The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-05-16 00:00:00

PIIDDLISTOWN.

SHOCKING IttITRLIER. OF A IypDLETOWN

-walk /7/1R Xmtiadi:-- -
iicoo4?.ROp Apl. 7,

We have been favoured with the following extracta
from an American paper. The murdered woman was
born in this village, of labouring parents, and had only
left the place a couple of years.
An event happened in thisquiet neighbourhood yesterday
morning that haat:rested a profound sensation of sympat
and astonishment A farmer named Christopher Witi
lived about three quarten of a mile from the small village
Kilmanagh, on the boundary line between the townships
of Chinguitcousy and Canton, and on the third concession
road in CaWon Last The man's relations, all respectable
people, lived in the neighbourhood, old settlers, and he
lived comfortably on his own farm. He had been married
about live mouths, and the family consisted of himself,
his wife, na Mary Mayne, and a little girl, who filled the
place of servant On the morning of Thursday last •
neighbour was surprised at the disturbed and unaccount-
able appearance of Ward, in perfect nudity save the socks
upon his feet The cause of the alarm was immediately
explained by his information and the spectacle of the
burning house about one hundred and fifty yards distant
The excited man related that he had made his escape from
the fire in that condition, and bad barely got off with his
life. An alarm was at once given among the neighbours,
and the first arrived at the burning ruins bad the evidence
confirmed ia • short ties, that the woman bad indeed
fallen a victim to the fire. They quenched the dames, and
proceeded to the work of gathering out what remained of
the body. The legs were burnt of to above the knees ; one
hand was found entire, but the arms were fallen of and
the head also, which 111 the search oould not be found at
all. Wain the epectators had recovered from the horror
of the event, end began to speculate on the circumstances,
they felt there were grounds for suspicion, that there
was more than accident in the event that had terminated
so fatally. It was remembered that the surviror, Ward,
had discovered some years age certain indications of
unsound mind, and it was remarked from one neighbour
to another that his conduct to the wife of a few monthshad not been uniformly kind. In looking for • motive
for such an act the more observant hinted that jealousy
was the predisposing cause. Many incidents that had
seemed too trivial for more than a mere passing notice
were now remembered that proved how watchful the
husband had been over every detail of the deceased wife's
conduct No other cause is assignable for the disagree-
ment& that existed between them. It is passible, however,
that these things may be exaggerated, and the man be
entirely innocent Mr. Thomas Sanderson, Poetniaster In
the village, sedated by two neighbours, had made the ex-
humation of the remains from the smouldering heap and
found fresh material for suspicion. On reaching the re-
mains, and scraping away the ashes from the side, he
found the blade of an ordinary butcher's knife, the handle
being burnt off. This was lying close by the portion of
the body. The news if the catastrophe wee rapidly spread
through the district around, &milt is net too much to say
that public opinion is adverse to the idea that it was only
an aecident. . .

correspondent writing from Kilmantril m ornApril 8,
says :—The inquiet was held at the house
Ward.enr. the fattier of Christopher Ward. the husband
of the woman who was burned to death on Thursday
morning last. The house that wee burned stood in an old
settlement, with farm homes bt every direction, and at
no great distance - that of Mr. Robert Davis., to which
Christopher Ward made his way in such distress on the
morning of Us fatal am being only about two hundred
yards distant The state otpublic opinion, weighing
horribly against Chrlstorber Ward, has not suffered any
abatement: and the evidence to-day, ot person who had
a more intimate knowledge of the domestic relations of
his household, tended to strengthen the impression theta
terrible mina had been committed before the house was
burned. Christopher Ward's own statement, that the
lamp had been lit, and that there had been an akin:ration
about three o'clock in the morning, taken in connection
with the statement of the demaaed woman that he had
threatened to take her life, seemed to point to the perpet-
ration of • crime. The suspected man has thus been living
at his father's since Thursday, and was present during the
hearing of evidence to-day. Re presented • strange
spectacle: his face being swollen and blistered with twee,
one arm also being a bandage, and it was said he had been
berried about the body. But it WS4 observed with some
curiosity that, although his features and brow were di*
figured in this wit), his hair was not even singed. He sat
at the table for the most time with his face on his arms,
which were laid on the table. He roused at intern/a to
make an observation, or speak to a witness, but be did
not discover any marks of grief at what had occurred.
The evidence was all beard, sad the f_ers were loft
to determine • verdict at half-pest eight They Wem out
about half an hour, and returned with a ladies that the
deceased Mary Ward MAW to her death be the eel of ass
husband. Chrlstcibai Ward. inertiar was made for his
arrest sad eoanndtmeat, and he was taken t:rsa=
Gaol, where he will lie awaiting trial at the apro
swims la May.

KORMITON.
Accinirr.—An accident betel a yomg man named
Albert Green, of Dickory Beaks, on Bedssy
Tbs man is employed at the runway station as porter,
and in crossing the line caught hie foot between the
signal wires, and falling down broke a leg. He eras
it once removed to the Dorset County Hospital,
when it wee discovered that two bones were broken.