Lastly, we have the "Unknown," to which 1323
cases are put down, one of the largest numbers in the entire list,
though decreasing year by year. Even of these a certain percentage
are supposed to be wilful. There is no denying that the crime of
arson owes its origin entirely to the introduction of fire insurance;
and there can be as little doubt that of late years it has been very
much increased by the pernicious competition for business among the
younger offices, which leads them to deal too leniently with their
customers; or, in other words, to pay the money, _and ask no
questions_. It is calculated that _one fire in seven which occur
among the small class of shopkeepers in London is an incendiary fire_.
Mr. Braidwood, whose experience is larger than that of any other
person, tells us that the greatest ingenuity is sometimes exercised to
deceive the officers of the insurance company as to the value of the
insured stock. In one instance, when the Brigade had succeeded in
extinguishing the fire, he discovered a string stretched across one of
the rooms in the basement of the house, on which ringlets of shavings
dipped in turpentine were tied at regular intervals.
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