The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-01-17 00:00:00

&mat /*lns.

GOVERNMENT PRENENT.—A very beautiful present is
about to be made by the Government to N. Tchokar, a
gentlemen of Bucharest, as an acknowledgement of the
hospitality and courtesy exhibited by him towards Sir
Henry Ilulwer, in the year 1857. N. Tchokar placed
his house at the disposal of the English representative,
and as he refused to accept of any recompense when Sir
Henry left, it has been though right to make an ac-
knowledgment. The present consiate of a magnificent
and valuable silver inkstand. The centre is composed of
a finely modelled representation of a Wallachian gentle-
man and his horse, the latter standing underneath a
palm tree, the emblem iif peace. A more perfect piece
of workmanship has never been executed by Mr. I'. F.
Hancock, of Bruton-atreet, to whom the task was in-
trusted. It is worth while to pay • visit to Mr. Han-
cock's eatablid -lit, if only to inspect such a tasteful
and beautiful specimen of art manufacture.
Poisogist; A I long inviry was csncluded
on Monday before the coroner at the Swan Hotel, Pet-
worth, respecting the death of the illegitimate child of
Harriet Moore, a girl of twenty, an inmate of the Pet-
worth Union, who, it is alleged. gave the deceased
white precipitate. It Wll4 proved that the prisoner bad
purcha.ed precipitate at a chyinist's shop, and that the
chill had suffered intense pain before its death. Dr.
Taylor, of Guy's Hospital, who examined the contents
of the stomach of the deceased infant, deposed that he
f lan insoluble compound of mercury which bad all
the 'amens of white precipitate. From the explana-
t. of Dr. Taylor it appeared that this was an extraor-
dinary case, from the fact of white precipitate having
been so rarely administered intenially ; lie knew of only
one case, and that was at Chelmsford Assizes, 12 years
ago, in which he was engaged. The patient had taken
twenty-five grains and recovered. The whole point was
this—whether the system possessed sufficient strength
to throw it off by 'ling. The jury, after consulting
about an hour, returned unanimously a verdict of
•• Wilful Murder " against Harriet Moore, who was cool-
mined for trial at the next spring AlltiZeS, to be held at
Lewes.

APPEASING A Gui.tv royaciEllett.—A young lady
travelling f Doncaster to Halifax about eight years
ago had the mifortune to have her pocket picked of a
purse containing 12s. The young lady was not a
little surprised a few days ago to receive the following
letter :—" Madam, I believe you lost a purse some
years ago in a railway carriage. I believe that I found
it, and was leaving the country at the same time. hay•
lug since returned and inquired, I have found your then
address. I therefore enclose you a£3 Rank of England
note (and send it to the clergyman of the place where
you then resided), which I think will pay the contents
of the purse with interest. I ion sorry I have kept it so
long, but could not avoid it. 11--',

