The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-03-25 00:00:00

Sontersetobire.

YEOVIL—ANOTHER ADVANTAGE.—The Great
Western Railway, anxious to keep pace with the
times, like its brother, the Bristol and Exeter,
have now given to farmers and dealers attending
the market on Fridays, the means of leaving Yeovil
at a later period than usual. In future the Great
Western clown goods train, which leaves Yeovil at
ten minutes past six in the evening, will have
attached to it a first and second class carriage for
passengers.
RESTORATION OF ST. JOHN'S CHURCH. Our
Sacred Harmonic Society to assist the funds now
being raised for the restoration of the parish church,
gave a grand morning and evening performance, on
Tuesday, at the Townhall. Handel's celebrated
oratorio "The Messiah," was the composition selected
for the delectation of the public, who were much
gratified at the justice done to the exirisite work of
the great master. The chorus consisted of about
100 performers, led by Mr. Rumsey, of Shepton
Mallet, in that masterly style which distinguishes his
appearance before a musical audience. The arduous
duties of conductor devolved upon Mr. H. Cole.
The solos were sustained by Miss Eleonora Wilkinson,
from the Exeter Hall concerts), Miss Billing,
(pupil of Madame Sainton Dolby), Mr. W. Ei
Cockram, (from the Hatband BirMingham oratorios),
and Mr. Jennings, (from the Plymouth and Exeter
oratorio society). At the morning concert a
ffshionable and extensive audience gathered under
the roof of the Townhall, to listen to the production
of one whose works are becoming daily more and
more appreciated. The evening omega was well
attended, and we can say it was crowded from
door step to topmost ventilator.' The assembly were
well rewarded for the three hours sitting accorded.
The receipts amounted to upwards of £75, which
after deducting expenses, will leave a tolerable sum
for concluding the renovation of one of the finest
churches in Somersetshire.

COUNTY PETTY SIMMONS, Wednesday.—Before
G. Harbin, Esq , and Captain Messiter.—Charler
Collins, a boy, was charged with feloniously
assaulting Mary Ann Ward. The complainant, it
appears, was walking on Tuesday in company with
another girl through some fields near Yeovil, where
the defendant, with other boys, was playing.
Collins, it was stated, assisted by other boys not yet
in custody, were guilty of very indecent conduct,
and roughly handled her. The prisoner said he was
merely a spectator.—Remanded till Friday.—
Joseph Beverstock, a railway labourer, was brought
up in custody, charged with setting a trap for the
purpose of catching game. P.C. James Ottery, said
that on 28th October he was watching in Sparkford
Wood, the property of "Squire" Bennet, about
half-past six in the morning. The prisoner came
up the railway, and took a pheasant from a trap in
the qnickset hedge forming the boundary of the line,
and reset the trap. He told defendant he would be
summoned, when he said " I merely put the trap
to catch a rabbit, but caught a pheasant." Prisoner
had been summoned but absconded.—ln defence
prisoner said he had worked 17 years on railways
and hoped the magistrates would take a lenient
view of the matter, as it was his first offence, He
absconded because he was out of wo, k at the time.
He wished "ever so many times" since that be had
appeared to the summons. Fined £2 10s., including
costs £l.

YELTOW.—SLOW MURDER OF A CHILD.—On Friday
Mr. Brent held an inquest at the Marylebone work.
house on the body of Jane Sheppard, an illegitimate
child of 7 weeks old. The mother, • servant, was
confined at her married sister's house at Yellow, near
Conesbary, Somersetshire, and on the third day after
birth the infant was sent to London by the grandfather
and the aunt, and placed under the care of a drover's
wife (also an aunt to the child), living in Lisson Grove.
It was to be brought up by hand, and 2e. 6,1 per week
was to be the allowance. The child at first could not
take the food, and bad • fit, the doctor recommending
pure milk with warm water, upon which it improved.
At length arrowroot, milk, gruel, and eventually beaten.
up boiled bread were given. On Monday the child
frothed at the nose and mouth, and died suddenly. Mr
Jeffs, surgeon, deposed to seeing the child after death.
It W 41.3 exceedingly emaciated. The cause of -loath was
• fit produced by the collapse of the lunge from general
debility through want of proper nourishment. He saw
some of the food last aiven—imatenmp bread—and was
disgusted to find the remains of three or four day's
feeding round the upper part of the vessel, The food
was quite thick and too heavy for the child, producing
failure of general power through sheer inutritton. The
jury expressed their opinion that the mother bad bean
platy of • great set of cruelty. The child was not
intended to live, and, in fact, it amounted to a case of
slow murder. They returned the following verdict :
" That the deceased died from natural debility, through
want of proper nourishment ;" adding, " That the
mother of the said Jane Sheppard is highly culpable for
having sent away her child from her own care so soon
as three days after birth to so long a distance as from
Somersetsbire to London."

