London, Aug. 19.
No one will disagree with Mr. Justice Humphreys' inclination "to think that the limit of human en-has almost been reached in when at last the time came to sum up in the fire insur-|¥ou ance conspiracy" trial, which—will inly go. down in history as of the longest on record, and more like an Edggr Wallace novel than rear life.
'Sixteen persons \were charged—but six of them pleaded guilty halt way' through the trial, including Leopold Harris, generally believed to have deen the directing Proceedings. before the magistrate took 26 days, and at the Old Bailey 88, Over 160,000 "documents were used at the trial and the Judge's summing up Tasted 12)" hours, Fourteen, different fires were ex: amined, but probably' these were not nearly all' that were. actually perpetrated. According to" some, the" insurance companies "Were swindled out of £500,000, 'The method was, broadly, take promises, fil them up with worthless. stock calling' the whole by some imposing name, such as, one instance in Manchester, the Fabriques. de. Soleries, Lid.—overinsure, and start a fire, Surveyors and ah accountant (who came for a special tongue-lashing' by the Sudge) "were in the plot, so" that the insurance companies were hel Tess. On the report of one surveyor Ball, £22,000 was paid.
According to' the "Daily Telegraph," the hero of the piece solicitor named" Crocker, who for underwriters, itis was been largely em Piclons being aroused, he. hi ed the amateur detective for years past setting agents to a the conspirators and gradually cunnulating evidence against. them. Witimately: one "of the gang, Ttalian named Capsoni, came £0, Me. Crocker and gave away the whole story. Why "he did. this is" not revealed, but one may guess that, he felt the net closing and decided to et out from under.
Capzoni the Judge said gniign, Casson is, wre dangerous. rim mot accomplice, He isa iwickediese which is entirely his own. Me is that most dangerous able type of eriminal—a But all Capsoni's statements wore proved up to the hilt by other evidence. The callousness with which he betrayed his associates was only equalled by the brutality with which he had forced his wretched wife to do the actual firing.
The judge suggested that if ever h_a batch of prisoners appeared gain it might be possible them by twos and threes wit different juries. For, the moment, hho could do no more than think the jurors for their patience them from service for the rest their lives end prosont the thre women who had served. with bouquets of roses and carnations.
The sentences passed on the: guilty men mounted in all to 199 Years" imprisonment, but of course this included several that run con: currently,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.