The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-10-28 00:00:00

FUNERAL OF SERGEANT DENTY.

On Thursday the mortal remains of the late
Sergeant Denty, who, as we noticed in our last
impression, met with his death by a target falliefon
hiin which he was endeavouring to remove, during
the prize rifle shooting contest, were conveyed to
their last resting place at the cemetery. Within the
memory of that wide-awake and knowing personage
"the oldest inhabitant" such a sight had never been
witnessed in Yeovil as that which presented itself
on the occasion of the burial of the deceased sergeant--
this being the first military funeral which has taken
place in the cemetery since the rifle corps has been
established. The corps, in order to show their best
mark of respect, decided on following Inin to the
grave, and numbered very strongly. The time
appointed for the mournful ceremony was
four o'clock, but long before that time the route
to the cemetery was crowded with spectators.
Shortly after four o'clock the rifle corps, under the
command of Captain Messiter, together with
Ensign Watts and Hon. -Assistant-Surgeou Tom kyns,
marched from the Corn Exchange to the Butcher's
Arms, where the deceased was lying, and the body
was placed on a bier. The band of the corps was in
attendance, under the able management of Band-
master Loafing, and played The Dead March in
Saul" in a manner which reflected great credit on
all engaged. Tho firing party numbered IS, and
were under the command of Colour-Sergeant Chaffin.
Every member of the eorps wore a piece of crape
on his arm, and the drums were muffled. The ,
mournful cortege then formed in procession, in the
following order:
Firing party, with arms reversed.
The
Knsioners.

The coffin, wheeled i3Y—s-ix—Orthe rifle corps, the pall
being borne by tour of the sergeants. On the t3p of
the coffin. were the deceased's shack° and sword.

Relations and friends of the deceased.
Riflo Corps.
Colour-Sergeant Groves, the late drill-instructor of the
corps, and Bcrgcant If swiea of the Royal Marines.
Essizn Watts. Hon. Assiaant-Surgeon Tomkius.
. .

Captain Bessiter. -
As the cortege wended its way through Kingston the
street was crowded with spectators, and the proces-
gen was truly a melancholy one, and many were the
tears that were shed for the lamentable and sudden
death cf the sergeant, and for the little orphans who
were so quickly deprived of a father's love and
care. The solemn and beautiful music of the Dead
March, tho slow and measured steps of the rifle
corps, the reversed pieces of the firing party, all
tended to make the affair :a heart-stirring one.
Onwards the procession slowly wended its way,
becoming larger and larger, and on its arrival at the
cemetery the concourse of spectators was immense,
both inside and outside the gates. Before, however,
the procession had reached the cemetery, great
indignation was expressed by the mob outside at
not being allowed to enter, whilst a "favoured few"
were allowed to do so, and at one time the gates had
been forced open, but the police succeeded in secur-
ing thorn again. However, upon Supt. Smith's arrival,
he by his usual courtesy and forbearance soon suc-
ceeded in putting the matter straight, and before
the procession arrived order was restored. After
it had passed in, the gates were attempted to be
closed by the police, hut their efforts were in vain,
and the mob rushed in. The cortege was met by
the Rev. It. bilallock, the chaplain to the corps,
who officiated for the Rev. J. Elliot, and who pro-
eceded to read the beautiful Church of England
service appointed for the burial of the dead, in a
very solemn and impressive manner. After the
coffin had been borne from the cemetery chapel, it
was taken to the grave, and lowered to its last
meting place, after which the firing party were
ordered to advance, and three volleys were fired
over the soldier's grave, muffled drums beating at
intervals. It is computed that between 4,000 and
5,000 spectators were present. The rifle corps then
left the cemetery, the band playing " The Heavens
are Telling" and proceeded to the armoury, when

Captain Messiter very feelingly commented on the
death of the deceased sergeant, and pointed out
the uncertainty of life, and how essential it was
that they should live in a fit state to die. No one
knew that the poor man, who only two days before,
was at his duty, would in so sudden a manner be
called to his last account. He hoped they would
take warning by this accident, for it showed that in
the midst of life we are in death. The Captain then
informed the corps that the deceased hail left three
children, aged respectively five, seven, and eight
years, and it was intended if possible to secure them
admission into some orphan asylum. We are glad
to observe that subscription cards have been freely
circulated among the members of the corps, at the
banks, and at tho railway stations, and we cannot
but Acme that a good sum will be collected for the
young orphans.
CREWKERNE.—VESTRY MEETING. —A vestry
meeting was hold at the parish church on Friday, to
take into consideration what measures should be
taken to prepare the valuation lists under the Union
Assessment Act. A committee was appointed to
act with the churchwardens and overseers in pre-
paring the now Valuation Act of the parish. The
present mode of announcing parish meetings being
so imperfect that only a few parishioners, except on
very special occasions, were aware of a meeting, it
was resolved to advertise them in future.—Cosirau-
nicated.
On Sunday two sermons were preached in aid of
the distressed operatives in the North at the
Wesleyan Chapel, by the Rev. Mr. Williams. The
rev, gentleman's discourses were very impressive,
and he made an earnest appeal for the distressed
operatives, and collections were made amounting to
£2. I Is. 44d. We understand that on Sunday
sermons were preached in aid of the same object
in every chapel in conference, and no doubt a con-
siderable sum Was collected for so noble and
good a cause.
CHARD.—Tns NATIONAL SCHOOLS.—On Sunday
sermons were preached in aid of these schools, in tho
morning by the Rev. Henry Thompson, M.A., the
vicar, in the afternoon by tho Rev. R. Ford, 8.A.,
curate of Wansbrook, and in the evening by the
Rev. F. E. Allen, M.A., head master of St.
Andrew's College, Chardstock, and on this occasion
full choral service was performed, and in a manner
which reflected great credit upon • the organist and
choir. Each gentleman earnestly pleaded the cause
, of the schools, and a liberal response was given to
1 their appeal.
ACCIDENT. A young man, named Edwin
Channing, who is employed in Messrs. Wheatley's
1 lace faotory, mot with a serious accident on Thurs-
day, by his hand becoming entangled in the
machinery, causing it to be crushed in a shocking
mannar.