SHEPTON MALLET. HORTICULTURAL So-
CIETY.• —EXTRAORDINARY PROCERDINGS.—A meeting
of the general committee of this society was held on
Saturday afternoon, and as has invariably been the
case hitherto was attended by a representative of
the public press. Before proceeding to the business
for which the assembly was called (the consideration
of the "second edition" of the schedule), Mr. Thorn
proposed that in future reporters be excluded from
these meetings, saying that it was not permitted in
any old horticultural society and he thought it was
prejudicial to the interests of the society that reports
of their proceedings should be published.—Mr. J.
Allen seconded the motion.—The Rev. E. H. CORMs
protested against holding private meetings. He
hoped all their future acts, as all their previous ones
had, would bear the light of day, and he moved as
an amendment, that reporters be admitted.—This
was seconded by W. C. Walker, Dr.
Wybrants, eoroner, said he did not see what reason
they had to be ashamed of themselves. (Hear, hear.)

He thought that, as a body of Englishmen be was
going to say, though he was glad he could not say
that, for he thanked God he was an Irishman
(laughter) ; they should not be afraid to see their
acts in print. Reporters were admitted almost every-
where now. (Hear, hear.) In his own humble
court be was always glad to see—not one, but many
reporters present. (A pplause.)—Mr. Allen said their
proceedings were not in a fit state to go before the
public; they were not completed, and be thought
whatever reports were published, they should be
drat snbinitted to the secretary's approval, who
would know what it was beet to publish and what
to withhold.—Mr. Farbrother thought a reporter
should be present at a general meeting. The Rev.
E. H. Cosens said they were dealing with the money
of subscribers all over East Somerset, and they had
a right to know what was done with it. He thought
the momoters of the resolution should show some
valid reason for departing from the eourse hitherto
adopted, and under which the society had prospered
wonderfully.—Mr. Thorn said the report of the last
meeting was very inaccurate, but this was at once
denied by the reporter, who told Mr. Thorn this was
not the place to challenge the accuracy of the report.
His proper course would he to write a letter to the
paper, painting out and correcting the errors, but
that for reasons best known to himself he had not
done so.—Dr. Wybrants said it was not the question
whether past reports bad been accurate or not, but
whether reporters should be admitted. It was no
remedy for wrong reports to shut out the reporters
altogether. (Hear, hear.)—The Rev. E. H. Cosens
said the accuracy of the last report was a matter of
opinion. 'I he Rev. G. R. Taylor had told him that
altogether it was a very accurate report, and that
was clearly his (the sneaker's) impression.—The
chairman, (the Rev. H. F. Grey), then put the
amendment, when there appeared for, 3 (the Rev.
E. H. Cosens, Dr. Wybrants, and V. C. Walker,
Esqr.) ; against, 3, (Messrs. Farbrother (!), Thorn,
Allen, Berryman, and Wilson. For the original
motion, 4, Mr. Farbrother:not voting against.—Mr.
James Allen then proposed that the proeeedings
hitherto should not be published. (Laughter.) The
chairman of course refused to put such a motion as
that, it being altogether out of their province.—We
are informed Abet the ready-WOW coroner after-
wards elicited that no notice or Mr. Thorn's inten-
tion to bring forward his motion was given to the
members of the committee, 8a that it was altogether
informal, null, and void, hut to make "assurance
doubly sure," he has given notice that at the next
meeting he will move to rescind Mr. Thorn's "most
extraordinary proceeding."

