The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-01-24 00:00:00

Vantpsbire.

THK Pommes NICRDEit --The proceedings in this
case were brought to a conclusion on Wednesday, at
the Sessions-house, Portsmouth, before the Mayor,
Dr. Ganningten, and a full bench of magistrates.
At the close of the evidence for the prosecution and
defence the magistrates; retired from the court for
some time, and in their return the Mayor, address-
ing the prisoners, said,—" We have given this very
painful case our best consideration --I Pay painful,
because it is ninth to be regretted that such houses
should exist in this borough as has been disclosed by
the evidence which has been brought before the
Court—such houses as this in which the fatal affray
tAeik place; they are a disgrace to a civilized •
'smutty. We are of opinion that Edward Wall
struck the fatal blow which caused the death of the
deceased, Daniel Clewney ;anti, fruit the absence of
any serious quart el, or of Clewney striking any blow
himself, we have resolved to commit Edward Wall
on the capital charge tit* wilful murder to the county
gaol at Winchester, to take his trial At the ensuing
assizes; and commit the four remaining prisoners. M.
Connor, G. Fitzgibbon, P. Madden, and J. M'Cann
to take their trial as being accessories after the fact."
At the inquiry held before the coroner, and which
closed at a late hour on Tuesday night, the jury
returned a verdict of "manslaughter' against the
five prisoners. It appeared from the evidence
adduced before the magistrates anti the coroner, that
on the night of the 4th inst. the deceased, Daniel
Cleaney, a boilermaker, employed in lier Majesty's
dockyard, in company with two others, went to the
house of a man named Smith, a low brothel in
White's-row, a horrible locality in PortsLa, for the
, purpose of procuring some drink, all the public-houses
in the neighbourhood being closed. When they had
. been there about five minutes five men dressed in
clothes similar to what are generally worn by officers'
servants, and who belonged to the Royal Limerick
j Militia, stationed at Portsea, entered the house.
Some conversation ensued about counties and coun-
I tries, a blow was struck with the fist, and the whole
I party rushed out into the street. The deceased
Clew ney, who is described as laving been a power.
fully-limit man, was standing on the step of the
house. in the act of taking off Ins jacket, when a tail
man dreamed in •• pepper-and-salt coloured" clothes
(as the witness described them), and who wore a
Wengarry tap, stepped up to hint with something
glitttring in his Laud anti struck disteased in the
chest, who immediately fell to the ground, was con •
veyed into the house, anti expired before a surgeon
could arrive. The surgeon who mails a poet modem
, examination of the body proved the death of the de-
ceased to have been camad by the heart having been
pierced by some sharp cutting instrument. The
woentl was about three inches in breadth, clean cut
at both its edges, and pierced both heart and aorta.
The prisoners were afterwards identified and appre-
I !loaded at the barracks by the police, who, it is
stated, have not received that assistance at the hands
of the officers of the regiment which they hada right
'to expect. However, on this matter we speak with
all reserve. The conduct of the men of the Limerick
County Militia since they have been stationed in
Portsmouth has not only created great mistrust in the
minds of the inhabitants, but also in those of the
military authorities. Abut 1 15 a.m. on Wednesday
morning, as the jurymen were proceeding at the con-
clusion of the coroner's inquiry towards their homes,
a private soldier belenging to a militia regiment sta-
tioned in the town accosted them, making use of the
most violent longuage. On nearing time guard at the
Millolam-gate they requested the corporal stationed
there to take him in charge, which he was about to
do, when the man suddenly stooped down and was
in the act of unclasping a knife, when fortunately one
of the jurymen observed him, and knocked it out of
his hand. The knife was afterwards given in charge
of the corporal, the man made a prisoner, and the
matter remains to be investigated by the military
authorities.

Sorrni HrroE. The Queen r. the Somehampton
Commi,.ioner4 of Port and Ilarbour.—The rule
was wade absolute for a notiolaome on Friday week,
in the Court of Qaeeu's Bench.
THE SIWTHAMPTOX Dismissitv.- —The annual
meeting of the governors and sulivcribers to the dis-
pensary was held on Thursday, at the Audit House,
to audit the amounts, to choose a treasurer and cont.
mittee for the year, and on general business, Col.
Stratton in the chair. The amount, were satisfac•
tory, and du report was adopted and ordered to be
printed.

