The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-10-23 00:00:00

Court Nth's.

The Queen and Prince Consort left Coburg as Wed.
nesday week, arrived at Mavence the mime evening, and
proceeded to Coblents, whish they reached on Thursday.
They were accompanied by the Prince Regent and
Prince and Princes. Frederick William of Prussia.
Smoi after the arrival of the Queen at Coblents, Lord
John Russell received the visit of the Baron von
Schleinitz, the Pruaeian Minieter of Foreign Affair's,
and on the next day several interviews took place
between these statesmen. The populace received the
distinguished travellers with much enthusiasm. On
Friday morning Her Majesty, with many other dia.
tinguiehed persons, walked along the banks of the
Rhine, leaving the towi, by the MAyence gate, and on
the return a grand dejaner was held at the palace, at
which all the distinguished personages who bad arrived
with lief Majesty were present ; after which an excel..
eion in carriages was made to the magnificent Castle of
Stulzenfels. It was the Queen's intention to make an
excursion in the Fairy to St. Goer, but the extremely
uufavuuratile weather caused this idea to be abandoned,
end in the sftensoun the yacht steamed ilown the
Rhine on her ',turn to Antwerp. The Royal pony
left Coblentz on Saturday, and on the same eveuing
arrived at Brussels. King Leopold was the first to
receive her 111.ijesty upon her rawlplug out of the rail-
way carriage. In conseuuence of •slight uulispeeition
the Queen did not leave Brussels till Tuesday, arriving
at Gravesend on the following day.

THE LATE MYSTERIOUS MURDER AT ROAD.

At the Wilts Quarter &visions, which commenced at
Marlborough on Tuesday, some discuwion took place
with reference to the proceedings of the magistrates and
the police in enleavouring to elucidate the mystery
attending the recent child murder at Road-hill•house,
the resilience of Mr. Kent. Sir J. Asedry, who, it will
be remembered, acted as chairman at the late esausina-
tion of Elizabeth Gough. presided on the occasion, aid
there was a large attendance of magistrates, inclusling the
Right lion. T. H. S. Eatcourt, M.P., Ltd Erhvot
Bruce, M.P., Mr. Marsh, M.P., Mr. Merewether, Q.C.,
Ac.

On the reading of the report of the Constabularly
Committee, . . . . . . . .

Mr. Ileuesge wished to ask Captain Meredith, the
chief constable, a question relating to come circum-
stances arising out of the Road murder. He oLserved
from reports in the public paper* that ott the night
after the murder two policemen, who were very pro-
perly placed in Mr. Kedt's house. were locked lino •
room for several hours. He wished, thetefort, to know
if any notice had been taken or inquiry wade with regard
to the conduct of those officers. (Hear, hear.)

Captain Meredith replied t uit t e p.lioemen dad not
know before two o'clock in the morning that they had
been locked in. 'They might, if they had pleased, hase
got out into the yard where the dog was kept.
Mr. Merewether.—At what time did they go in?
. .

Captain Meredith said they went in at 11 o'clock.
Mr. Kent wished them to remain in the iloll6e as • pro-
tection to his lamily. It was an arrangement between
him and the superintendent at Troabridge. One of
them belonged to Wilts and the other to Somerset.
Mr. Heneage.—Then they were not sent for purposes
of protection. but simplv to protect Mr. Kent?
Captain Meredith.—To • certain extent they were,
but they had private orders. The explanation which
Mr. Kent has given to the public of tis 7•111tOU for lock-
ing them in is that he wiAed the house to be precisely
in the same state in which it usually was. He was
always iii the habit of locking that door at night. The
path* could have got out at the back door, but then
they would have come in contact with the dog.
Mr. Alexander.—But they were uot at liberty to go
about the house?

Captain Meredith.—No.
Mr. Iderewether said it wait somewhat gratifying to
know that of two policemen who wire locked into a
room f tom II o'clock until 2 without knowing it, only
one belonged to the county of Wilts. (Laughter.)
Mr. fieneage —I wish to know if any notice has been
taken f the r luet of either.

Csptain !len, could a find that any blame
attsched to thew, because they did not know they were
locked in.