Tar LONDON MECHANICS' I YSTITUTION.--The second
of a series of musicel anal dramatic entertainmente was
given last Tuesday evening at the London Mechanics'
Institution. The programme on the preceding Mundey
included a variety of songs and duets, with recitation*,
together with the representation of one or two dramatic
sums by inemle:re of the elocution class in connection
with the institution. Considerable taste was evinced
both in the selection of the pieces and in their execu-
tion. The performance 011 Tuesday evening was wholly
dramatic in character, and the performers appeared
upon the platform in stage costume. The first piece
intneluced was the well-known immedietta, The Loan
of a fearer, the pleasantries of which elicited much
laughter from the audience. The part of the stolid
Dutchman was very well sustained by Mr. Cungrave,
and the corresponding part of Gertrude also very care-
fully by 11 iss Lizzie Howard. The ScCuBEI piuCC Was a
somewhat heavy comedy, termed Charles A ley, which
which was brought out at the Olympic Theatre several
years since. Its authoress, Mrs. EllliliUN Holcroft, sus-
taitiol the principal part on the present occasion. The
period is laid in the reign of Charles 11., arid the plot
turns on the gallantries of the Court, with a close re-
semblance to the plot in Pereril cf the Peak. An
ample opportunity is afforded to the performers to ap-
pear on the platform in the gay costume of ruffling
gallants decked in crimson doublets slashed with gold
lace, with heavy plumes to match. The performance
concluded with the popular farce of Johe /Ws.
MR. ALBKRT SMITH.-011 Tuesday evening last, •
few moments after 8 o'clock, Mr. Albert Smith re-ap-
peared through the well-known little door of the plat-
form iii the Egyptian Hall, looking as well and as
lively as ever. The loud and continuous greeting with
which lie wee hailed overcame him for a short time, and
he made hie prefatory remarks with visible signs of
emotion. Such a demonstration, lie said, was enough to
upset any gentleman of weak nerves, anal his own were
not in very strong condition. One very gratifying cit.-
cuinstance heal occurred during his illnem, and that WAS
the arrival of • number of letters, not only from his im-
mediate acqueintance, but also from persons who only
knew Il i 11l in his public capacity and still were anxious
about the state rat his health. This proved to him that
his audience regarded I l 11l not only as an "entertainer,"
but no a sort of friend in whom they might legitimately
take an interest. All preitent, no doubt, were glad to see
him, mail he was equally glad to see them. The speech
concluded, he dashed at once into his Chinese expe-
riences, and if there were any change to be observed in
his manner it was a change for the better, as he bad
acquired new vigour during his period of cessation. lie
was obviously delighted to find laimmlf once inure on the
scene air his old glories, and never were Ilia pleasantries
uttered with more spirit or heard with greater relish.
THR ISTC IsIRD MACAULAY. —When Mr. Adam
Slack, M.P., cut 1111 l enced the new edition of his Emelt-
eloredia Britannic-a, Lord Macaulay felt so strong an
interest in the undertaking, and so warm a regard for
his old friend the publisher, that lie said he would en-
d to send 111111 an article for each letter of the
alphabet. This generous offer the noble historian's fail-
ing health and various avocations prevented I from
fully realizing ; but he sent five articles to the Eneyelo-
imrdia —memoirs of Atterbury, Bunyan, Goldsmith,
Johnson, and Willliam Pitt, the last being the latest
finished production from his pen. As any publisher
would have been glad ti give 11,0110 for these contribm
tome, their being jaresented RS a free-will offering to Mr.
Hack is a fact .0 honourable to both parties, especially
to the noble donor, that it deserves to be publicly known
and recorded.
Tlll, MURDER AT ST. BRIAVELS'. —The adjourned
inquest on the body of John Hughes, who died from
wounds inflicted on his head with • spade by Joseph
Webb, was held at the George Inn, St. liriavel's, Purest
of Dean, on Monday evening, when a great deal of evi-
ileum corroborative of the testimony given by the wit-
nesses 011 Saturday was adduced to. Richard Kear, an
old man, 72 years of age, who it will la. recollected Was
struck down by Webb seieral thaws, said that when the
prisoner struck the deceased down the latter was endea-
vouring to leave the holtia as fast as he could. Ite-
°eased had taken no part in the affray, nor had he
sjs,ken a word to the prisoner. He believed deceased
was struck down senselem by the first blow of the 'pule,
and lie himself would no doubt have shared a similar
fate land lie not warded off a blow given hilll by the
prisoner with the spade. As it was, his arm, which lie
lifted up to Save his head, was broken, end • severe
wound was inflicted. From the evidence of 1)r• Wigles-
worth, physician and itargeon at tilakeney, Mr. Walton,
and Mr. Reed, surgeons at Culeford, it appeared the
deceased bad several contused wounds on the face ;
both his eyes were blackened, and there were three in-
cised wounds near the top of his head. In making a
pad aiarlem examinat. ,on removing the scalp, they
found two severe fractures of the right parietal bone,
and on opening the skull a fracture was found running
rignt across the base, and another fracture was observed
on the right side. The inner table of the right parietal
bone was depressed, and rested on the brain, and their
opinion was that death arose from ooncluision and depres-
sion of the braita caused by the wounds iuflacted by the
iiriaoner, and not by • fall. The prisoner said lie was
drunk at the time, and struck the parties down in self-
defence. The coroner then summed up, and the jury
almost immediately returned an unanimous verdict of
Wilful murder" against the prisoner, and the Coroner
issued his warrant for his continittal for trial at the
ensuing assizes at Gloucester.

