The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-09-14 00:00:00

WI MBORNE.

In the local news of our to•day's issue will be per.
oeived the amount of some alehouse keepers, living
in the neighbourhood of Cranborne, in this county,
having been fined by the bench of magistrates at
Wimbome. The law was broken—the magistracy
had no alternative but to fine. The police also did
their province in the case with much dexterity, for
which we yield them every deserved compliment.
The spy tactics so ably managed in this ease, under
the shrewd and vigilant Superintendent Boynton,
deserve all praise—i.e., as a system in such oases
as when the means justify the end (if this be not a
false theory.) In retired neighbourhoods, such as
Horton Common, wherein one of the parties resided
—and peopled as these districts are by the poor,
who live at long distances from one another, and
who toil from morn till night with no other lusts-
name than a piece of cold bread and meat tied in •
dirty bag for them as they start at morn—the con-
venience of being able to procure. in moderation, a
" glom of strong beer" would seem to be a desider-
atum, and, in all probability, would be winked at
by the law authorities, but then, unfortunately, our
English poor are never content with this moderation.
At these places fighting, swearing, drunkenness,
and every species of debauchery prevail, and hence
the crusade against the unlicensed sellers of strong
beer. It is unfair that one man shall pay a heavy
Excise duty for hie privilege of selling a commodity
while his neighbour reaps an equal profit without
any taxation thereon ; but we question whether
heavy fines will have the desired detersive influence.
Our heavy Excise duties on spirits set men to work
illicit stills. As the pint of good beer is to the
English labourer so is the bottle of champagne or
choice wine to his master. Rest satisfied both will
have it, at whatever price ; and they may as well
have it at well-conducted restaurants as at the
hovels where the former now obtain it. Let it not
be supposed we would advocate greater facilities for
the advancement of our great national besetting sin,
viz., drunkenness; but we think that one good,
really well-regulated inn in districts where they are
often applied for and as frequently refused, on the
ground that they increase that abomination would,
as a matter of expediency, at all events, tend to
lessen the evils at present resulting from the nu-
merous petty hostelries scattered throughout the
country districts of England. This is a suggestion
occurring from the cases on Friday last; though we
think the policeman Munden not right in pressing the
wife of Cutler for a period of ten minutes (as lie ad•
mitted), during which she continually refused to
break the law; and on his appealing to her sympa-
thies as an Englishwoman—on the ground of her
being one—she gave way. The distressed soldier
was no other than Walter Munden, a policeman in
disguise, who, u • matter of business, went and
pressed a breach of the law, and succeeds, after
great difficulty—there were so treated by him also
before. It is also true that, as regards Cutler, it
was a second offence, but we think that the strong
mitigatory facts met hardly that consideration whioh
their peculiarity and importance seemed to authorise.
—Correspondent.

