The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-01-14 00:00:00

ACCIDENTS AND OFFENCES.

MURDER. —A sad 0888 of murder was brought
before the Thames police magistrate on Tuesday.
A bricklayer's labourer, named Samuel Howard after
coming home from a hard day's work, fonnd the
woman with whom he cohabited in a state of intoxi-
cation, and no food provided for him. Idadened by
these circumstance he knocked the woman down and
kicked and beat her till the died, and ..then went to
sleep with the mangled body of his victim in the
room. In the morning he called in the police,
when he was himself taken into
_monody. The case
was remanded for a week.

The most important cases before the present sitting of
the Central Criminal Court were tried` on Wearier/14y.,
First of an came the trial of Mary Arne HamfthoM
charged with the murder of her infant child. There'
was no doubt of her having committed the murder—
indeed she was ths first to gireinforination of her Wilt ;
but it was proved that the family were, and bad for
some time been, in the most pitiable state of deatitetimi,
and evidence was given to show that these eireithisbartees
had affected her mind. The ism), took that view of the
ease, and acquitted her of the ground of insanity. In
the New Court the burglars, and all but Murderers of
an old lady at Paddington, whose we haulms go often
before the public were brought to trial, and after •
lengthened investigation were fogad gailty,and sentenced
—the men to penal servitude for life, mod the amnia to
four years. Two men of the name of Grey, father and
eon, who a few years ago were extensive merchant& at
Newcastle-on-Tyne, were placed at the bar charged with
forging orders for the delivery of goods. The trial was
a very long one, but it ended in the jug finding the
elder prisoner gnat*, hut recommending him to mercy,
and they acquitted the younger prisoner. Barth Martin,
taking the prisoner's age and the jury's recommendation 1
into account, sentenced him to nine months' imprison-
went and hard labour.
SINGULAR AND EXTRAORDINARY Aerate. —On
Saturday night, about seven o'clock, • mu named
James Brindley, residing in Providence-street, Horsley
Heath, was found in • state of insensibility on some
sleepers by the silo of the railway line, within about
sixty yards of the South Staffordshire Railway station.
A pointsman named Worth discovered Brindley, and he
communicated with the police. Mr. Garman, surgeon,
was sent for, and after a little time the unfortunate
man partially recovered consciousness. He then stated
that he worked as a dresser at the foundry of Mr.
Sinnuel Mills, at Darhuston, from which place he booked
to Tipton through Walsall. The train by which be
came left Walsall about 6.40, and was due at Weddell.
bury, at 6.47, and he says that as he got into • mead
class carriage at Wallah he was followed by thew weilk
dressed men, who wore dark clothes. Immediately the
train began to move, the man who was mated beside
him, attacked, andoommenoed robbing him. The other
men assisted, and they beat him, threw him down,
and took 91. from him. He does not remember any-
thing more until he found himself at Wecineithury
station, being attended to by Mr. Garman
,and the
oohs*. What seems very singular is, that ail his
money was not taken, but that 75. was left in his
pocket. The affair hiss created some exeitenteit, as, if
the man's tale is true he must either have got out of
the train, or been thrown out while it wail in 100°14
and it seems almost miraculous that he wee sot:killed.
He was conveyed to his home by train on Saturday,
and he DOW lie. there suffering very mush from the in-
juries he has received, othiMaining very 'inneh of his
back. He has the character of being a Mali of very
sober habite, which induces. • belief that his statement
is true, and that he has been the victim of a most
diabolical outrage. The police are on the alert, and it
Is hoped that some elucidation ef thie mystery will
speedily be found.
Snip ox Flag in ecusozonas • ilummm.=,The
greatest excitement prevailed about one o'clock *is
Tuesday morning in the harbourOf Seorboreigi, ant in
the lower part of the town, in consequent* of elreibet
was discovered on board the fine sphooner Albino,
Captatil Langhorne. The fire had evidently tient
burnMg some time before it was discovered, and
confined itself to the lower part of the veseelothieb MOE
completely destroyed from the stern to thrhold.: Ertl
then broke out at the cabin hatch, and through thedeek.
The greatest (earn were entertained for the thins mad%
craft aground in the immediate vicinity of the fire, and
much excitement was felt on account of • poor lad who
was known to be on board, asleep in his bed, in the very:
part of the vessel the flames were now reaching. After
some difficulty in attempting to reach him, he was
rescued from death in a state of great exhauation, bepsfi
nearly suffocated by the smoke. Had he remained • mr
minutes longer he would have perished. It is not known
how the fire occurred, but • searching inquiry is to be
made, as certain circumstances lead to the supposition
that the fire had been the work of an incendiary. Had
it broken out at the bead of the vessel the damage or
destruction of other property would have been inevitable,
and that to a large extent, as the wind would have
caused the flames from the burning ship to communicate
with the rest. One very sumennone circumstance has
come to light—viz., that while the fire brimsde were
playing on the flames, the hose was cut and ne y
severed by some minion yet unknown.
FATAL Small EXPLOSTON.—A boiler explosio ,
attended with fatal results, took place near Newcastle-
on-Tyne, on Tuesday. The boiler was used for colliery
purposes, and had only been in use for a few months.
Two men were killed by the explo.ion, and three others
injured seriously. For one of the injured there was no
hope of recovery. The force of the explosion carried
the pieces of the boiler to • great distance.

HOIMID BRUTA.LITY.—A horrible case of brutality is
reported from Hull. A Ittuisian ship, it is said, arrived
in dock et that port, and It WWI ascertained that a boy
on board had been brutally treated by his master. The
authorities made inquiries, and found the report true.
The boy, only eleven years of age, was a mass of bruises,
caused by the captain's ill-usage; and the worst part of
the case is that there is no remedy against the master,
in consequence of the injuries being inflicted on the high
seas. The Russian Ambassador in London has been
communicated with.