Ur. T. B. Sanndeni (one of the justicen of the Brad-
ford diviimn) said he wiaheil to make a few observations
on the case. He would refrain from :acing the word
" murder," because it Wl4l pomade, from what he had
heard, that it might turn out to be only a case of man-
almighty,. He happened to he at Bligliton when the
case occurred, but on his return he took the liberty of
suggesting that there should he a public inquiry, but
was itifornied that the matter had better he left in the
hands of thoae inNgistrates who where then instituting
• private inquiry, nil only one of 1/110111 belonged to
the division in which Road-house was situate. lie did
not wish, however, to cast an imputation on any person
on that account ; hut, having been asked what good
were the police of this county, who cost something
like I:10.000 a year, when an offence of this kind could
be committed without detection, and having berm
informed that • great deal of evidence could be adduced
which had not yet been publicly given, he thought it
was incumbent on the magistrates to inetitote further
proceedings, there being adifficulty in official quarters
in Lona n. on the part of the Secretary of State, to
commence jr institute ally such inveatigation in a legal
or proper manner. He begged, therefore, to mote that a
special committee be appointed to investigate the
circumstances connected with the death of Francis
Saville Kent, and the proceedings taken by the police
with reference thereto, and to report thereon to the
next sessions. If that did nut meet with the approval
of the Court he would propose:: that the Constabulary
Committee should take the matter up and report
thereoe. He saw no illegality in such • course, but
would bow with every submission and respect to the
opinion of the chairman. He hail not attended any of
the examinationa, but lie migh, mention that on the
lit of September last he wrote to the Secretary of State,
Sir George Lewis, stating that circuialatances liad come
to hie knowledge which induced him to think that
! evidence could he broucht forward without much difficulty
or expense, sufficient to justify the apprehension of two
of the persons who slept in the house On the night of
the occurrence, and suggesting that if the Secretary of
State thought it expedient to authoriae an iiiquiry, lie,
as a barrister, would readily undertake the same, either
alone or jointly with ahem fret of expense. On the
sth of September he received a reply, containing these
words :

•• If you are in possession of any information respect-
ing this eaae. or have any suggestions to offer, it is your
duty to communicate them to your brother isiagi-trates
and to the chief constable of the county. No special
authority ii regnired to enable you to perforiu your
functions as a magistrate."
To that letter be replied that he bad already communi-
cated with several of his brother magistrates, and also
with the chief constable, but that on his attending one
of the preliminary investigations he was informed that
it was simply of • private character, and had better be
left to those magistrates who had taken the matter in
hand. To that letter he had received no reply. He
certainly was eurprised to find that the nurse had been
allowed to leave the county, and her having been
recently brought back for exit 333 I 3 ation at 'Trowbridge
was • proof that one portion at least of his letter to the
Secretary of State was not ill-timed. The esee now se-
pecred to be involved in the greatest difficulty, but still
there were circumstances which it was of the utmost
importance to hear in mind. In the first place, the
locking up of the policemen was a most unsceolutable
proeseding. Then, again, he bad been informed that
there was a light burning over the hall-door during the
whole night when the child was taken away.
Captain kleredith.—There is a light burning there
every night.. . . . .

Mr. Saunders had been told that such was not the
case, and he believed that evidence could be brought
forward to show that that lamp was burning 110 late aa
I o'clock, uotwithstabiling that all the inmates aahl
thee went to bed before 12, awl that they slept with
wore than usual soundness. Then again he had never
heard it aakeel whether the old scythe might not have
been the inatrument with which the crime was com•
niitted. Neither had it been showu up to the
present moment that the garden tools were ever
examined.
Captain Meredith.—Each one of them was examined.
Mr. Saunders.—May I ask if the grass on the lawn
WA, cot with a scythe or anything else?
Captain Meredith.—With • scythe.
Mr. Saunders understood that it had been cut with a
machine. Another question he eddied to ask, whether
any sweeps went up the chimney to examine them after
the child was found?
Captain Meredith.—l believe not. The chimneys
were examined, but not by a sweep.
Mr. Saunders considered they had not been properly
era &&& itt ed. Ilia own impression of the case was that the
deceased saw something improper in the nursery, and
that it was that which led to the co isaion of the foul
deed. The instrument with which it bad been coin-
witted might have been disposed of in the neighbour-
Lased ; and he wished to ask whether during the inves-
tigation of the case the chief constable had applied tee
the Constabulary Committee fur their advice and asais-
Ranee.
Captain Meredith.—l have communicated with the
magistrates.
Mr. Saunders.—But have you communicated with
the Constabulary Committee?
Captain Meredith.—No, I have not.
Mr. Saunders said by the rules of sessions it was his
duty to have done so; therefore, if the Court objected to
the appointment of • special committee, he would pro-
pose that the chief constable communicate with the
Constabulary Committee, so that they might report on
the subject at the next sessions.
Mr. Heneage said before the question was put to the
Court be wished to ask Captain Meredith whether there
were, as stated by Mr. Saunders, ensue persons yet
remaining to be examined whose evidence would be use-
_ .

ful with regard to the discovery of the murder.
Captain Meredith replied that lie was not aware of
one. He believed the whole of the evidence had already
been exhausted by the no.gistrates, who had been most
indefatigable throughout the whole of the investigation.
Even during the progress of the privrte examinations
everything was taken down in writing. The whole ot
the family were examined, and Mrs. Kent being in too
delicate a state to be brought to the court, the cont.
mittee proceeded to Road-hill house and examined her
there. He had further to explain with reference to the
constables. that their attendance was requeated by Mr.
Krut. soil that lie Muth& knew nothing of it. Mr.
Kent showed them into the kitchen, aaying, " I shalt to
in the library • if you hear a MAIM, come to me." When
they attempted to go out they found the door fastened,
and Mr. Kent CAMS and opened it.