TAUNTON. —Armour TOO LATE.—A day or two since
a marriage was almost prevented by one of those singular
cases of absence of mind which are continually occurring.
A happy couple resolved upon being made one, and on
Tuesday drove in a carriage with greys to • church
some miles distant from the town fur that purpose.
Everything had been provided for in point of law, and
the bride and bridegroom were in that happy state
which old maids and bachelors may enviously fancy, but
never can realize. In that state they presented them-
selves before the clergymen and the important
ceremony, which was to bind them together" for better
for worse, for richer for poorer, was commenced.
Arrived at that part of the ceremony when the deaire of
their hearts was about to be consummated, namely, the
placing of the ring on the finger of the blushing bat
trembling bride, that indispensable article could not be
found. The pockets of the waiscoat, the coat, were
diligently searched—in fact, turned out, but the truant
ring could nowhere be found. The obliging sexton
volunteered to fetch "the ring with which he
and his old woman were married many a long
year since," but the,bride objected to being wedded with
a stranger's token—except her own could not be dis-
covered by the hour of twelve! One of the horses was
speedily disengaged from the carriage, the !driver
mounted, and "Away went Gilpin, and away"—he
went after the ring, his incentive to speed being
accelerated by the promise of a golden reward, should
he return with the 'missing article in time for the
consummation of the ceremony. The good natured
clergyman, pitying the distress of both bride and
bridegroom, kindly offered to abide the event, and in an
incredibly short space of time the expectant party were
gratified to see the horseman approach, holding the
magic token between his finger and his thumb, and
shouting " All's right." The ceremony was then
concluded to the satisfaction of all parties, and the
bridegroom was heard to declare that should he ever
have occasion to go through the ceremony again—hoping
the time would be far distant—he would take care never
to leave the ring in a box on his dressing table

BISHOP'S LYDIARD.—AOCIDENT ON THIL WraT
SOMERSET RATLWAT.—An accident, by which five men
were seriously injured, occurred on Friday morning at
Bishop's Lydiard, on the West Somerset Railway. A
truck was being laden with ballast by a number of men,
when by some means it turned over and covered several
of the party. Atter some time they were extricated,
and five of them were found to be much injured, and
they were taken to the Somerset Hospital at Taunton,
where they were attended to by Messrs Cornish and
Gibson. They lie in • very precarious state.

BRIDGWATER.—THIS CA6III OF SOIOIDI WE A
SitIVANT GIRL —On Saturday morning Mr. W. W,
Monokton, coroner, held an inquest at the Malt Shovel
Inn, on the body of the unfortunate girl Elizabeth
Chileott, a domestic servant in the employ of Mr. W.
Robinson of Wembdon Brewery, near Bridgwater,
whose body was found in a pond at the back of her
master's premises on Thursday morning. A witness
named Carver deposed to seeing the deceased pars him
in the yard leading to the field in which the pond was
situate, about half-past eight in the morning. He asked
what o'olock it was, and she replied, and walked one
George Dyment, a clerk in the employ of Mr. Robinson,
deposed that whilst searching for duck's nests in his
master's field, behind the house, his attention was
drawn to some wearing apparel lying near the pond.
Upon examining it he found the articles to be a pair of
boots and a bonnet, and close by was a note, written by
the deceased, as follows :—" It will be& great trouble
te go to the grave with the only daughter. This is to tell
you the reason I drowned myself is that Mr. and Mrs.
Robinson are always blaming me for what I am
innocent off, I have cried for thinga so many times
fit to break my heart, and I cannot stand it any longer.
I fell out with dear Ann, and I then cried fit to break
my heart, and there's my dear mother and brothers I
have not seen for • fortnight through Mrs. Robinson's
illness, but I hope we shall meet in Heaven, as lam
much afraid but what the Lord has forgiven me, and
it is to be laid to Mr. Robinson's charge ; I must say
he drove me to it. A kiss for all the dear children,
and the same to Ann, Mrs. Pinn, and to Jenny.
'When I can read my title (dear
To mansions in the skies,
I bid farewell to every. fear,
. . .

