Dave O
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Apologies if I am posting this in the wrong place; this general forum seemed like the best fit. I was scanning pipe-related pieces from the Times of London and came across the following mishap that I thought I would share with you.
The major's trousers must have been absolutely blazing by the time he awoke from what was an apparently dead sleep.
From the Times May 15 1953:
An action was settled in the Queen’s Bench Division before Mr. Justice Slade yesterday in which it was alleged that the defendant fell asleep in his ground-floor flat while smoking a pipe, and that the pipe fell and set fire to his trousers, and resulted in the whole house being burned down. The defendant, Major Reginald Cave, of the Junior Carlton Club, Pall Mall, was sued for damages by the owner of the house, Mrs. Muriel du Bois Sprake, of Redcliffe Place, Earl’s Court, S.W. He denied liability.
Mr. W.R. REES-DAVIES, for the plaintiff, said she and her husband were in effect in March, 1952, running a lodging house in Redcliffe Place. Major Cave had been a tenant for some years. At 4 a.m. on March 19 he fell asleep. When he discovered the fire he rushed out leaving all the doors open—the worst thing that he could do.
Later Mr. Rees-Davies said that the parties had come to terms, and asked for judgment to be entered for the plaintiff for £450 with no order for costs.
His LORDSHIP said that they had been extremely well advised, as it appeared to him that Major Cave had no defence. He felt considerable sympathy for Major Cave. It was the sort of thing that could happen to anyone, and he had taken the right course by at once admitting responsibility and apologizing to everyone.
The major's trousers must have been absolutely blazing by the time he awoke from what was an apparently dead sleep.
From the Times May 15 1953:
MAJOR “FELL ASLEEP
SMOKING PIPE”
__________
HOUSE BURNT DOWN
SMOKING PIPE”
__________
HOUSE BURNT DOWN
An action was settled in the Queen’s Bench Division before Mr. Justice Slade yesterday in which it was alleged that the defendant fell asleep in his ground-floor flat while smoking a pipe, and that the pipe fell and set fire to his trousers, and resulted in the whole house being burned down. The defendant, Major Reginald Cave, of the Junior Carlton Club, Pall Mall, was sued for damages by the owner of the house, Mrs. Muriel du Bois Sprake, of Redcliffe Place, Earl’s Court, S.W. He denied liability.
Mr. W.R. REES-DAVIES, for the plaintiff, said she and her husband were in effect in March, 1952, running a lodging house in Redcliffe Place. Major Cave had been a tenant for some years. At 4 a.m. on March 19 he fell asleep. When he discovered the fire he rushed out leaving all the doors open—the worst thing that he could do.
Later Mr. Rees-Davies said that the parties had come to terms, and asked for judgment to be entered for the plaintiff for £450 with no order for costs.
His LORDSHIP said that they had been extremely well advised, as it appeared to him that Major Cave had no defence. He felt considerable sympathy for Major Cave. It was the sort of thing that could happen to anyone, and he had taken the right course by at once admitting responsibility and apologizing to everyone.