The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1863-07-28 00:00:00

VI atsbi re.
WILTS SUMMER ASSIZES.

On Friday, the 17th inst., the commission for
holding these assizes was opened at the Council
House, Salisbury, by Mr. Justice Willeg His lord.
ship was conveyed to th.• Council House in the
High Sheriff's carriage. escorted by a strong body
of pollee, under the command of Supt. Matthews.
The learned judge, after opening the Commission,
attended Divine Santos at the Cathedral.
On Saturday morning both Courta were opened
at ten o'clock, Lord Chief Justioe Erie presiding in
the Crown Court, and Mr. Justice Wales in the Nisi
Pries Court.

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The following gentlemen were sworn on the grand
jury :
air F.H. H.Bathurst, Bart. H. (I. Bier, Esq.,
(foreman), B. 1). Pocire„
Geo. Mitcham, EN., J. Healey, EA.,
H. N. Goddard, Esq., A. I). Hussy, Req.,
M. EL Marsh, Eaq , M.P., J. C. U. Wyndt, Esq.,
J. L. Phipps, Eoq.. E. nineteen,
A. P. E. Powell. Kap, W. E. Mateliam, Esq.,
J. Ravenhill. Heathoote, Esq.,
Major Heethoote, E. Everett,
T. E. Fowls, Esq., W. Wyndham, ;Seq., and
Jas. Leeks, Esq., J. Piuckney, Esq.
The CLERK of ARRAIGNS having read the pro-
diurnal= against vice, profaneness, and immorality,
The hawed JUDOS delivered his charge. He said
he had great satisfaction in addressing them on the
present occasion. The calendar was light, the
onimees few in number, and for the most part free
leen circumstances of aggravation. He believed that
their duties would be diacharged in • short time for
ho apprehended that the evidence was put together
in • clear and concise manner to be laid before
them. He did not know that he could 0./11•
gratulate this county, or the country generally,
of any decrees. of crime as compared with former
years, for there had been neither increase or
decrease worthy of remark, but he might
congratulate this county and the country in general
upon the action of the polioe becoming more com-
pletely organised throughout the whole country, so
that the criminal claims were under more complete
supervision, and few crimes were now committed
without the criminals being apprehended, and fewer
criminals were tried without a conviction following
the prosecution. It seemed to him that in • very
, substantial point of view the action of the law was
being brought to bear upon the prevention of crime,
! which was a more important duty than that in
! which they were then engaged. The calendar con-
tamed three charges, which were alway. of interest,
that of arson. One of them was for attempting,
and he should tell them that the statute bad
attached a very high penalty if the judge
thought proper to iotlict it, upon any attempts to
set lire to any buildings. The depositions as he
read them showed that there was not ac,ually any
tire. A person, however, declaring his intention,
and obtaining matches for the purpose, being near
enough, if the match had taken fire, to have applied
it to the thatch, was sufficient evidence of the
attempt. There was nothing unlawful in the actual
striking of a match, yet if they were satisfied that tbe
match was struck with the intention of applying it
to the thatch—that, in his opinion, NIES MG
atttempt according to the statute. One of the
other charges of arson was where the ricks were
burnt, and from what he saw of the depositions
he believed the prisoner was one of those classes of
persons who are diptisfied with their condition,
believing that penal servitude would be a preferable
change for them. Gee of those parties est fire te
the ricks, and gave lamed( up to the patios, stating
the reason he had mentioned. The matter had been
under very careful consideration by a committee of
the House of Lords, and which report he bail no
doubt they were all familiar. It was a very satis-
factory one in his opinion, AA it would bave the
ellect of dispelling any panic which might arise
from persona who bad been convicted acting in that
manner. lie believed the result would be that no
person who took the trouble to inform himself of
the consequences of crime would prefer changing the
nuian for the gaol. The other case was that of •
=who set fire to a barn, the property of a
, and that appeared to be one of those entirely
motiveless orioles which frequently came before
courts of justice. It had been observed in many
other counties that that description of crime, in a
manner, had taken root, and seemed to have come up
sp.mbineonsly, so that nobody could imagine what
induced the party to commit it,. He might say that
Is had frequently discovered that in inch cans there
lasi often an evil spirit in the distance, and that the
party was only the instrument in his bands. If this
crime should take root in the county, as he had
known it to do in many others, and keep its plane
for some time, he hoped the police would- use
all their powers, all their caution and inquiry,
to see whether there was not in the back
ground, beside the ignorant labourer, a worse spirit
who urged him on. He trusted, however, snob was
not the case in this county, although he had noticed
it in others where this crime had taken root. The
next important awe in the calendar was that of
stabbing. It did not appear that there was any
preooneerted malice existing in the mind of the
primmer. Tbe parties got into • quarrel, fighting
followed, and the prisoner needed to • knife in
order to prevail in that contest. There was also
a charge against three men for a felonious &result !
upon a young woman. He would ask them carefully
to consider whether, looking at the time of night,
the plane, and the character of the witnesses, the
case was one which ought to be tried in open court,
for unless a conviction followed it were better for the
interests of society that cases of that description
should be suppressed. Tbe learned judge then re-
ferred to two cases of larceny that would be brought
Wore them, and remarked that, as he said before, he
thought the adminstration of the law appeared of
isle to have been attended with many solid and
satisfactory improvemeute • and be considered
there was no more solid end satisfactory improve-
ment than the extent to which those minor °deuces
were now summarily disposed of. When they
looked at the return of the expenses of prosecutions,
anci found that the mat of a summary conviction
was only 19s. upon the average, and the expense of a
prosecution at the Assizes averaged £l2 144., they
could not doubt, as regard expenses, and the saving
of time, the dimmeal of small Amass was
attesded with great advantage. The cases he had
mentioned lastly bad only recently been committed,
but there would be no delay, and that was the
reason that he had made the observation that he
believed there had been a real, solid, and substantial
improvement in the administration of the law.—
The grand jury were the. dismissed to their duties