EXTRAORDIN•ST CHARG6.—At Wragby, Lincolnshire,
on Monday last, • farmer, about 33 years of age, named
Thomas Peel, was charged with having committed seve-
ral violent assaults upon • young man named Mark
Brewer, of Fulnetby. Police Superintendent lhoresby,
of Market Resell, deposed that he visited Brewer's house,
where he found him ill in bed. Brewer, who is of rather
weak intellect, aaid,—On Monday, three weeks ago, I
was feeding my masteis' horses from a sieve, when the
prisoner came up to me and said, " I want that sieve."
I said, "Take it then." Ile then seized me by the
middle of the body, and dragged me into a yard. Charles
Whit•kor was present. Ile hurt ino very much. On
the following day lie tied a handkerchief tight round any
neck, and hung me on a nail in the wall. John Smith,
a youth, mune in and saw me suspended, and ran and
shouted to Whitaker, who came and let me down. In
the middle of the mine week the prisoner struck Inc
across the small of the back with a fork-shaft. Three
nights in succession he came and sat upon my head as I
lay in bed. As soon as he had done that he threw off
all my clothes, and pulled inn by the feet on the floor.
Thoreaby said Brewer's life was in imminent danger.
Charles Whitaker denied all knowledge whatever of the
assaults. John Smith, the boy referred to, also denied
all knowledge of them. The complainant's father detailed
• conversation which passed between the prisoner amid
the injured man at his house. The prisoner, he stated,
asked his sun to forgive him, but the latter refused to
accept any apology, charging him with having given him
his " death wound." The prisoner was remanded for
a week, and the magistrates refused to admit him to
bail.

LICENSED VICTUALLERS' BALL.—The second and last
ball of this season for the joint benefit of the funds of the
Licensed Victuallers' Society, Schools, and Asylum, took
place on Thursday night at St. James's-hall, Piccadilly,
and was attended by upwards of 2,000 ladies and gentle-
men, who filled not only the large ball but the two
smaller ones as well. Notwithstanding the immense
number present, dancing was by no means impossible,
but Mad begun and kept ur with as much vigour an if
such accidents as treading on one's neighbour's toes and
coining into fearful collision every other minute, were
of no consequence whotever, but only the normal condi•
tions which each person had accepted. The scene Man a
very gay one, the ball went off brilliantly, and bad there
been no other attraction, the throng of pretty faces and
grsceful forums would have been sufficient to move the
approbation of the most cynical, especially when lie consi-
dered the object for which so much innocent amusement
was afforded to young and old. This object was the sup-
, port of the schools for the children of deceased licensed
victuallers, and the maintenance of the infirm and
I poverty-stricken elders, who had formerly, but without
' success, followed the game trade. We subjoin • short
account of the schools and the asylum. The schools,
which are excellently managed, have now been estab-
lished 116 years, and in that period have educated
upwards of 1,400 children, at an expense of nearly
£200,000. There are at the present moment 127 boys
and girls receiving • good education in these schools, In
addition to which they are clothed and fed, and will be
finally apprenticed to some trade or other. The annual
cost thus incurred is i.:.3,500, or at the rate of rm per
child, and *peaks well for the welfare and economy ex-
ercised--ilue, we believe, to the exertions and superin-
tendence of Mr. Winterbotham, the governor of the
Licensed Victualler.' Society, and president of the
school.i. The asylum was established in 1827, and con-
sists of 147 detached houses, with chapel and chaplain's
house, standing on about six acres of ground, and at pre-
sent affords a refuge tolB4 inmates, who are maintained
at an annual charge of 1:3,000. For these inmates every
necessary is provided,—a weekly allowance of is. for
single persona, and Sa. Gd. for married couples, with
coals, medical and spiritual attendance, being granted
to those who are so fortunate as to be elected. The ar-
rangements connected with this part of the establish-
ment reflect much credit upon Mr. Benjamin Foster. the
chairman of the asylum, and the committee under his
orders, while the smallness of the expenditure compared
with the relief and comfort afforded might serve as an
example to other societies of a similar nature. For the
support of these objects last night's ball was given, and
if we judge from the nunibers who were present, a very
handemue sum must hare been added to the funds of the
society.