CHRONICLE. 



59 



the Successful exertions of the men 

 belonging to the engines were 

 complimented with the applause of 

 the multitude. By twelve o'clock 

 the fire was nearly extinguished. 

 It appears the fire broke out in the 

 shop, the master of which was 

 absent, his residence being in 

 Chandos-street. The alarm was 

 first given to the lodgers in the 

 house by a watchman, who per- 

 ceived the flames from without. 

 More families than one lodged in 

 the house ; but though the alarm 

 was not given till the interior of 

 the shop was in a blaze, and though 

 there tvere several children in the 

 families there resident, we have the 

 satisfaction to hear that no lives 

 were lost ; but not a fragment of 

 furniture or wearing apparel was 

 saved. The house was completely 

 destroyed, and the adjoining ones 

 much damaged. 



3. Lincoln Assizes.-^Murder. — 

 Azubah Fountain, aged 36, and 

 George Turner Rowell, aged 23, 

 ■were indicted for the wilful murder 

 of Robert Fountain, the husband of 

 the said Azubah Fountain, by 

 poison. 



Mr. Whiteman, a constable of 

 Waltham, went on the 2nd of July 

 to Fountain's house, about three 

 o'clock in the afternoon ; found his 

 ■wife and Rowell there, who was a 

 cooper, and lodged in the house, 

 and saw the deceased, laid on a 

 bed up stairs ; witness thought he 

 was dead. Mr. Foreman, a sur- 

 geon, went with witness : they 

 examined the body, which seemed 

 warm, and the loins red ; went 

 down stairs, and saw the prisoners 

 and four children. Witness asked 

 where deceased had been the day 

 before ? Mrs. Fountain said, she did 

 not know, and said, •* Oh ! that I 



did but know where he was yes- 

 terday !" She was afraid he had 

 been to some bad houses ; she said 

 he came home about ten o'clock at 

 night very drunk, and fell twice 

 on the causeway before he got to 

 the door, as she had heard him fall, 

 and when the door opened he fell 

 headlong into the house ; she asked 

 where he had been? he said he 

 did not know ; he said he had had 

 a fine sprey, and was burnt to 

 death in the inside ; he clapped his 

 hand on his stomach, and said he 

 had done for himself; he asked 

 for some drink, and they, the 

 prisoners, gave him some ale ; his 

 shirt was torn, and he appeared 

 bruised. Witness attended the 

 coroner's inquest ; was present 

 there when the prisoner Rowell 

 was examined. During his exa- 

 mination witness went out of the 

 room and saw the prisoner Foun- 

 tain, who asked him how they 

 were going on with Rowell ? Wit- 

 ness said, he could not tell. She 

 then said, she must know what they 

 were doing with Rowell. Rowell, 

 in his examination before the 

 coroner, stated, that deceased came 

 home late on Thursday night, very 

 drunk, and passed through his 

 (Rowell's) bed- room, and said, 

 " Cooper, I have had a fine sprey." 

 Deceased then went to bed, and 

 called for ale; his wife said she 

 had none ; he then said, *' Cooper, 

 give me some ale," which he did. 

 Deceased then called for wine; 

 said his wife had some elderberry 

 wine, and he would have it. 

 Rowell, in continuation, said, 

 he remembered going to Mr. 

 T3ennctt's,chymist, of Great Grims- 

 by, and buying some antimony 

 wine, lavender, and Dutch pink, 

 but did not remember buying any 



