The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-07-25 00:00:00

Dorset Summer Assizes.

Icomtsestiortant and exceptionally heavy AMAIN I
Tomday, the Judgee for the circuit
being Lord Judith Lindley and Justice Lopes. The
former erased by the 3.54 S.W. train, and wee met
at the station by the Sheriff, (Col. C. J. W. T.
Mernbro), and Me Chaplain, (Rev. R. Roberts), the
County Clark (Mr. G. W. Andrews) and • loxly of
the County Police. His Lordship proceeded to
the Shirehall, in the Sheriff', handsome equipage,
where commission wes opened, lie then attended
Divine service at St. Peter's Church, being met at the
gates by the Mayor (A. Hinson, Esq.), and the fol'o
tog members of the Corporation : —Aldermen Davis
and Gregory ; Councillors Dr. Aldridge, W. Durdeo,
H. Darden, and G. Davis; and Mr. Giles Symonds
( Town Clerk). The Rev. C. F. Powys read the
service, and the Rev. R. Roberta preached a sermon on
Till Mal OF MUltDra.
TIN preacher took for his text the 911 chapter Genesis.
kh verse—" Wham absddeth man'a blood by man shall
his blood be shed, for in the image of Goo created be
man." We know that murder had not taken place before
the Bood—in fact the first rec rded crime we read of la
the Bible was the murder of Abel by his own brother:
and up to that time God bad reserved the power of life
and death to himself ; for even Cain the murderer we. not
put to death, but God distinctly declared be should not
be put to death, cud set • mark upon him that none
might hurt him. But alter this a wonderful change takes
place, and Almighty God delivers to MASI the sword of
public jostles, gives him the power of life and death, and
makes him responsible for the general welfare and
security of the general community and society. But we
must not supple, for • moment that because Almighty
God allowed Cain to go so far unpunished and was not
put to death, therefore Cain bad nothing tl remember in
the way of punishment Hi. punishment must have been
very revere for he ud i himself "KY Punishment Is
greater than I can bur. He wee sent forth • vagabond
and • fugitive, and we may truly say Cain, the first
murderer, Was gibbeted in the eight of el mankind.
Mere are persons who argue that this commandment
applies only to the Jews. but let us remember, at the
particular time at which this command was Mew the
Jews were not in existence, and did not come into
Wriatsace till about a thou•and years after ; and besides
are the Jews the only nation in the world who were
created in Cole own image? Therefore we here sea
it IS the revealed will cf God that all over the world, in
eve nation under heaven, murder, wilful violence, and
should be puaished by ova uniform penalty—
the death of the murderer. It nth been much disputed
whether capital punishment has • wholesome effect upon
mankind. Some say it leads to the vet" crime, while
others say it I rightens and deters those who are wassail I
of it. It le an interesting and 'moods:it gaieties, but
God's command does not look at it froni that point of view
stall. for in the fifth verve it is distinctly said the same
pleat, should be inflicted whenever mane blood be abed
—whether by beset or by man. Therefore we come to this
point—there must be WON deep Principle underlying the
command which God gave. It wee not given to deter lied
frighten people from the 00131Milla011 of murder, but for
Some other reason. As far as we can see, God did not
reseal the principle on which it was founded to Noah; but
in the Book of Numbers we find God there declares
asspnettesalv that murder stains and defiles • land, and
talste le no way by which the stain can be washed out
by the bleed of the murderer. Let us not listen to
mMeleett voice, for there Is no reason why poor week man
ebony attempt to enlarge on the subject Before I con.
dean I Wield like to make one single explanation. The
tut I have taken has long been in my mind—l may say
for years, loos and lons before it was possible to expect
that the soil of this sosinty (which, than God, is generally
go very free from violence, atrocity, and crime) should be
stained by human blood, and that, alas 1 the Inquisition
for this shedding of human blood should take place at
them string.

The buddies commenced on Wednesday, when the
following gentlemen were sworn on the Grand Jury :
Sir John Michel, K.C.B. (Fire.)
Sir Q. W. D'Oylay, Bart. H. B. Middleton, Eeq.
J. C. Mama - FleydeU, 11. 8. Bower, Esq.
Esq. W. A. Banks', Esq.
Major-Generß. al Henning, T. Hussey, Peg.
G. U. Churchill, Esq.
C. J. Parke, Ea.i. 0. C. Ferrer, Esq.
.7. W. T. Fyler, Esq. G. W. Florae. Eaq.
R. H. Bingham, Esq. F. S. W. Webber, Esq.
R. 0. F. Steward, Esq. C. E. Parke. Esq.
E. Pester, Bog. A. NI atin, Esq.
G. Bond, Eon. Powtett-Inne, Eaq.
C. Stewart Glyn, Esq. E. Finney, Eaq.
Clutha.

