to the best of my knowledge; but I will not positively swear that. In turning round I saw the chest all on fire; I threw water upon that; I had water brought me up; I do not know who brought it, but I put it out myself.

Did you observe the bureau? - No; nor any body else, I believe, at that juncture of time.

Did you hear any thing from the prisoner about this valuable chest of her's? - I remarked her saying, when I came down, that 3000 l. would not make her amends. I asked her what she was insured for. At first she said one thing, then another; at last I remember she said 700 l.

When the fire was put out were the contents of this chest examined in your presence? - Yes, and it contained a bit of an old blanket, some straw and hay, and some bits of paper.

That was the chest that was on fire in the two-pair-of-stairs was it? - Yes; I saw the trunk in the one-pair-of-stairs opened; there were a good many gentlemen present at the time; I did not observe particularly what was in it.

Did she say where the chest was that was so valuable? - No; she said when I went up stairs I am ruined! I am ruined! take care of my chest, my chest.

Cross Examination.

All you heard her say was, take care of my chest, and one had valuable things in it, the other had not. - The other had not.

There were, I believe, a great many pictures hanging up in some part of the house? - I believe there might be in the one-pair-of-stairs room, but very few in the room that was on fire.

Valuable pictures? - I do not know the value of them.

Counsel for the Crown. It is not much in your way, a butcher, to know the value of pictures? - No.

JOHN PROCTOR < no role > sworn.

I live within about twenty-five yards of the prisoner. A little before half after twelve o'clock I was alarmed; I ran down stairs, and went to Mrs. Solomon's house; I went up into the two-pair-of-stairs room, and saw the drawers on fire; I saw the chest on fire, and I saw the closet on fire; the flames came all over the window on the stair-case; we got the fire under; I threw several pails of water upon it; then I went up into a garret, there I perceived a cabinet, with folding doors on fire; I put that out.

Was the door of the cabinet shut? - Yes; I opened it myself, but the glass on one side of it was broke a little.

Was that on fire on the inside or the outside? - On the inside. I came down and took a view of the situation of the fire in the room, and it struck me it must have been wilfully done; I then went down to Mrs. Solomons, and asked her if she had been a bed; she said she had; I asked her in what manner she was alarmed; she said she was waked by the fire all about her; upon that I took the liberty to look at her shoes; I saw her shoes were buckled; I saw her stockings were on; I felt her stays, and found them laced; I told her I thought, if she had been waked with the flames all about her, she would not have had time to dress herself so complete as she was; I asked her whether she was insured or not; she would not answer for some time; after asking her several times, she said she did not know; after that she said she was; I asked what she was insured for; she said she could not tell; I asked if she was insured for a thousand pounds; she at last said she was insured for 700 l. but she said my chest, my chest, in my two-pair-of-stairs; 3000 l. will not make me amends for my chest; being one of the beadles of the ward, as it struck me that she had done it on purpose, I took her into custody, and carried her to the Compter.

You examined these drawers, I believe, in the two-pair-of-stairs, to see what they contained? - I did; Mr. Rowley in my presence took an inventory of them; in the upper drawer there were three tools for marking linen, and three brass cloke-pins; here is an inventory of them.

I believe the whole contents is not worth twenty pounds? - Nor twenty shillings; besides some apparel that was in a trunk, which seemed to be good.

I believe you went the next morning for the purpose of viewing more deliberately the manner in which this fire had been occasioned? - I did; the bureau was opened, and I perceived the inside of the upper part of it that shuts down was all burnt, and there was a great quantity of tinder and rags burnt, but for want of air it appeared to have gone out; the inside was all burnt; I observed the pigeon-holes were filled full of brown paper, and different sorts of paper, which appeared to me to be stuffed in to burn.

Cross Examination.

You had an inventory taken of all these things I understand? - Mr. Rowley took it while I was present.

And all the things in the trunk in the one-pair-of-stairs? - Yes.

Were they appraised? - Mr. Rowley, a surveyor belonging to the Sun fire-office, valued them.

Is he a judge of women's wearing apparel? - They were given up, and sent to her.

Nothing was valued but household furniture? - Every thing but the trunk of clothes.

What was the household furniture valued at? - Fifty, or fifty-two pounds, I believe.

Court. You observed the different pieces of furniture which were on fire, were they adjoining to one another, or in different parts? - The chest upon chest was opposite the door; next to that was the little bureau; next to that the bed, and beyond the chest stood the large chest, and the closet was on the other side of the room, so that the fire was in three corners.

EDWARD ROWLEY < no role > sworn.

I am a surveyor to the Sun fire-office.

Did you appraise the effects in this house? - I did.

How much does the whole in this house amount to? - I made the household furniture amount to fifty-two pounds, ten shillings.

Did you make an estimate of the clothes? - I took an inventory of them, but did not value them, as she had an order to have her wearing apparel.

Now, setting a high value upon the clothes, how much do the, amount to? - The greatest value I could put would not amount to 30 l.

So then all together amount to but 82 l.? - Yes.

For what was she insured at the office? - (Refers to the book). On the 3d of July, 1777, Mrs . Solomons took out a policy at the Sun fire-office under this head -

" Lea Joseph Solomons < no role > , No. 1, Oxford-arms passage, Warwick-lane, merchant , on her household goods not exceeding 300 l. wearing apparel 100 l. stock not hazardous therein, not exceeding 300 l. it was paid up to next Christmas.