SHOCKING OCCURRENCE AT YORK.—On Wedneeday
afternoon a very painful sensation was produced in the
neighbourhood of the Militia Barracks in Lowther-
street, York, in comrequenoe of Quartermaster-Sergeant
George Wheeler having been found shot in the guard-
room, which is in the bairrack-yard, adjoining the street.
Sergeant G. Hewitt, of the 2nd West York Infantry,
to which regiment the deceased belonged, had to be on
duty at ten o'clock, at the barracks He, however;
went there shortly before that hour' and, seeing the
guardroom door partly open, be wont into the room,
when he was horrified to find laid on the floor, in a
pool of blood, the dead body of Wheeler. Sergeant
Hewitt immediately gave the alarm, and several per-
sons went into the room. A long Enfield rifle was found
lying by the side of the body of the unfortunate man,
and at no great distance from hint • bullet, which,
having passed through his head, had struck the ceiling,
which was deeply indented, and fallen upon thellloor.
A string had been fastened to the trigger, and thee can
be no doubt that, after he had placed the muscle of the
rifle to his month, he bad pulled the string to sane the
piece to explode. A report wee beard about twenty
minutes before ten o'clock, but no notice was taken of
it at the time. The deceased bad charge of the stores,
and would therefore cliave every opportunity of obtain-
ing the ammunition with which to commit the rash act.
He is said to have been in a desponding state of mind
for some months past, and complained of his head.
At the Bow-street Polioe-court on.Thuraday, Benjamin
Robinson M'Leurin, the chief mate of an. American
vessel called the Ganges, was examined on • charge of
murdering a seaman named John Williams. The.wit-
nesse. for the prosecution deposed that the prisoner
struck deceased on the head with • "heaver," and that
he attributed his death to the injuries thereby sustained
On the other hand, Richard Evans the captain, and
Joseph Gellagban, the second mete, declared that
William's death was occasioned by an attack of dysentry.
The prosecutor in the case being the American Consul,
Mr. Hall committed the prisoner to the HOUMS of
Detention, to await the Secretary of State's warrant for
his extradition to the American authorities, to be re-
moved to the United States for trial.
EXTRAORDINARY GAME LAW DECISION.—The follow-
ing account of a case heard before the magistrates
Means. F. Evers and J. G. Ley, at Wordaley, on Mon-
day, carries with it its own moment. Job Hickman, •
bricklayer's labourer, Man charged with night poaching
on Friday, the 3rd instant, on land belonging to the
Earl of Dudley. Mr. Burbury prosecuted; and Mr,
Bartlett (of Wolverhampton) defended. John Addis,
gamekeeper in the employ of lord Dudley, deposed
that he was watching Naah's Coppice, at Sedgley, about
five o'clock on the morning in question, when he saw the
defendant and another man passing along, defendant
having a gun in his hand. When they saw witness, they
bashed into the coppice, and a gun was fired. After-
wards witness came up with defendant, and took him
into custody. There was another keeper named Hartle,
and an under-keeper, in company with witness at the
time he apprehended defendant. In croaa-examination
by Mr. Bartlett, he said it was a dark morning, and he
was some yards distant from defendant, but he (Addis)
could swear to the man. Hartle oorroboratmlthe state -
meet made by Addis, but acknowledged that when be
took the gun from the defendaat the latter was on •
bridle road leading to l'en-oommon. There was no
ramrod, no powder, and no shot found. Crops-examined
When taken, defendant said it was a fine thing to rob'
man on the highway like that, and he would make him
(witness) pay for it. Mr. Bartlett, for the defence, said
he could show that the defendant had no intention of
poaching. He was simply taking his gun to Wolvet-.
hainpton, where he worked, to have the, look
repaired. The evidence that he did not intend poach
lug was to be found in the face that he had heithele
ramrod, powder, nor shot, and the gun (prodeoed) wee
an old one, with a very much-damaged look. Doren-
dent's father-in-law, with whom he lived, was theft
called. He stated that on the morning referred to de-
fendant got up, and before he went out he asked
witness, who had been a lock-maker, if he could mend
the lock °this gun. Witness replied that he could not
make a good job of it, but be amid get it done in
Wolverhampton for Is. Defendant then took the
gun with him. Samuel Meredith deposed to tOCOM•
panying defendant a quarter of • mile on the road to
work before he met the keepers, and no gun was fired
by them. In cross-examination be admitted having
been convicted of " rabbitiug" twelve years ago.., It
was agreed that defendant had always borne a good
character, and had never been convicted of anything
before. Still the bench considered the case made out ;
but as there was nopreviona case against him they said
they would only sentence him to six weeks' imprisonment
instead of the full term. At the conclusion of that
term lie would be required to find two sureties in
Eh, and he bound himself in £lO, to be of good be-
haviour for twelve months. Mr. Bartlett gave notice
of appeal against the decision.—Birmitmkant Daily
Post.

GREAT FIRE AT LIRDS.—By a terrible fire which
broke out here on Thursday, the Whitehall Road
Works were reduced to a shell. The premises, four
storeys in height, and tweirty-three "Andean' iitilength,
occupied three sides of a quadrangle, and they were
variously occupied by Messrs. Gallon and Rein, iron-
mongers, Mr. Roberts, and a woollen • manufacturer.
The fire is supposed to have originated in the woollen
department, at the south corner, and the roof of the
two principal buildings fell in before eleven o'clock.
The amount of damage is not ascertained, lint we
'belie:we the premises were only the day before com-
pletely insured in a Northern office. Thousandw of
people lined the banks of the Midlaed and the
Northern Railways, between which lines the premises
are situated. The damage is estimated at between
£12,000 to c.. 15,000.