And wipe my weeping eyes.'
I hope the Lord will help mother through her trials.'
Dynient imtnediatley took the note to his master who,
with several of his workmen, t went to the pond, and the
body of the deceased was dragged from the water quite
dead. With reference to the reflection in the letter
upon her master and mistress there seem to have
been no foundation for the mother of the girl gave
evidence that the deceased had frequently expressed
to her great kindness with which her master and
mistress treated her. On the previous Monday, how-
ever, her muter had given her a slight reprimand
for breaking a knife belonging to him, and
the quarrel the deceased referred to as
having taken place between herself and Ann,
a fellow-servent, was proved to have been only an
inquiry by the latter as to whether the deceased had left
• piece of soap in the water. It was discovered that the
poor girl had left a slip of paper in the house, on which
was written, " Look in the pond in the field." The
mother stated that she had a son who was not right in
his mind, and it was proved that for a fortnight previous
to the death of the deceased she had been sullen in her
temper, in fact quitean altered girl. The jury returned
a verdict that the deceased committed sucide whilst in a
state of temporary insanity, that the note was written
by her whilst in that state, and that they believed Ur
and Mrs Robinson to have treated her with great
kindness. The Coroner said he quite concurred in the
verdict, and would endorse the statement they had
made exonerating Mr and Mrs Robinson from blame,

FRESIVORD.—Tna LATE COFFIN ROBBERY AT
FRISHFORH. CHURCH.—Further discoveries have
been made of another vault in this church having
been desecrated. It having come to the ears of the
churchwardens that during thivrepairs of the church
persons were seen hauling something of great weight
out of the vault of the Merewether family, Mr.
James Long, builder, of Bradford.on-Avon, in
accordance with the request of the churchwardens,
has made an examination of the vault, and the fol-
lowing is the result :—Amongst the rubbish in the
vault, portions of four coffins have been found with
human remains in three of them, but in one they
are missing. Three plates are also missing, and no
leaden shells are to be found in either rsaffin. One
plate has been found on the bottom coffin, which
identities the vault as belonging to the Merewether
family.
STOKENHAM. -- EXTRAORDINARY FORTUNE
TELLING CASE—At the Exeter assizes lately held
Ciederetta Smale, aged 61, was indicted for stealing
£32 from J. F. Horswell, at Stokenham, on the Bth
February. This was so extraordinary a case, that we
give the prosecutor's case in his own words. He said:
I am a labourer living at Stokenham. The prisoner
came to me in October. I bad then my sight; now I
am blind. She wanted to tell my sister her fortune,
and then she wanted to tell mine. She took • book
out of her basket and read it. She said she did not
think I should work for my master 'lst Christmas, and
that some evil would betel me. She asked me for ss,
and I let her have it. She said if I would give her
gold she would keep off the evil. I don't know that I
believed it, but I thought there was something in it.
She told me to put a sovereign on the book, and put my
hand on it and kneel down and say the Lord's Prayer. I
did all this, and as soon as I took my hand off the
sovereign she took it up and put it in her pocket. I did
get nearly blind about Christmas. She came again in
January, and said " Young man, I must touch your
flesh ;" and she crossed my hand. She read a prayer,
and then called me into a little back kitchen. She told
me to kneel down and say the Lord's Prayer. I did so.
She asked for some gold to put on the planet hook. I
put down a sovereign, and then she took it up and Iheard
the purse close, She then took a common stone and
rubbed down my nose. I gave her £2. On the 21st of
January she called, and had £1 17$ She came again
on the 7th of February, and said she should call again
the next day, as she wanted "so and so" to cross the
planet. I went next day and drew £57 Os Id. Shortly
after I gut home the prisoner called. My mother and
sister were present. She said, "Well, young man, how's
your eyesight r and she called me into the back kitchen
and told me to kneel down and say the Lord's Prayer.
I did so. Then she said, "I want the money you have
drawn to put on the planets." I said " I have not get
so much." She then said, " Yes, you have, and I must
have it." I held on that I could not spare it. She said,
" I .draw forward. You draw bide. I am do
nothing more for you. I must have £3O to cross the
planets." I gave her £3O. She said she must have some,
thing more. and I gave her another sovereign. She then
said she must have the money on the other side, " and I
willreturn it to you again neat Thursday," I "Mind

