APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 



295 



tb^ defendant's taking his seat did 

 not render him liable. 



Cambridge Assizes, March 19 — 

 Trial of Frederic Kendall, lie/ore 

 Mr. Serjeant Marshall.— ¥rederic 

 Kendall, A B. of Sydney College, 

 was indicted, that he wilfully and 

 maliciously, on the night of the 

 23rd of January last, did set fire to 

 the rooms of Charles Shrubsole 

 Bonnett, esq. a fellow-commoner 

 of the said college ; and also to the 

 rooms of the rev. Walter Gee, one 

 of the fellows of the said college, 

 contrary to the statute, and with 

 an intent to burn and consume the 

 same. 



Mr. Serjeant Blossett,' for the 

 prosecution, after the usual compli- 

 ments to the solicitor-general, stat- 

 ed, that the evidence which he 

 had to bring forward was nearly 

 all of a circumstantial nature, and 

 consequently that the jury would 

 do right to receive it cautiously : if, 

 however, by a chain of circum- 

 stances, strong in themselves, and 

 still stronger when linked together, 

 he could prove that it was impos- 

 sible that any person except the 

 prisoner could have perpetrated 

 the crime, they must then consi- 

 der his guilt as effectually sub- 

 stantiated. On the 23rd of Janu- 

 ary last the degree of B. A. was 

 conferred by the University on 

 the students of the senior year. 

 On that day it was customary in 

 Sydney College that the new- 

 bachelors should dine with the 

 made-fellow jin the Combination- 

 room. The prisoner having receiv- 

 ed his degree, accepted this invita- 

 tion ; the party dined about five 

 o'clock, and before eight had 

 nearly dispersed. There remained 



in the roorn only four persons, on^ 

 of the fellows, Mr. Willis, a friend 

 of the prisoner, Dr. Bailey, whos^ 

 evidence would soon be before 

 them, and the prisoner himself. 

 The conversation turned upon the 

 degrees ; and the prisoner, ii^ 

 strong terms, lamented his disap* 

 pointment in not obtaining an bo^ 

 nour, and with many wild and in- 

 coherent expressions, attributed it 

 to the suspicions which had been 

 thrown out against him as the 

 author of the former fires. He 

 became much agitated and quitted 

 the room, but returned in about 

 half an hour ; the conversation was 

 renewed ; his agitation increased ; 

 the expressions which he used 

 could be attributed only to the 

 powerful workings of his mind, 

 while meditating the atrociou? 

 crime which he so soon afterwards 

 committed. He continued till his 

 friend Mr. Willis, worn out by the 

 scene, burst into a flood of tears. 

 He quitted the Combination-room 

 a few minutes before ten o'clock, 

 and went out of college: at half- 

 past ten he returned, and was let 

 in by Parkinson, the watchman, 

 with whom, as the jury would 

 soon hear, a most extraordinary 

 conversation ensued, in which tlie 

 prisoner attempted to bribe hin(i 

 from his post. A few minutes 

 before eleven, the alarm of fire 

 was given in Mr. Bennett's rooms; 

 the prisoner was seen on the stair- 

 case leading to them ; and a strong 

 suspicion of his guilt must be ex- 

 cited, when the jury was told, 

 that the dress which he wore in 

 the preceding part of the evening 

 was wholly changed. It was 

 worthy of remark also, as con- 

 nected with the second fire of this 