TAUNTON.—Turf LANCASHIRE RELIEF
On Monday a public meeting of the inhabitants of
the town of Taunton, convened by requisition, was
held at the Market House, for the purpose of taking
such steps as might be considered necessary in order
to raise contributions in aid of the fund for the relief
of the distressed operatives in Lancashire and York-
shire. The high sheriffs of the borough (Mr.
Edward Bcadon and Mr. W. B. flellard) presided,
and were supported by an influential assemblage.
Upwards of £lOO was collected in the room, and
arrangements were made for canvassing the town
for subscriptions. About ES° has been collected
for the same purpose at the various churches in the
town, and the dissenting places of worship have con-
tributed upwards of £l3O.

BURRINGTON.—" I MANURE IT WITH MY
BRAINS."-At the Barrington (North Devon) plough-
ing match, on Tuesday, Mr. John Daw, a well-
known agriculturist of Exeter, said —"A: farmer
who had a field opposite mine met me one day and
said, 'How do'ee manage it, air; why you have got
the beet crop in the parish, and your field isn't
worth 15s. per acre." I manure it with my brains,
I said.' At which the farmer looked up in my
face and said, Lor-a-massy, air, where do 'ee get
em ;' " Mr. Daw thought that farmers should con-
eider the sort of manure best suited for lands,
hence the astonishment of the "Johnny Raw" at
the answer.

BRISTOL.—Tux Corrox FAMINE.—Tho workers
at the Great Western Cotton Factory, Bristol, who
number about 1,600, have for some weeks been
working short time, and by the partial stoppage
have lost £12,000 in wages. It has been announced
that in the course of a fortnight the works will be
closed entirely. Messrs. Ames, Bush, and Co., the
proprietors, have hitherto relieved the unemployed,
none of whom have sought parish help, as the firm
have liberally given two days' wages per week to
the unemployed. The Mayor, Mr. John Flare, has
convened a meeting of the citizens, to consider what
steps shall be taken for relieving the unemployed
workers in cotton factories generally, and in Bristol
in particular. At a preliminary meeting the Mayor
has put down his name for .£5O; Messrs. Fenzil
and Co., .£5OO, Mr. George Thomas, £lOO, klessrs.
C. Thomas, Brothers, £5O, &c. The working
Men's Committee have resolved that one-sixth of the
sum they have already collected, exceeding £6O,
shall be sent to the north, the remainder being
reserved for Bristol The Bristol Histrionic Club
are also about to give a dramatic and musicial
entertainment at the Victoria Rooms, Clifton, one-
third of the proceeds of which are to be devoted
to the Lancashire fund, and the other two-thirds to
that which is being raised for Bristol. An applica-
tion is also to be made to the Lord Bishop of
Glocester and Bristol, with a view of obtaining part
of the collections now being made throughout the
diocess for home purposes.
SOMERSETSIIIRE MAGISTRATES. Among the
gentlemen who took the oaths and qualified at the
last quarter sessions of the county, held at Wells,
were Mr. William Gale Coles, Victoria Square,
Clifton, and Mr. Robert Castle, Clove Court, and
late of Clifton. Both will act in the Ashton
division.

-
TRH LATE EXTRAORDINARY CASE OP CHILD Et-
SERTION AT BRISTOL—A STRANGE SEQUEL—It will ho
remembered that a few weeks ago we published some
particulars of a ease of alleged child desertion, from
which it appeared that a young lady (married), residing
in Bristol, had become the unwilling recipient of the
child of a woman whose name was unknown. The
story, as told by the young woman, was that she mot,
in one of the catriagen on the Great Weatern Railway,
a female with a baby in her arms, and that this female
asked her to "take the baby" for a few minutes,
which rhe did. The artful mother shortly afterwards
disappeared, and the child, being left with the young
lady, was brought by her to Bristol and taken home
with her. Subsequently the child was removed to St.
Peter's Hospital, where it has since remained. On
Friday the very strange affair assumed a new and still
stranger aspect. At a meeting of the guardians a
woman residing in Chatterton-street, Bristol, came for-
ward and stated positively that the young lady was her-
self the mother of the child. She said she knew this
because the young woman had been confined at her
house about 11 months ago. This witness, if we may
call her such, said she had not seen the child since it was
throe inntlis old, but after she examined it she said
she could swear to it among ten thousand as the same
child of which the young woman was confined, The
young lady and her father wore in attendance, and the
former denied all knowledge of the woman who thus
accused her of being the mother of the child, and the
father declared it was a conspiracy got up by a woman
who was "jealous" of his daughter. In the course of
the proceedings the young woman fainted, and had to
be taken out of the room. The husband of the
woman living in Chatteiton-street, at whose house the
young woman is said to have been confined, was sent
for, and he recognised her, and told the same story as
his wife. Some of the guardians wished the girl's
father to take the child with him ; but lie, being con-
vinced that there is a conspiracy in the matter, reso-
lutely refused, alleging that he was prepared to prove
by independent witnesses that his daughter was at home
when she was said to have been at the house of the
woman in Chatterton-street. Hero for the present the
affair rests, but we are informed that the subject will
be brought before the magistrates.