Cross Examination.

How long have you been surveyor to that office? - I have belonged to that office about thirty-three years.

Can you tell how long the prisoner has been insured in that office? - I have heard she was insured before she came to this house.

I am instructed to say she has been insured in this office twenty five years? - Very likely she may at different places.

During that twenty-five years has she ever made any claims upon the office? - Not that I ever heard.

I observe that the insurance that you speak of is for 700 l. 300 l. household goods; 100 l. apparel, and 300 l. stock? - It is so.

You have given an account that you appraised the household furniture to 52 l. 10 s. in that do you include pictures? - I did not, because they are not insured.

The reason of your taking an account was in order to form some judgement of what value there was in the house, that was insured in your office; pray were there several pictures in the house? - There were some in the one-pair-of-stairs; I never took particular notice of them.

Are you a judge of pictures? - A little.

And you observed some pictures? - I did look at them.

Were they any of them of any value? - There was one might be worth about 25 s. the rest were more trifles.

Were not the pictures worth more than 20 l.? - No; not I believe 5 l.

Was there any other property in the house, besides what you have been speaking of?

There was something that did relate to her stock in trade, I apprehend, which was a brown paper of metal buckles.

The value of which you cannot speak to, I suppose? - Not 10 s.

RICHARD DERRY < no role > sworn.

As you have bought these valuable pictures it is of some consequence, as the empress of Russia is collecting, to have it known; how much did you give for the whole, pictures, and all? - Twenty-five pounds.

Upon what terms would you dispose of those pictures? - I should be very glad to sell them for three guineas.

Prisoner. The pictures are ten guineas, five guineas, two guineas a piece, all capital pictures.

Cross Examination of Richard Derry < no role > .

Perhaps you are no judge of pictures? - I cannot say that I am any great judge.

WILLIAM FRENCH < no role > sworn.

I believe you collect the rents for Dr. Bosworth? - Yes; I do.

This is his house, is it not? - It is.

You have received the rent from the prisoner for it? - Yes, repeatedly.

Cross Examination.

You may perhaps have seen something of these pictures? - I have several times.

Perhaps you may be a better judge of pictures than the last witness? - I do not profess myself a judge of pictures; I judge the value of them is about five pounds.

Prisoner. Oh! you have seen my dining-room, what there is in it. Oh! you are a wicked fellow!

SARAH LEVI < no role > sworn.

(This witness not understanding English an interpreter was sworn.)

You was servant to Mrs. Solomons at the time of the fire? - I was.

How long had you lived with her? - A fortnight.

In what room did you lie? - Below stairs in the kitchen.

Who lay in this two-pair-of-stairs room where the fire was? - My mistress lay there.

Had you been gone to bed before this alarm of fire? - I was a bed at ten o'clock.

Where was your mistress? - Above, in her room.

In what manner did you first hear of the fire? - My mistress came down stairs from my room and waked me. I was asleep.

Prisoner. Whether at ten at night you did not light me to bed, and help to undress me? - Yes; I brought a candle up and helped to undress my mistress, and then went down stairs; she used to burn a candle all night.

Cross Examination.

Whether you had not been up with a candle that night to fetch things down for your mistress? - No.

Prisoner. Whether you did not at eight o'clock go up stairs, and fetch a bottle for me? - I do not remember any thing about it.

Prisoner. I leave my defence to my counsel.

For the prisoner.

JAMES BARRY < no role > sworn.

I have been a tenant of the prisoner's four years; she always behaved very civil whenever she called for the money at my place.

Do you, upon your oath, believe she would attempt to set her house on fire?

Court. That is not a proper question, you may ask to her general character.

I believe her to be a very honest woman, as far as I know of.

JOHN WILLIS < no role > sworn.

I have known her seven or eight years; she has a very good character for whatever I heard of her; I rent 18 l. a year of her.

Prisoner. These are my tenants.

JAMES BAKER < no role > sworn.

I have known her seven or eight years.

What has been her general character? - I cannot say any thing of her general character; there is an attick story in an estate she has I have rented seven years as a workshop; it lies at the back of my house, and is one of the shops in which we manufacture goods.

I ask you as to her general character? - I cannot answer to it.

JOHN COTTER < no role > sworn.

I have known the prisoner about four years; I know no further of her character than that she comes very civilly for her rent.

THOMAS NASH < no role > sworn.

I have known her about twenty years.

What is her general character? - I can say but little of that; I am in the linen drapery business; I have had dealings with her, she had shirts and stocks of me. I left off business two years ago.

She is very far from a distressed woman? - I believe so; she always paid me very honestly for what she had of me.

WILLIAM BARKER < no role > sworn.

I have known her about town twenty years, I dare say; she has been a customer of mine, and always paid for what she had.

She is not a distressed woman I believe? - I know nothing of that.

SAMUEL JOSEPH < no role > sworn.

How long have you known the prisoner? I know nothing of her, but that a gentleman lodged at her house who went abroad, he owed me a sum of money, which I received through her hands.

GUILTY .

Tried by the London Jury before Mr. RECORDER.

[Fine. See summary.]

[Imprisonment. See summary.]