His LORDSHIP, in charging the Grand Jury, said :
Gentlemen of the Grand Jury,—Seventeen prisoners
stand for trial at these Assizes, but there are 13 bills
ooly that will be presented to you, because some of
those prisoners are charged c iejointly. Looking back
for • larger number of years than I care to mention,
doting which I have attended Ore Amiss, I have
been able to say there are more prisoners for trial at
these AbliZei than are usual y to be tried at this time of
the year, and I also regret to say that the offences are
of • serious character. Gentlemen. I think it only
necessary to call your attention to three cases, and the
first case is that of Joseph James Kingsford, otherwise
Henry Wright, who is charged with the wilful murder
of a person whore supposed name is Dennis Riley, on
the 29th May. It appears the deceased and the
prisoner were about a fortnight before the 29:h May
travelling the country singing and selling ballads. On
Saturday, the 27th May, they lodged with a person at
Wareham, and on Monday &nein ion they were
heard t 3 have some altercation with regard to the
property of some of these balls le. At that time
prisoner was heard to use threatening language
towards the deceased to the effect that be would do
for him by and bye. Subsequently it a;opears that the
deceased laid down on tbe:cround, with hisface towards
the ground, and the back of his neck exposed. The
prisoner goes to a wall near by, he takes from that
wall • large st me, he returns to the prisoner, and
with all his force throws that stone at the back of the
deceased's neck. He then takes the stone in his hand
and inflicts several revere blows upon the head of the
deceased. The deceased subsequently dies of those
blows. The prisoner both before and afterwards was
heard to use threatening language towards the
deceased, and he dies n t betray the smallest
contrition for the act he has committed. I thick,
under these circumstance., you will have no hesitation
In finding a true bill for murder against the prisoner.
Another case to which I wish to call your attention is
the case which stands nine and ten in the Calendar—
Rebecca Legg and Mary Aroett. Rebecca Lezg is
charged with the wilful murder of her infant child on
the 12th June, and Mary Arnett is charged as an
accessory after the feet. Now an accessory after the
fact is one who, knowing • felony to have been
committed, receives or barbo or assists, or comforts
the felon, and it is in that capacity that Mary Arnett
Is charged. I take it in this case you will have no
doubt that the prissier, Rebecca Legg, was delivered of
a child on the day in question. You will have no
doubt that the child was subsequently concealed
between the mattress and the sacking the bed in the
ei
room in which the prisoner wghs, g, and probably
you will have no dub • whatever that the child sub-
sequently died from auffortioo. The question in the
cabs will be this, whether the stiff co,ion was caused
intentionally by the prisoner, or whether it was done
eutintentionally whilst she was in the act of delivering
herself. Gentlemen in this car I should recommend
you also to find • true bill, whatever may be the result
of the case, for I think you will be of opinion that it
Is • case that ought to be thoroughly investigated with
regard to the charge against Rebecca Legg, and also
In regard to Mary Arnett, for being an accessory after
the face. There is only one other case I desire to men-
tion to you, and that is the cue of Henry Alfred
Teed, who is charged with the manslaughter of Levi
Bridle, on the 6th May. It appears the deceased
esated some ground of the primmer, and the
wished the deceased to give the ground up.
was unwilling to do so; an altercation took place
between the prisoner and the deceased with regard to
whether • proper notice had been given. The prisoner
seems to have been greatly irritated at the unwilling-
ness of the deceased to give the ground up; he threatens
bre, strikes his re, and endeavours by force to
remove some of the cattle off the land. Some little
time afterwards the prisoner strikes the deceassi some
severe blows on the head, which blows cause his
death. . The suggestion on the pert of the prisoner is
be received great provocation. However that may
ha, probably yen will be of opinion it was not such
provocation as will justify the violence he committed,
and I take it here, too, you will find a true bilL With
regard to the other cases in the calendar I have read
the depositions and in regard to all of them you will
be of
bills
that prism facie cases are made out, and
true ought to be found. Of course, I don't know
how the rreoce will come before you, I MG only
=log in regard to the evidence I find in the
dons. There is one other matter on which I
desire to say • few words. I have alluded to that on
a former occasion, when I charged the Grand Jury at
Winchester. In the commission under which the
Judges are &deg at these Assizes, there is• provision
iatrochised to the effect they are not to deliver the gaol
sit prisoner who are committed to the Session,. That
provision has never before been introduced under
which the Judges have sat, either at summer or winter
Aallille, and the same in the commission with regard
to the full Assize. The provision has been inserted in
the commission for the short autumn circuit, and for
the short wring circuit, but never for any commission
for the winter or summer assize. I take it the meaning
of the provision Is that you as magistrates are not to
commit to the Arises prisoners who are triable at the
Sessions, and I suppose the object is to relieve the
Judges at the Arises. Clearly, if that is the meaning
of the provision, you ought not to commit to the
Aeries prisoners charged with offences triable at the
Sessions; but I think it quite right of the authorities
to have inserted this provision, and also you, as
magistrate, should understand the effect of it, because
it seems to me it might possibly work • hardship by
working in this way. Suppose a prisoner (and there
are many care of the kind) to have been charged with
larceny during the last three week,. In obedience to
this ocienmirion, you will commit that prisoner not to
these Assizes but to the Sessionsin October. A case
of this kind occurred at Winchester. There was •
prisoner changed with such an offence, and the evidence
was so alight I was obliged to direct an acquittal. Now
U this provision is to be acted upon in such a case, that
Carr would have to remain in gaol until the October
ions, it seems to me that it is • very great hard-
ship. However, there the provision Is; but I don't
know if any instructions have been received from the
Hoar Office as to how you are to act in regard Wit.
I can only understood that Sessions prisoners are not
to be committed to the Arises. and, if that is the
case, it is your duty not to commit, though I cannot
help thinking it may be working • hard.blp, Ills
Leniehip then asked the Grand Jury to retire to their
COMB.