The trial (at large) of James Hill; otherwise James Hind; otherwise, James Actzen: for feloniously, wilfully, and maliciously, setting fire to the rope-house, in His Majesty's dock-yard at Portsmouth. Tried at the Assize, at Winchester, on Thursday, March 6, 1777. Before the honorable Sir William Henry Ashhurst, knt. ... and Sir Beaumont Hotham, knt. ... / Taken in short-hand ... by Joseph Gurney. And published by permission of the judges.

John the Painter

Date:: [1777?]

Credit: The trial (at large) of James Hill; otherwise James Hind; otherwise, James Actzen: for feloniously, wilfully, and maliciously, setting fire to the rope-house, in His Majesty's dock-yard at Portsmouth. Tried at the Assize, at Winchester, on Thursday, March 6, 1777. Before the honorable Sir William Henry Ashhurst, knt. ... and Sir Beaumont Hotham, knt. ... / Taken in short-hand ... by Joseph Gurney. And published by permission of the judges. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$James Russell fw6rn. ~x ?$r<irlj sbrij gry/,' ■ P. You are, I believe, employed in Portfmouth-Dock ? Ruffell. I am. : .^fcaiduebnU i siffe In -what: capacity ? Kuff'elk I am clerk to the clerk of the Rope-Yard, ijq: Dbyou remember the day when theRope-Hoa-fewas fet on fire ? Rujjell: Yes, it was 'on Saturday--the 7th day of December; the fire was firft perGeh'^d! at half'after four in the afternoon. i^.-Was the Kope-Houfe confumed by that fire ? .. i\ ; ' .' ... ■ Rujjell; Yes, entirely. • • . lb . . ' i^. What was in the Rope-Houfe that was burnt ? Rufell. Some hemp-toppings which were in the middle loft cf the Hemp-Moufe. Was there any thing elie that was burnt ? Rufjell. Some cordage en the ground floor. ^ It is the place where cordage and hemp ufually are kept ? Ruffell. Yes. , £K And there were fome there at that time which; was burnt ? Ruffell. It was. Q Did you at any time find any thing particular in the Hemp-Houfe at Portfmouth ? . Ruffell. Yes, on the 15th of January I found a tin cafe in the Hemp-Houfe. \fThe witnefs is fhewn. a titi cafe or, 'canifter.~] This appears to' be the: tin caie. that I took up in the Hemp-Houfe; there is a piece cf wood hollowed out,, which is infide it, and a thin piece of wood nailed at the top of it; there are matches,, and tar, and oil, and other combuftibles. I ha-ve no doubt but this is.'the tin cate ; this box g,oes into it-, they were leparate when I found them. i^. What did you find elle befides thefe twb things ? Ruffell. A bottle, which appeared by the fmell to have held fpirits of turpentine, or fomcthing of that quality; and' there were fome common wooden matches, fuck as are generally fold at chandler's (hops, which I found lying in the Hemp-Houie juit by this tin canifter. i^. Whereabout in the Hemp-Houfe ? Ruffell. In the centre of the mow of hemp there were fome bundles of refufed hemp. There is certain hemp w'hich is refuied, which is not according to the con- tract, which is put by and is returned to the merchant; this was behind thofe bundles of hemp which were then in the very centre of the mow.behind feveral other bundles. Were thefe things eafy to be difcovered, or were they concealed ? Ruffell. They had the appearance of concealment. £>. Could they be difcovered without removing thofe bundles of hemp, behind' which they were put ? Ruffell. Not conveniently. There was a pafiage that went up at the end of the bundles of this hemp, and a perfon probably might have difcovered it. At the ends of the bundle of hemp, there is a little paffage ; a perfon might have gone up to the upper end of it and have difcovered this, if he had had any apprehenfions of fuch a thing. 4^. Was there any loofe hemp near it ? Ruffell. Yes, what we call dunnage; that is the refufe of the hemp which we generally lay at the bottom of the hemp to preferve it from any moifture that may arife from the foundation ; thofe combuftibles were laid upon that; there was alio fome brown paper; when we found all''thele, parts of the machine they were put together, and then made the appearance of a dark lantern; . there was fome brown paper laid near it, which appeared to have been tared ; when this thing was all united we put it upon the paper that was tarred, and the paper feemed as if it had been round this tin cafe; it feemed as if it had been thrown over the bundle, and by linking againft the mow of hemp, the parts had leparated ; that was the idea that I formed of the, matter. igi Then-you communicated it to the proper officer at the Dock-Yard? ,D Ruffell.$

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