The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-08-28 00:00:00

To the Editor of the Dorset County Ericress and
A uric-unfold Gazette.

you kindly allow me a small space in your
widely circulated and influential piper, to make a few
remarks on the care of Rerafall v. the Maiden Newton
Lodge of am Fellows ; the peculiar circumstances of
which care. notwithstanding the correspondence which
has passed in two of your contemporaries, are undoubt-
edly open to much animadversion.
There isastrong feeling amongst the Odd Fellowshere,
that Mr. Rendall's conduct towards the Lodge was not
at the time of its formation straightforward and candid,
and them is reason to believe that lie was not and is not
a well-wisher to the institution. These apprehensions
were especially confirmed by the language and demean-
our of Mr. Rendall at the meeting of the 12th of July,
when it was impossible to mistake the a11i14114 with
which he was influenced.
If any doubt remained in the public mind as to the
existence of these facto, it would be in a great measure
dispelled by the published correspondence, especially
by the letters of Mr. Kendall himself. And it is
fortunate that lie ha ii seen fit to " rush into print,"
for there is no escape from the "fix" into which • man
often gets by the force of " black and white ;" and
it Li our intention to show that he there stands self-
condemned.
.hall show that his letters are, throughout, loose,
prevaricating, and disingenuous—a perfect reflex, in
fact, of that particular conduct of which the Odd
Fellow:, so justly complain.
m Mr. Re all was solicited to accept the appointment
of the medical officer to this Lodge sometime previous to
its formation. He was of course at liberty to accept or
decline the proposition —to entertain it or otherwise.
There could be uothing like an attempt at " coercion,"
which Mr. Holdall foolishly intimates. Well, he
replies to the respectable pemons who waited upon hitu
to the effect, that the appointment would not pay bin;
but adds, that when they had succeeded in enrolling "a
" number of the industrious classes—working mechanics
"—and labouring nieu," then, Ii! then, generous Mr.
Kendall "would do all he could to assist them."
This is Mr. Itendiall's own statement. The issue of the
interview with the deputation from the embryo-Lodge
is stated to be—that " Mr. Itendall promised to give the
"proposal consideration." This statement is nowhere
denied by Mr. Mendell. What follows: the eidablish-
. anent of the Lodge is proceeded with, and everything
ready to give vitality and usefulness to it; but the ex-
amination of the members by a surgeon, previous to
their adniimion, is an imperative rule of this Society.
Several members elect assemble to form the nucleus of a
numerous branch Lodge, and are only awaiting the co-
operation, or the formal services, of a medical man. Now
conies the period when Mr. Itendall's conduct should be
closely watched, in order to judge whether or nut he
was really actuated with any sort of prejudice or
will towards the Society. On the assembling of the
proper officers, with the candidatea, a message was meet
to invite his atteinhuice ; lie Iva. out at the time and
did not return I • until about It) o'clock, when he
was again communicated with, and then it was lie said,
" lie not think he should have anything to do with
" the Society"--his reason being that he should be
"calling his own threw:' Then the der was out.
But though lie declined to become the medical attendant
of the Lodge, be assented to the proposal to "examine"
tho members and grant the necessary certificates. He
afterwards suggisita very grave doubts about the stability
and good management of the Society ; for this was the
obvious effect of the solemn caution be gave to a person
who asked him his opinion about it; and it was
unquestionably with this object that he called to mind
the story of the blind man, and the "sham and
delneion" of • defunct Society, between which and
the Odd Fellows there was at least the insidious sugges-
tion of a possible analogy.

.•.....

So much for Mr. Rend&Ws affection. for t rajd
Fellows, as a body regard for los own pokt,„
ant the character of the respectable meinben 1,0,0 4
examine-I (by merely asking the question, " rt
soluid!") is sufficiently shown by II: published
two, that, with the exception of ohe Illotteet,
"not been Mkt." Here, Sir, we will say is aWm t
attempt to cast discredit upon the members af flu
Lodge, the impression inevitably produced heing, t huh.
can't get his money. The understandnut had wit h gir
Randall was. that "be would be pleased to send ih.'
"bill for the examinations and certificate., an. 1 U:
"members would discharge it." " Mr. Readall a 3a„bi.
' to this." Mr. Kendall has sent in no bill, nor mad.
appliestion for payment ; yet lie turns round and as,:
publicly, "You have not paid me ;" and than ei
your,, to fasten a most unmerited stigma upon apt ght,
honest men.
We will say, with reference to the whole of Mr lteh.
dall's conduct, that it is a " cut.threat" 244
he would have been well pleased to strangle this Lod,
of hltl Fellows at ita birth; and having failed to do
this he would destroy, as far as in him lies, public
fidence and respect for the Society as a body;
nothing loth to cast reflections, even, upon the mum,
honesty of its member..
The Lodge will thrive, however, inspite of the selfish.
ammo, the injustice, an the animosity of Mr.
Whose withering breath
Would blast our new-born hope.
We are, Sir,
Yogis respectfully,
ROBERT ISARCOMBE.
TOM itOIIERTS.