Mr. Sotheron Estonia avid, although Mr. Saunders's
motion had not been stormiled, yet, considering the
nature of the subject, he should he sorry to allow it to
pa. by without discharging what appeared to bun to be
a duty, in making one or two reuiarkii. He undertook
to say that the whole of the magiatrates in the county
had taken the deepest interest in the GM°, and he could
not see that 1b...0 who were officially connected with
the district where the death took place had failed in
making the isnot conatant, the most vigorous, and the
meet assiduous investigation into the whole of the cit.-
cumatanom of the case. He did nut know that Mr.
Saunders had imputed any /aches ur neglect to them ;
hut it appeared that be desired a further investigation
wider the cognizance of magiatrates other than thosc
who lied already taken part in the proceedings. Now.
lie confessed lie did not see what good was likely to
arise from the adoption of such • proposition ; neithet
could lie see why in this case they were to depart from
the ordinary rules which guided them in others. The
only thing peculiar about the case was its atrocity, if it
. was a murder, and the remarkable mystery in which it
was enveloped. The magistrates of the district had
taken every I.llillll to investigate the matter. They had
examined every person likely to throw the slightest
light upon the occurrence ; some of them had even gone
to London to ascertain the opinions of those who were
competent to give advice ; and they had adopted a fur-
ther step with h commended keel( to the good opinion of
all, by inviting the attendance uf Sir John A wilry to
assist tliesu in conducting the last examination. (Hear,
hear.) What good, then, would result hem haviha
another and a separate inquity ? Having read the
report of the heat exam nation, lie was at ii
lON. to conceive what fresh witnesses could be
ut into the box, or what fresh clue there was t.
foilow up. But even suppodng a further inquiry to be
necessary, why should it not he conducted by the magis-
trates of the division in which Roaddiiit Sea citnatcd-;
What was there to prori nt them the moment afresh
clue wee tittered from folloaing it up ? The real diffi- •
fitly in the oast was that there vas no eine at all.
Every man 'night draw his own conclopions, but those
conclusions were not evnienee. Hr. Saunders bad inti-
Imated something as to the impropriety of allowing the
none to leave the county, hut who, he would ask. had a
right to stop her? (Hear, bear.) What power was
'here even in a Secretary id State to do such • thing?
Until there was some reasonable ground, likely to lead
to evidence. they 11..ci no right to imprison any single
pereou, and lie could not therefore agree with those Willi
I thought that the nurse should have been prevented f oni
leaving the neighbourhood. (Hear. bear.) No man
could say that pains had not been taken in endeavouring
to arrive at the truth of the matter. Fie bailer,* that

one public body had suggested • coniniimion from the
Cr,', D. but be wished tu know what such a commission
could have done more than the magistrates on the
spot ? It WSW the lack of evidence, the want of any
clue, that formed the real impediment in the caw.
There hail been no eluggioliness or unwillingness on the
part of the local authorities. His own 01iniou with
regard to the case wan, that, inasmuch as the parties
who committed the deed were prolmbly limited in
number, and as by b.oiding, together they had the
chance of depriving the linkera of justice of the mean*
of making out • ease against theru, the best course to be
pursued am not to keep up a continual agitation, nut
to go ton irritating, aa ir were, the minds of theme from
whom they might hope eventually to obtain positive
evidence, but rather to allow them to pursue
their ordinary occupatioes, and to trust to some incau-
tious wind or demi on their part hereafter. When
public suspicion was eupp,wed to be sulwided some-
thing might turn up winch would furni*li a clue to the
mystery. (Hear, hear.) lie contended that Sir George
Lewis had acted rightly in decii ii iii g to recommend a
Royal CU111113,.. or to authorize such an inquiry .s
Mr. Sounders had euggested. He was of opinion that
the Secretary of State had no puler to authorize euch
an inquiry.
Mr. Sounders.—But was there not • private inquiry
authurizid by the Secretary of State?
Sir John A wdry.--1 may as well *tate that thooe who
appeared before us at Trowbridge were acting under the
authority of the Attnniey•General. I should not have
1 be.o to take part in any detective examination,
but, having been infostifed that a regialor wiw to
be brought before the magistrates, I felt than
be wanting in courtesy if I refused tO empties.* in the
request of sonic of my brother magistrates to preside
over the investigation. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. E twurt said it was a source of much gratifies-
t. to Nowell to 6,m,i the recent nix eidigation I.r),Nided
over by I,IIC who bad so much legal experience both in
this country and in India. (Hear, bear.) It gave a
character and weight to the proceeding., and he felt
satisfied that every hind of evidence that could he
adduced wan exhausted under much superintendence.
Under there circumstances he felt bound to oppose the
motion of Mr. Sounder., feeling misfired that it would
only lead to useless and profitless investigation. (Hear,
hear.)
The motion not being seconded fell to the ground,
but

Mr. Saunders reiterated his belief that unlere some
further proceedings were taken the public mind would
not*

Sir John A wary without wishing to prolong the
discumion, he might observe that. with the exception of
suggsation of • scythe Laving been used to inflict the
wounds on the child, no point had been brought for-
ward by Mr. '?..unders which did nut seem to have been
anticipated ; hut he could hardly imagine, from the
manner in which the surgeon gave his evidence, that •
scythe would have been available for such a purpose.
The subject then dropped.