The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1864-03-08 00:00:00

Dersttobirt.

DORSET LENT ASSIZES.

The commission for holding these assign was openei
at the Shirehall, Dorchester, on Friday afternoon, by
Mr. Baron Bramwell, alio travelled from Winchester
by South• Western Railway. His Lordship ins met St
the station by the High Sheriff, C. W. Digby, Fag.,
attired in the dress of • deputy lieutenant, the under
-
sheriff, T. Ffoo Req., the Sheriff's chaplain. Re..
Owen L. Maass% recto of Church Knowle, 0. J.
Andrews. Esq., county clerk, and the usual
retinue of javelinmen. A beautiful carriage from the
manufactory of Messrs. Loyd end Sons, of this
town, drawn by • pair of hones, conveyed „ his
Lordship to the judges' lodgings. Shortly before three
o'clock 'Mr. Baron Bramwell proceeded to the Crown
Court end opened the commiseion, and afterwards
attended Divine worship at St. Peter's Church,
accompanied by the Mayor, tion, and the
functionaries of the borough. grrer:. R. G. Watson
read the prayer., and the Sheriff's chaplain preached
an a sermon from Arita we., it Mr.
BaronPCAPT,46being detained at Winchester, did not
arrive until later in the day.

CROWN COURT, SATURDAY.
(Before Mr. Bairn! Bariswitu..)
His Lordship took his seat in this court at 10 o'clock
this morning. The attoodanes of magistrates was very
small, but the following answered t• their names, and
were sworn on the grand trii:—Sir John Michel,
Bart. (foreman), J. Plover, M.P., C. N. Start,
Req., M.P., R. Willisms, H. N. Middleton, R.
if. Swaffield, Joseph Oundry, George Whieldon, C.
A. Manning, E. Weld. J. J. Farquharson, junr., 0.
W. Ferrer, H. C. Goodden. T. Bower, H. S. Bower,
J. Brymer, J. T. Sullen, G. T. Bullock, H. P.
bridge, W. T. Cox, R. Fetherstmihaugh, .1. T. Fyler,
and B. P. °mirky, Rom. These gentlemen having
been sworn, and the proclamation against vice and
immorality having been read, his Lordship proceeded
to charge the Grand Jury. He stated that there
were not many prisoners in the calendar, and, as
he understood, the majority of the cases were
very light. There was one mos, certainly, which
bad • bad appearance; but certainly he did not think
it was correctly described, lie meant the ease of •
woman charged with the words.' of her child. He could
not see that there was any ground for saying that she
murdered her child. He warn certain that for ages peat
no woman had been found guilty of murder ender such
circumstances. She appeared to have had • child,
which died; but according to the evident* of the
Di. dial man, he attributed death to the bleeding of the
umbilical cord, which was out instead of being tied.
He did not think any woman ought to be put to the
agony of being tried for her life withont good ground
for so doing, and he recommended them to throw out
the bill, unless something more should transpire than
he was aware of. She, however, would be subject
to the charge for concealing the birth of her
child, but he did not think she ought to
be charged with murder. Another case to which
be would call their attention, wax No. 14 in the
calendar He did not want to name the offence more,
but it was sworn to by an eye witness. For his own
part be would never find any man guilty except upon
corroborative testimony, but in this cam there was
corroborative evidence. If they must find a true bill
against this man for the offence, there was no help for
It, as they must not disregard theoaths they had taken.
There was a charge in the calendar. No. 4, against a
servant, for netting fire to her muter's house. She had con.
(cued to stealing, but denied the burning, and he c .uld
not see by. the depositions that there was any evidence
of her having dose it. He supposed the supposition
was, that having stolen the things she attempted to
burn the house down to conceal what she had done.
There was another charge, No. 6, and, as he understood,
the only evidence against the man was this. The house
was, no doubt, broken into, and property taken out of
It. He was seen near the house, and was also seen
running away. If nothing more than this should
appear before them he did not think they could find •
bill. The fact of his being in the neighbourhood and
running away would not prove that he committed the
offence. The next case to which he would call their
attention was No. 9. There was evidence there by the
admission of the first prisoner charged, Toffin, and by
• comparison of the shoe marks which showed that he
was the thief. The other prisooer was charged with
receiving. He appeared to have taken • part of the
property, because be admitted that he took what
the other prisoner gave him. He was • lad
of 15 years of age, and he was not sure that
there was anything in the depositions upon
which they could find • tree bill against him, as he
must receive with a guilty knowledge. His lordship
then alluded to the case of a young woman chaired with
rtsaling a book. The book was not sold or pledged, but
be believed was taken to her father's, or some other
friend's house. People took great liberty with other
people's books there was no doubt, but he would not say
that the young woman was the thief; but it had been
said that the leaf with the name on it had been torn out.
If that was so it looked very bad, but she denied that
she had done so. They must therefore see whether
there was any good ground for promoting a bilL A man
named Knight was charged with breaking into a Catholic
chapel, and stealing money. The evidence went to
prove that he was without money before the chapel was
broken into, and that as he had been relieved by the
priest, he knew where the money was kept. The
footmarks near the chapel corresponded with prisoner's
boots, and the money found in his possession was about
the sum which had been taken from the chapeL
Although the money could not be identified, there was
oulllchot evidence to find • true bill against hire.
After • few other remark, his Lordship said he
need not trouble them any further upon any
other cases, although there were several, and asked
them to take mine short case No that business might be
proceeded with at once. His Lordship then dismissed
the Grand Jury to their labours.