Tux MIAINTAR.IS is intended to celebrate the
re•opening of thie noble building by an anniversary on
the 99th of September (St. Michael's day) next,
when special services of thanksgiving will be per.
formed, We often wonder why full choral service
cannot be u well celebrated In every nook and
' enror of the land u at a email town like Wimborne,
where, it is true, they are more decently attempted
I than are ordinarily met with, Cathedrabi excepted.
Not that the congregation know what is owing.
How can they I Bemuse even the choristers them.
selves practice beforehand to learn the air of icons.
poser's lorries and yet the congregation are expected
to waft simultaneously words —the very tone' in
which this is to be done being unknown to the send.
worshipper of his Clod, When and where will these
anomalies be cured?
PM'S NINAMIONA, 411110111tIbff 10.1114/141 W. (1,
Lambert, Eau, Chairman J. T. Basket , and the
ite_ir J.
WANNINIIII TO AI,IIIIOMIN KIIIITINII.—NomueI Moon,
of Woodeutte, near Handley, Well fined VI, Inoluding
awls, ler gelling beer without a Now
Murk Motor' of Woodlands, who about, a month ago
was °orbited lore Ilhe offense, Wee (Merged, cc In the
teal rase, on the Information uf Mr. Oluperniteitileol
Boynton, P.C. Waller Menden, uf tie sooty pollee,
deposed that he went to the defendant's house and
Gelled for a pot of boor, that the ilcfandati'm wife re.
fused it Arid to drew It saying that the mills, were 111
very particular, Willies said AIM Ile Wee a illselio r
Yreutusen who eo
soldier, the sold she amid draw "'entire Pile I ;I.
notper qtusrt), butt
st" 11 heir,
—('roee'.eittttiutsut by
times Illa you so for We borl—Witiless I Throe or
four. —Mr, YlllllllO I How long wee It before pH pre.
railed upon the woman to drew the beer I—Witness
Ten minutes I The Mar WO very Isom—Mr, Yrs.iutsn I
Alld all this Ilme you were ;mewing her I—WBtiese
Yee ; I said I lied been to work and didn't eall a
for a hundred polleemen,—Mr, Freeman I Then you
wish the Hoch to understand that after ten minute's'
poseurs by you, wile was lo appear twiley against the
defendant, she bring you tide liner,' -Wltitese t Yea ;
three puts—Mr, Freeman ealtl he tumid not deny that
Sit. law had been broken, but under such trying pressure
end trepanning by the diriguleed cililuer he mititl-
dently hoped the Itne winild be hut very trilling.
Motive wee the gist of all crime, aiol but for the very
acit of the policeman Silk particular ultimo would never
Iles. been committed I It Wee under the multihued pullet-
tation of the very witness who supported the ease.—The
(iheirmen remarked that the course omitted by the
policeman west SIN only one by whieli these unlicensed
permute could be detected.—Mr. Freeman admitted that
to a great extent title Wee en, but each ease of enures
would be considered on Its own merits, He then called
Fred. Fodder who sell I wan In the liotec when the
witness Munden got the beer. Two others were drink-
ing. Mark Cutler's wife Kalil in reply to Munden's re-
quest for beer that she had only swankey, and could
only draw that, as the police were so very particular.
blunden maid " Bring um • pint of beer, Miscue. I don't
care fore hundred policemen." Mrs. Cutler refused to
draw it for ten minutee at least, but Menden kept on
urging her. She then said " I've some little left from
what I took to Woodbury Hill fair ; If you'll like that,
but It is very sour." blunden answered that lie was
drunk the night before and wanted something a little
stiffer than swankey, whereupon Mrs. Cutler served the
strong beer. Fined EIS, including costs.
Stephen Aferoan, of Horton Heath, wee charged with
a similar offenee, wi proved
lloh Wee pved by the emus witness,
the " discharged soldier," who seemed to have won the
sympathies of the alehouse keepers and entrapped them
Into a£s penalty. Mr. Freeman appeared for this dc.
fondant, urging the some arguments as in the last case,
denouncing the " spy" system as umEnglish, and re•
marking that Sir Peter Laurie would never hear cases so
got up. Fined £5, Including costa.
David Panel', of Minton, appeared on the informa-
tion of Robert Topp, chargod with trespassing in search
of game on the property of George Touchett, Esq. Mr.
Freeman defended Fancy, and in moss examination of
Topp's witness in eupport elicited that the defendant
did not go off the footpath, and was sixty yards distant
from other parties who actually took • hare out of a
wire. The Bench dismissed the information.
Robert Hunt, • young labourer in the employ of Mr.
Porter, of Luton Farm, Ruehton, was sentenced (under
the Malicious Injuries Act) in a penalty of £5 or two
months' hard labour, for stealing apples from an orchard
belonging to Mr. Ford, of Rushton. P.C. Short on
going his rounds at one o'clook of the morning caught
the prisoner in the tree with the apples on his pinion.
The defendent went to gaol.
Joseph Wright, of Hainpreeton, was sentenced under
the Vagrant Act to one inonth's hard labour for being
found concealed in an enclosed garden at Little Canford
for an unlawful purpose. Prisoner, who pretended to
be very ill and affected idiocy, was convicted of duck
stealing a few months ago.
Howrow,—On Tuesday week festivities on a
splendid sole took place at the voidance of Mr.
T. Atkins, the extensive and much respected occupier
of Stanbridge Mills, on the occasion at his son, Mr.
William Atkins, attaining his majority. An mem.
Wage to the number of 120 were present, comprising
the beauty and respectability of the neighbouring
towns. A suitable pert of the buildings was doom
rated with evergreens, whilst on a raised arehestra—
entwined with wreaths of beautiful flower' and the
letter " W " in the oentre—waa occupied by Myers'
celebrated bend, An elegant spread of every dainty
was served, and presided over by Mr. T. Laing, an
uncle of Mr. William Atkins, with that wellAnown
teat and ability which have won for him no little
fame as the popular and clever proprietor of lAlng's
Hotel, Wiinborne, Winee—part of which dock bled
been drunk at the birth of the young gentleman, the
guest of the evening, and of the rarest quality, were
In abundance. Each workman of the establishment
was regaled with strong boor, ten years oltl, a gallon
each for himself and family. There were abuts t
40 visitors from Wirubuthe alone, Dancing was
kept up with mull spirit, and rarely have we wit.
nosed a more (dinning and happy assembly.
HAIIDI•RY.—The sale of Mr, Harvey's Houk of 700
ewe, and lambs, at Ulm, Farm, took plus on Mon.
day, the 11th instant, consequent on his disountinuing
a breeding flock. They were in nothing more than
common working order, but being of the Improved
Hampshire breed and good worker', there WAS con.
Womble competition for most of the lots, the whole
realising capital prices. The manner in which the
sale was ooncluutwl reflects much credit on the auction.
Ho, Messrs, Ewer and Sidford, of Salisbury. The
lunation was of a first•rate deuription, the barn In
which it wee given being very teetotally decorated
with flowers and evorgreens, and many suitable
speeches were delivered on the ocoselon. The chair
was filled by John NOWA, Faq., and the vioeihair
by Mr. W. Botley.