PRAYER Nlincrisus.—United daily morning meet-
ings for prayer were held last week at the Royal
Victoria Rooms, and have been numerously attended.
There were also daily evening prayer meetinga in
connection with the several plant% of worship of all
denominations. The theatre was opened fur special
afternoon service on Sunday.
Pour,inotrni.—The Charge of Bribing a Durk.
ysol —The serious charge a.iaiiist Mr. John
A ickman Snliiion, of attempting to bribe Thomas
William Miller, a dockyard official, was again gone
into at She Mansion House, on Friday week, and the
defendant was committed for trial at the Central
Criminal Court, his personal recognizant:es of £l4O
being accepted.
Tint LATE MURDEIt. —Seven men are in custody,
on suspicion of lieingenneerned in this murder, viz. :
—M. McCann, P. Madden, J. Macuainara, Fitz-
gibbon, J. Ryan, M. Connor, and E. Wall —none
of whom exceed 21 years of age, and all belong to
the Limerick Militia. The borough magistrates and
the coroner were engaged in investigating the cir-
cumstances of the case on Monday, Tuesday, and
Thursday week, and several witnesses were ex-
:mines', but ultimately the inquiry was adjourned
until last Tuesday.
Wi KSTEIt. —Tile " Loodians Invitation " prayer
meetings have been very numerously attended dur-
ing the pa.t week ; they have been held in various
rooms, and among those who have taken part in
them are the Rev. Canon V...knife, ltevds. J. C.
Probe, ; Rev. Mr. Chappell, Baptist
minister ; Rev. Mr. Vint, Wesleyan ; and the Rev.
Mr. Benda, Primitive Sletlealist.

RomsEy. Todimonial. —The Mayor (B. L
Finder, Esq.). accompanissl by the churchwardens
and the committee. presented the vicar, the Rev. C.
Avery Moore, with a handsome Ira wing- room clock
on Friday, in token of their grateful appreciation of
his earnest labours while connected with this parish.
Mr. Moore, who is about to remove to Sutterton,
Lincolnshire, to which living. he has recently been
presented by the Crown, made an appropriate
reply.

_ .
The inmates of the workhouse received their an-
nual visit on 'Thursday from the Viscountess Jocelyn,
the Hon. Mrs. Dutton, and the Hon. Mrs. W.
Cowper (who are visiting at Brow Hands), and were
regaled with an excellent tea. 'These ladies also
gave the aged inmates tobacco and snuff, while seve-
ral of the others and the school children received
presents of books,
A Nnovicit.—The annwd exhibition of the works
of the pupils lailiinging to the i ioyernment School
of Art, establi,l,...l in this town, took place in the
Town-haU, on Thursday last, the Mayor having
kindly placed the ball at the disposal of the com-
mittee for the occasion. The drawings were taste-
fully displayed On a screen occupying one end and
part of the two sides of this noble meirtnient, under
the superintendence of Mr. Byles, the talented
Jea.ster of the school, and were open for the in-
struction of all who chose to avail themselves of the
opportimity, from ten to four o'clock on Thursday,
awl from ten to two on Friday, free of charge. On
Thursday evening- a public meeting was held for the
distnlniti .... of the prirasi asarded by the Govan'.
ment InspLetor, awl which amounted on the pre-
wllt occasion tO 4, in number, against IS last year.
The large room was completely tilled by the most
respectable audiewv. The awards were announced
by the Hon. awl Bev. S. Best, and the mita; de-
livered by the Mayor, E. B. Hawkins, Esq.. who
presided. The past experience, present condition,
and future prospects of the school were lucidly set
forth by the Hom awl Rev. S. Bud in an elo-
quent and telling speech at the close of the pro-
ceolings —which appeared to have given universal
satisfactUin.

ANDOVER AND REDBRIDGE RAILWAY MITER-
mos& —Mr. E. C. Deacon, the secretary of the
company, duly lodged the sum of .1:13.6181 (beings
per
cent, of the 4:170,01.10 capital required for the
pr,,pwa extension:lk) at the Bank of England on the
14th inst., to the credit of the Aocountantdieueral of
the Court of Chancery, u required by I'IZIRIBIOUL
CIIRDITCHUKCH.—On Monday, 16th inst.. before
W. W. Farr, and W. C. Dean, &qrs.—William
Hirt, gardener, of Winkton Common, near Christ-
church, was lieiught up charged with stealing a piece
of bacon of the value of Is. lid., from the shop if
Mr. Henry Wheeler, provi4ion-dealer, of High.
street, Christchurch. He pleaded guilty to the
charge, and was sentenced to one calendar month's
imprisonment with hard labour in Winchester Gaol.