The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1879-10-21 00:00:00

WIRING FOR THE TELEGRAM.
Briaport people are not yet all civilized. let alone beim(
Christianized—at least it doesn't seem at all like it
judging from certain episodes which took place at our
police court jud, at fair time.

On Friday Simon Warren Samson, & well-to-do
traclemnan of good education and end rexpectable, of
whom one had a right to expect better thin-,a, waa
convicted of a nrutal and cowardly smault on hi* wife,
and waa juxtly consimed for two montlix to the clre
of Mr. Mynard, the Governor of RM. Prixon, at
Dorchexter. The verdict of the town generally, in
which I cordially agree, is "Serve him right."

And then on Saturday mornin/ early George
Pans ons,a being—one cannot call him a man vMI in
South•street, terminated a verf brief dispute with his
wife by felling her to the ground with a violent blow,
lonaening her teeth. Then he beat her head .erribly
an the estre .if one of the stairs until the poor creatoce
was almost insensible and her clothes saturated with
the blood which streamed from her head. Mr.
Parsons, for thus "chastisinq" her whom he had
sworn to love and cherish, has had a like punishment
metal out to himaa warn indicted on Mr. Simian'.

Late au Friday night a fellow called Samuel
Bishop amused himself by cruelly beatina a de-
fenceless woman of easy virtue, named Sarah Kensvey,
and atiorning her with a black eve, because she did not
please him in every respect. He was sent to prison
for a month notwithstanding that the woman refused
to state the circumstances of the affair or to speak
against the prisoner on his plea of guilty.

I have, dear Mr. gditor, the greatest possible
satisfaction in wiring these matters to you for the
I• 11 ic enlightenment, for althou al harshness is
not a virtue even from the rnairiaterial bench, still
that " ipudity f mercy" of which Shakespeare apeaks
ham been, I regret to say, dreadfully drained of late,
and the judicial ac .m of the chief magistrate of Bridnort
and Mr. Howell, the ea-Mayor, have been hailed with
satisfaction by all who hate a spark of humanity in
their breseta.

I, amongst many others, have no patience with a
law which gives a man three weeks in the treld-mill
for robbin; his neighbour's fichlof & few turnips, and
fines a limn 10s. and costs for thrashing his wife to
within an inch of her life.

Speaking of judicial seta, it has often struck me as
being an crow otjudgment on the part of magistrates
—thaw around this neighbourhood more particularly
—to allow persona two or three week: grace in orde:
to "get" money to pay fines which have been imposed
upon them. It is rendering the law to a great extent
ot none effect.

A certain man Ii charged with a certain offence for
which he is liable to be imprinoned. The ma...es:rates.
not winhing to be harnh, deal leniently with oim, and
inflict a fine (very rarely the highest or anything like
it. which they have the power to do). The man says
he Ilse not got the money, and linke for time to earn it,
or otherwine get it. Hui application in %Tented, and
the intended punishment becomes a nullity. The man,
an often as not, through the mistaken leniency of some-
body else, is allowed to over-step the time by several
weeks, and a lot of trouble is experienced to get the
money. Being liable to imprisonment in toe first in.
stance, the men in offered the altentalive of going to
prison if he doesn't pay a fine, and then upon his plea
of " hard.up" he is told he must un to gaol if he dorm':
pay a mitigated fine, wit in is certain tine.
--
Queer rule this ! By being thus considerately
treated, people get hold of the idea that the magis-
trate. are &man, to allow them time and can't help
themselves, because I have myself heard them nay
" Can't pay the monty in that time, sir, please to allow
me longer than that.

People who commit themselves and violate ths laws
of the bind ought to be made to understand that this
I. an act of leniency on the part of magistrates which
they have no right to expect.
The "Visitor 'who en kindly noticed the abomir•
able stench arising from piggeries at Burton Bradstock„
iin the occasion of the late regatta, should also call the
attention of the Burtonian "power, that be" to the
invalided condition of tbe village (I beg pardon)
town pump, as they are obliged to allay their thirst at
the mill stream, unless the owner of the Manor House
grants them a clearer and purer supply from his private
.
Don't get intoxicated : especially if you have a pro-
pensity, when in that condition, to imagine that every
red light you nee indicates your proximity to the "iron
road. " 'Finish iiA OWA (air) tha railway stacks.'
(hic)."

?La tact woe that on Saturday night he was poising
the lower µart of We.t-street. where the widening is
In progress. and he mistook the ruby warnings placed
there for the ...Jay of passengers after nightfall, for
"danger on the line."

After a ref reviling " pick-tne-up" next morning, him
friend to whom the interestiw; queetion wan put on
the night previong detailed the incident to him for hie
delectation, hut he wouldn't believe a wont of it. But
both hi. friend and niyveli believe, knowing it to be a
µAlive fact.

Some few of our maornanrmoue LB. membent I
find. fail to credit the representativee of the prem with
ordinary common Nen.° for the diacharge of theinintiee.
But after all it ii only • few of the moot elevated in
sentiment who form such complimentary Meer.

Our worthy and esteemed Mayor sides with the
majority who. I believe (and I thank them for it/,
consider that if reporters were not blesoed with •
discernment of right from wrong, they would scarcely
be entruated to be present.

wisidee what some of the magnates and the public
generally would think if some of the remark. of a
highly intereistiag character. not a rare ans, at the
council table were given publicity.

I 401)1 think I state weolseel thee the feeheg of
reporto,:zenerally i 4 that the liberty of the preys is
not in su:h,, a umnner to be interfered with. It
they are permitted to be prsent they object to
being dictated as to what portion of a proceeding
they diorld report and what Noe, even by sues
m.slern lights no some Local Board members
undoubtedly are. If they wish to discuss a matter
priy ttely why then request, nay tynkr if
Y.., like, reporters to retire and on lOW occasions I
think they will most willingly do so.

Willie ! we have missed you! But it wee not for a
protracted ;mixt You drove off in wild haat., on
receipt of that telegram, naturally expecting to lind,
from the tenor f it, that charming owner of an
extensive wardrobe wad placidly encountering the
"Grim I:netny." You were of counie agreeably
surprised to find the fair object of your affections not
In the Wit 'imp. but engaged in the aketruse arts of
cuieine. If, after congratulating the fair one on her
rapid recovery, you had (whilst driving home) noticed
the sinister glances of those you met, you would have
conjectured, and rightly, that they were at the
bclffolo of

The fact waa, Willie, .be had we been ill and Imo
ignorant of the hoax which your friends played You-
r think the
_public buTht to be sec ueinted with the
brusque and myen:letnen:y treatment vou received
on another °cc-tuna, but details must remain over for
the next imprmosion, as space will not permit.