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Lydia Brockman a servant girl was charged on suspicion of having set fire to the premises of her master Mr. James Hearn Snargate Street. Mr. Fox who was instructed for the prosecution said there were other grave offences with the commission of which the prisoner would be charged. He proposed first to proceed with the charge of arson and after abducting evidence implicating the prisoner in order to give them an opportunity of getting the witness’s necessary to support the charges.

Mr. J. Hearn said he had carried on the business of a tailor at 96 Snargate Street and the prisoner was his servant. On Monday morning between ten and eleven o’clock in consequence of something his daughter said to him, he asked the prisoner if it was true what she had told his daughter that she had been putting Vitroil on the beds. At first she declined to answer and held down her head. Subsequently after several times pressing her she admitted having done so adding that she did it to destroy the fleas.He told her she must quit his service and immediately gave her notice telling her it was in his power to give her into the hands of the police for wilfully destroying his property.

About ten minutes to nine in the evening he left his shop, having first turned out the lights in the shop and lowered the gas at the meter. On leaving the shop it was in total darkness nor had there been any lighted paper, candles, or matches in the shop between that time and when he lit the gas shortly before six o’clock with a Lucifer that he extinguished with his fingers. When he left the house the only persons in the house were the prisoner and four children, two of who were in bed.

He returned home as near as possible at twenty-five minutes past nine o’clock and found the front door open, it having been locked after he left the house. The only approach to the shop from inside was by the door from a passage kept partly opened. He was attracted to his house by seeing the fire-cart and apparatus down the street. On reaching home he saw his house full of smoke and there were distinct marks of fire at two parts of the shop. The Magistrates Clerk said it was necessary that a plan of the shop be prepared so that the jury might be able to observe correctly where the two fires originated. Mr. Fox said he should be prepared with a plan at the adjourned hearing if a remand were granted, he had no doubt that circumstantial evidence would be adduced sufficient to warrant the magistrates in committing the prisoner for trial. The magistrates granted a remand.

Lydia Brockman, the girl remanded from the previous Tuesday on a charge of setting fire to the dwelling house of her master Mr. James Hearn, Tailor of Snargate Street, was again placed at the bar. Before the case was proceeded with Mr. Fox said he understood that Mr. J. Minter had been retained for the defence but was unable to attend. Mr. Minter’s clerk was present however for the purpose of taking a few notes of examination. As there could be very little doubt on the evidence that would be abducted that the case must go for trial before a jury there was perhaps no great necessity for Mr Minter’s evidence at this stage of the proceedings.

A plan of the shop was produced the details being described by Mr. J. Hanvey by whom it had been prepared. From this it appeared that between 6 and 7 feet intervened between the two points at which fire was discovered. Mr. Hanvey in reply to Mr. Fox said he observed the state of the premises on going there immediately after the fire for the purpose of making a plan. He noticed that some paper patterns, which had been hanging in two places at the back of the shop had been burned and that the woodwork near them was charred. The gas pendant was about three feet from the ceiling and about five feet from where the fire was discovered at the back of the shop.

Mr. Hearn’s examination was then resumed; He said on entering the shop I found the patterns at the back of the shop consumed by an overcoat which was hanging over a portion of them was also very much burnt together with a pair of trousers. The woodwork and the peg on which the patterns and other things had been hanging were charred, as were also some shelves below. The witness having described several other appearances, which showed that a fire had taken place at this and the other part of the shop said the gas in the shop was all out and the gas fittings were as he had left them. In consequence of something he said to prisoner, she told him that neither she nor the children had been into the shop since his absence.

By the Bench; I am not aware the prisoner made any provision for getting her clothes away. She was in the habit previous to the fire of keeping her box in the bedroom under the window.

Frederick Wayman a mechanic living at 6 Albion Place; On Monday night last between nine and ten o’clock I was at the bottom of Snargate Street when I was passing the shop of Mr. Hearn. I heard screams, looking up I saw some children at an upper window and heard them cry “fire.” I burst open the side door that was locked and ran upstairs. I saw two children and the prisoner standing on the second landing. The prisoner had a third child in her arms and another child was standing in the room still at the window from which I heard the screams proceed. The children on the landing were undressed but I was still not positive whether the child at the window was undressed or not. I brought two children downstairs with me. The prisoner was screaming “fire” and calling for her master. She made no statement to me as to the cause of the disaster

John Stubberfield an omnibus driver in the employ of the London, Chatham and Dover Railway Company also deposed of hearing the alarm of fire. He followed the witness into the house and on going into the shop he found it on fire in two places, he assisted in extinguishing the flames. Superintendent Coram said that in addition to holding the office of superintendent of police he was also Superintendent of the Fire Brigade.

On Monday night in consequence of an alarm of fire he proceeded to Mr. Hearn’s house of which he reached at twenty-five minutes after nine. He found the shop full of smoke. Several people were outside and they seemed engaged in putting out the fire. On making examination he found traces of fire in two parts of the shop. A candle was applied to the gas fittings and pipes but was ascertained that there was no escape of gas. He asked the prisoner if she had been in the shop at all since her master left the house and she replied she had not. He then asked her if she could say at all how the fire occurred and he could not obtain any answer. He repeated the question and some female present said “Why don’t you answer?” she then replied “I didn’t do it.”

In consequence of something Mr Hearn said he went upstairs but could find nothing. He then went into the prisoner’s bedroom and found her box locked and not in it’s usual place. One of Mr. Hearn’s children who were left in the care of the servant was then examined. She stated that after her father left they went upstairs to bed leaving the servant downstairs alone. Perceiving smoke coming upstairs they called out to the prisoner who then came to them and screamed with them for help. The usual caution was then read to the prisoner who acting on advise from her attorney said nothing and she was then committed for trial at the next County Assizes.

Maidstone Assizes - Charge of Arson at Dover.

The Grand Jury ignored a bill charging Lydia Brockman, 18, servant, with having willfully and maliciously set fire to a dwelling house at Dover on the 2nd October. The prisoner was then indicted for stealing two pieces containing four yards of alpaca cloth, the property of James Hearn her master at Dover on the 2nd October. Mr. Addison appeared for the prosecution and Mr. Norman defended the prisoner. The prisoner was on the 2nd October in the service of the prosecutor a tailor carrying on a business at Snargate Street Dover. On the afternoon of that day a fire broke out on the premises and the suspicion of her master having been excited he gave prisoner into custody. On the following morning the prisoner’s box was searched (in her absence) and two pieces of alpaca were found, which being compared with some alpaca in prosecutor’s shop exactly corresponded. The prisoner had been twice in prosecutor’s service remaining about a month on each occasion. He had often missed goods from his shop. The prisoner was acquitted. (1865)