250 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818 



REMARKABLE TRIALS AND LAW CASES. 



CourtofKing's-Bench,Guild. 

 HALL, Friday, Jan. 16. 



Before Mr. Justice Bayley and a 

 Special Jury. 



Mist V. Sir William Ratolins. 

 — The plaintiff brought the pre- 

 sent action against" the defen- 

 dant, Chairman of the Eagle 

 Assurance Companj^, on a policy 

 effected upon the stock, &c. and 

 premises, belonging to the plain- 

 tiff, situate in Fket-street, and 

 known as the Metropolitan Ba- 

 jzaar. The pleas were, first, that 

 the plaintiff had no interest ; and 

 next, that he had wilfully caused 

 the premises to be destroyed by 

 fire, on the 23rd May, 1817. 



Mr. Topping opened the plain- 

 tiff's case, observing upon the pe- 

 culiar hardship of the situation 

 of his client, who, without the 

 slightest motive to its commis- 

 sion, by the plea upon the record 

 was charged with a crime of the 

 foulest kind, affecting even his 

 life. It would be clearly esta- 

 blished, that the value of the pro- 

 perty consumed was far beyond 

 the sum insured, and directly 

 after the fire, in the certificate 

 required by the policy, he had 

 received from the clergyman, the 

 church -wardens, and others, the 

 highest testimonials in his favour. 

 He called the following wit- 

 nesses; — 



George Polhill had been shop- 

 man to the plaintiff ; he deposed 

 that he had taken an account of 

 the stock sold by auction at 

 various dates ; the last sale was 

 in the early part of 1817, and at 

 that time, or soon afterwards, a 

 Mr. Davenport was in treaty for 

 the remaining stock, and the 

 fixtures on the premises. The 

 value was about 1,300/., consist- 

 ing of china, glass, and earthen- 

 ware. The Bazaar was opened 

 in July, and counters, desks, 

 drawers, &-c. were put up, as well 

 as two very large stoves in the 

 cellar, by which the apartments 

 were warmed, besides others. 

 The fittings up were not confined 

 to the ground floor, but extended 

 to the first and second, where 

 were also looking-glasses of the 

 value of about 500/. The witness 

 and a Mr. Leach had keys of the 

 back-door premises, and Mr. 

 Mist of the front, who was 

 frequently there. The witness 

 was in Fleet-street at about noon, 

 on the day when the fire took 

 place, the 23rd of May, 1817. 

 The room the plaintiff chiefly 

 occupied was a room on the 

 third floor, next Salisbury-court, 

 where he kept his books and 

 papers. In a closet there was a 

 box of coals and some shavings, 

 used by the porter for lighting 

 the fire. 



Cross- 