TTAIBIIIO AT STATIATOM.

Edward Davis was indicted for aalioio.sly wound-
ing Baas Webb. with intent to do him grievous
bodily harm at fitavertor, on the 20th of June last.
Mr. H. J. F. Sways. conducted the prosecution,
and Mr. Read defended the prisoner.
It appears on the night of the 20th June, the pro-
secutor, who is a labourer, saw the prisoner walking
with his sister in the turnpike. , in front of his
father's bonne. He requested his sister to go home,
but the prisoner would not allow her, and caught
bold of her hand to retain her. Prosecutor wanted
to take her away, and a quarrel enson4, ending in a
tight. Blows were given on each side,and •Iterwards
the prisoner drew back a few yards and put his hand
into his voket. Prosecutor baud him open • knife,
and inquired of him what he was about to do with
it. The prisoner replied "I will show you in a
minute," and immediately nabbed him in the back.
Prosecutor's sister endeavoured to part them, and in
the scuffle she received a out on the arm. The
injuries the prosecutor had received were of such a
serious nature that he is now unable to leave his lied,
sad Mr. Taylor, surgeon, erf Trowbridge, stated that
be could not attend the Court without endangering
his life. His depositions were then reed.--Caroline
Webb, prosecutor's sister, identified the pri-
soner, and said her brother struck him first
with his fist, and was in liquor at the tints. The
prisoner, after having oommittud the offence, ran
sway, saying. " I'll make my maps while I can,"
and the knife be threw across the road. When
apprehended the prisoner said "We have had a
quarrel, and I have done what I have. I woukrnt
have minded if I had'ot cut the girl's arm, as he be-
pa with me."—Mr. Taylor stated that the prose
-
enter received seven woonds altogether, five of which
were Of • serious nature. One of them was two
inches long and one in depth. The lung was pene-
trated by the knife, as the air of the long had passed
into the milder tissue of the body. Head, for
the defence, said be could WA justify the nee of the
knife, huts, there had been no previous quarrel, and
0)01:i:8w:snot the aggressor, he trusted therefore
the would find him guilty of unLawfully wounding.
is ip summed up, and told the jury that
If the prisoner intended, by the nee of the knife, to
lake Omen bodily lama, it would be their debr

to find him guilty of the more serious count in the
nelictinent.--The prisoner warn found guilty of
unlawfully wounding, and he was sentenced to six
mouths' imprisonment.

ARSON AT MINSLICY.
James rAngel was indicted for maliciously setting
Ire to • stack of straw, the Property of Mr. William
Nor,* at winsfey, on the 25th of May. —Mr. IL
r. prosecuted. The prosecutor is the landlord
if the Cross Gans Inn, at Avoncliffe. near Bradford.
About six o'clock in the evening he saw this
straw rick, which he had standing near the
Kennet and Avon Canal, on fire. He observed the
prisoner running away followed by another man,
who brought him back, and he was handed over to
the police. The rick was totally burnt, and the
damage was between A 7 and ES. A man named
Sums saw the prisoner fanning some straw,
which he had ignited with his hat. When in
die custody of P.C. Window, the prisoner
sMd be had made the fire to dry some rags
which he had about his feet. Subsequently be
said ho bad got them wet by jumping into the
Canal after some co I. When charged with the
crime by Inspector Pitney, he replied, " [did it to
light my pipe. A pipe was found in his possession,
but no match Of tobacco—The prisoner offered no
defence, and he MIS found guilty. A previous con-
/kitten having been proved against him be was
senten...wil to eight years' penal servitude.