understand, this to lent money." She said, " Yes, she'd
return it on Thursday, and by that time I slionld have
my eyesight as herself." She did not call again on the
follo wing Thursday. 1 then communicated with the police,
and I heard her voice when before the magistrates.
—Cross-examined : I ani 32 years old. I never Raw the
prisoner before October. She goes about with a brisket,
I did not believe it when she first began. I gave her
Is. for telling my fortune, and £1 for keeping off the
evil. I thonght she was • promising person, as she
said she "rutin seventh daughter of • seventh daughter.
I don't know that I expected to see the first sovereign
again. My sight failed before Christmas ; it was good
then. I had lost one eye before that. When I lost
any eyesight I began to have more faith in her. My
brother WAS present on one occasion. When I gave her
the £32 I believed she would cure any sight. When I
was saying the Lord's Prayer she said something also.
I thought I might have been " or some.
thin., of that kind. I oily expected to have
the .232 back again. I drew the money to Idly
some to her. She asked me to tie up the £32 in •
pocket-hondkerehief.-The sister of Hors-welt said thit at
the last interview the prisoner said to her brother, "Be
sure you don't let father or mother, brother or sister,
know what we have said or done, or I can't do you any
good ; and I shall be here again on Thursday." Her
brother had £37 in his pocket when the prisoner came,
and after she left all he had was 10s. The prisoner said
her brother's eyes would be well by Thursday. The
Prisoner Was apprehended at Lostwithiel, is Cornwall,
in consequence of an advertisement in the Pollee Gazetre.
She had • fortune-telling book and a lock of hair in an
envelope addressed to Mr. T. If orswell. The prisoner
said they told her they were hewitched, and offered her
£lO, which she would have been • fool if she had not
taken. She bad cured worse than him, and she could
have cured him, as he had only • cataract. She had
£5 14s. and two rings in her pocket. She was travelling
with • cart and • hawker's license. She said she should
have called upon Horswell on the following Friday.
Mr. Justice Blackburn, in gumming up, said the
question was whether this woman had committed the
offence with which she was charged. They must not
convict her because she had been • forture teller. If
the man was induced to give her this money by •
notion thst he would thereby be cured, giving it as
money, then she was not guilty of Stealing; end if,
from any motive, he lent her the money in ordinary
sense of lending, then that would not be stealing. But
if they were of opinion that the money Was given to
her not as • gift,. nor as a loan, but non the term*
that she was to return it after she had gone through
some conjuration, and she did afterwards, with a dis-
honest intention, appropriate the money to her own
use, then she was guilty of stealing the money,
The jury found the prisoner guilty. The prisoner fell
on her knees and begged for mercy, stating that she bad
eight children end had never done anything before.
The learned Judge said the °trines had been very clearly
proved, and the jury could not bays found any other
verdict. He did not thick, however, that there were
many foolish people who would act in such a way as the
prosecutor had done, and it would not be necessary to
pane a very severe sentence to operate as an example;
therefore the sentence would be six months' itnpriassa-
ment with hard labour.

Nolan PERROTT.—Sinnuhan AOCIDISIIT.-011
Thursday Mr Adam Bendel', yeoman, of Whitevine
Farm, was proceeding on horseback towards a field in
which some men were engaged at draining, carrying
with him a keen instrument used in draining work,
which he had just been sharpening, and, while passing
through agate his horse shied, plunged, or made a false
step, and Mr Bendel", in his efforts to prevent himself
from falling, brought the knife, with • jerk, across his
own throat, inflicting a severe wound about three or
four inches in length. As it happened, the knife womb
in an upward direction, so that the jaw-bone prevented
it from penetrating so deeply as it would otherwise hays
done. Mr G. 8. Jolliffe, of Crewkerne, was soon in
attendance, promptly sewed up the wound, and stepped
the How of blood. If the jaw-bone had not come in the
way of the knife in the manner described, the windpipe
must have been severed, the principal arteries divided,
and almost instant death have been the result.
SEABOROUGH.—A few days since, • little girl
named Hannah Harwood, daughter of a kbonrer of this
village, was unlacing her brother's boot when a burning
stick felt from the grate and set fire to her clothes.
The injury which she received was so scrims that as
soon after died.

We regret to bear that the man who met wits tle
accident, a few days ago. in consequence el a Sena
Falling with him, has since died. The pear fellow
appeared to be going on very well until Thneeday the
6th inst., when symptoms of look-jaw manifeskit them-
selves. They gradually increased in severity, and after
about forty-eight hours of intense suffering the sea
died. He has left a widow and four young children.