Maiden Newton,
Aug. 25, 1860.

SHOCKING MURDER IN THE QUEEN'S PAM
EDINBURGH.

On Sunday week, falsest 4 o'clock, the body of a pi
naiad Elizabeth Slater, was found in the Queen's Park
near llo',veal, bearing marks i 4 violence which hit zin
doubt that she had been the victim of a foul and atroci.
Otte murder. The deceased was respectably connected
bating residcvl svith her uncle, Mr. Andrew Slater a
slate, by took, in St. John's-street, Canongate,
burgh. She left her home, unknown to her relative..
about 4 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, carrying • bundle
of her clothing, Anil her absence from home that night
led to munch, but in lavailing, searching on the part of
her friends, aided hy an officer of police. According to
her uncle's statement, she was only II years old. though
her appearance wouldkinlea: blioatahetablecelniefotah:t. slorhe
was 14
or 15. Her vastly., foe leaving home has not been ex.
ofockheirns:hneceilleaighv-isntgreehttenweisra
plained, her frientlx mews 'ling that no quarrel or mis-
understanding of any
e hit
trace
beingthat aes.
tm9adoe,st.
nuttier of the I:tth Light 11.) raflmmas from Illerthill Ban
racks. She was next seen, mmording to the testimeay
yet collected. shortly after an.'dnight in the company „y
two Dragoons, one of them a corporal. She was also
seen about two o'clock on Sund.ty morning by the sen-
tries on duty in the front of 11°111.00d Palace and at the
south gate Of the palace prilene and lastly she was
seen in company of three nibblers in tbo
Park behind the Palace by • man whom abo
scoosted end asked the way to If usselburgb.
This man saw one of the soldiers rtriking her with
switch, which caused her to cry, and int,”Posing theta,.
wished to part company with them, he pointed oert t.
her the way leading out of the Park at Croft-Are*,
She followed him for a short distance in the direetnie
which he had indicated, but suddenly she turned aglui
and rejoined the soldiers, and was seen to go, away wish
them triting one of them by the arm, and all of them
proceeding towards that part of the Park where the body-
was found. At 4 o'clock her dead body was discovered
near the row of trees that fringe the military parade.
, ground. Her face was blackened and disfiger.sl, the
. bridge of her nose wan broken, and marks .4 attempted
strangulation were found on her throat. Whether any
criminal momult was made on her person remains to be
cleared up bv the pat- marten' examination. At 20'clock
on Sunday tile regiment were paraded at Pienhill Pep
racks in presence of several witnesses who had aeen the
girl in the soldiers' company, but no one could be ides.
tilled by them. Four wen were at this tittle absent, and
for these an immediate search WAS made throughout the
town by the police, and between 3 and 4 o'clock two of
the absentees were apprehended. (Inc of them, named
John Tanner, was identified- AI having been one of the
Dragoons seen in company oo the deceased, and lie has
been committeeh for trial on tl se charge of murder, and
the other, John Quin, who w IA not so identified, has
been detained for further ex. sninatiou. The utmost
exertions are being used by Hi e police to clear up the
mysterious circumstances connect ed with the affair.
71ns posf-morlem examination Of the body was com-
pleted on Wednesday morning, an.: a report given in by
the medical men to the authorities The details have
not been allowed to transpire, but it is said that it cox.
firms what was previously only a dark though generally
entertained suspicion—that the murde.• of the unfortn.
nate girl was preceded by a criminal Kan' ult. A number
of additional witnesses were examined on Tuesday by the
Procurator-Fiscal, including the uncle and aunt .4 the
deceased. From inquiries made at Piers hill, it seems
that the two private soldiers—named C.avanagh and
Barr—who are still missing from the ban sick*, disap-
peared, the fortner on the Monday, and the ot'ber on the
Ntoreduesiday before the perpetration of the murder.
They have not been beard of in town since, imoi it is
therefore considered extremely unlikely that they :lave
been mixed up in any way in this deplorable &fair.
Tanner, who is in custody on the charge, and Quin, elle
Iwieatstdedin ahs oing")::iPtanh him, when
ina,had"rroredgon' s soil
was *Plet
t 011 passe-
s and consequently should have returned to the
barracks before ten o'clock on that fatal night. On
Tuesday, a woman who like many others had gone to men
the spot where the occurrence took place, picked up •
button Iron, the grouna, belonging to the 13th Lights
Dragoons, within a few ,yanls of the foot of the tree
near which the body was discovered. The button is.
now, we believe, in the hands of the authorities.

On Saturday morning an order was given for the
liberation of the priuotter Tanner, it being considered by
the authorities that no evidence sufficient to justify lin
committal had lwen obtained. The absence of identi-
fication of the prisoner within three hours before the
murder, and the fact that on his clothing no trace of
blood was to be found (which, considering the state in
which deceased was found, was to be expected on the
real culprit), left the authorities no alternative but to
lib..rete the prisoner. Evidence is wanting to connect
any other of the regiment (13th Dragoons) directly with
the atrocious deed, but the authorities are still active in
the investigation of the painful matter. The body of
the deceased was buried on Saturday.