Petty Session: Late Rick Burning; Case: — Frederick Quick and Charles Quick, aged respectively 9 and 7, sons of a porter on the railway, living at Hackney, were charged with setting fire to a corn rick the property of Gilbert and Ann (brother and sister) at Were Barron, Kingsteignton, on the 10th inst. Mr. Creed appeared for defendants. Mr. Pinsent stated that he had 13 ricks of wheat and two of oats in Clay Park; on the morning of the 10th he was told they were on fire and when he went out he found six in a blaze, the wind was blowing so fresh it was impossible to save any of them and the whole 13 were consumed. He valued them at £500, they were insured in the Royal Farmers’ Office for £350. Elizabeth Jenkins Pascoe, servant to Mr. Pinsent said her master came home about 9 o’clock on the evening before the fire; he told her to take out a box of matches that was in the carriage, in doing so she let them fall all about and didn’t pick them up again. On coming to the house for milk, from Hackney, they passed through the field where the ricks were. James Boarder proved to finding the cover of a matchbox near the ricks similar to the one Mr. Pinsent said he told the servant to take out of the carriage. P.C, Cuming, Henry Carnell, P.C. Sampson, Mary Isabella Pinsent, Selina Carnell, and others also gave evidence that left no doubt it was the children that committed the disastrous offence, and for which the elder one was committed for trial, bail being accepted. The younger one was discharged.
Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive
Referenced
GRO0369 Hennock: Gilbert Pinsent: 1840 – 1918