The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-09-16 00:00:00

Zontersetzhire

BRISTOL. —PAPER SrurriNia.—Mr. Phillip
Couch, of No. 1, Barozza Place, Guinea Street, haa
shown us some extraordinary specimens of paper.
splitting and paper-patching, which he has now
practised for some years. Keane's Bath Journal
some time ago announced that a native of that city
had discovered a method of splitting bank-notes, ate.,
and that he intended to become .an adviser of the
directors of the Bank of England in the matter of
manufacturing their bank-note paper, but the
method has been practised by Mr. Couch and others
for some years, and the invention in their hands has
, obtained a high degree of perfection. One of the
specimens shown us by Mr. Couch is a page of the
Illustrated London .News, having on one side a
whole page engraving of the Prince of Wales,
which side was neatly pasted upon a stiff piece of
cardboard, and on the reverse- side the ordinary
readable matter. The sheet is so cleverly split
that one doubts his own oyes, and can scarcely be-
lieve in its possibility. A thin sheet of tissue
paper was also split, showing not even the slightest
flaw in the process. Of course bank-notes are no
more difficult to split than a thin sheet of tissue
paper, bnt Mr. Conch says he never tried a bank-
note, for they never were very numerous with him.
We also saw a very clever specimen of the method
of pasting together various pieces of paper upon a
'beet of the Daily Press. The sheet cnnaisted of
more than a dozen pieces, and so beautifully had
the pieces being secured together that there is not
the slightest appearance of the divisions, except
when holding it towards the light, when the various
pieces are then easily seen. Altogether the speci-
mens showed evidence of extraordinary ingenuity.—
Western Daily PrEBB.
I'AIINTON.—There is now in the possession of
Mr. Robert Pearce, of Bath Place, Taunton, a hen,
which one day last week laid 4 eggs in 8 hours.
FINE SPORT. —Mr. W. Goodland of this town,
had some capital sport whilst angling in the river
Tone at Bathpool, last week. Among the fish taken
by him were two remarkably fine trout, one weigh-
ing 3 lbe. and measuring 17 inches in length, the
other weighing 24 lbe and measuring 16 inches in
length.
THE POULTRY ASSOCIATION. —M. C. Salience,
the honorary secretaryalias issued a statement of
accounts, from which we observe that the total
income of thin association in the last year was
.£167 16s. 3d., being an increase of £24 6s. 2d. over
that of the previous year, and that there is in hand,
after payment of all expenses, a balance of
£4 19s. 3d. There is one peculiarity in the state-
ment, that while the fees paid by exhibitors
amounted to ttil 11a, the payment for admission
to the show reached only -CIS 3s. Cid.

lIATH.—The fashionable swindlers recently com-
mitted by the Bath magistrates have, within the
last fe* days. been identified as the parties who,
in June,. at iMinborgh, and in Silly, at Canterbury;
swindled several tradesmen out of a considerable
amount of valuable property.

WRINGTON. --.MIIIID6ROint AS9M7LT. On
Tuesday George Thorn, a notorious character, was
charged befttre Messrs. W. H. Harford and C.
Zdwards, magistrates of the Wrington division of
Somersetalaire, with an assault with intent to
murder. The complainant, Mr. W. F. Brookman,
is a gentleman residing at Clifton, who was staying
temporarily at Clevedon, and went out for the
the purpose of fishing on Saturday week. While
on his way from Clevedon to Congresbnry, where
he intended having the day's sport, he was met by
the prisoner, who offered to take him to a place
where he could have some good fishing. Little
suspecting the fellow's design, Mr. Brookman
accompanied Thorn to a secluded spot, and coin.
menced preparations for fishing. As soon as he had
got his rod and tackle in order, he was struck
from behind two heavy blows on the head with
some blunt instrument. Fortunately, however,
Mr. Brookman wore a thick felt bat, which in some
degree neutralized the force of the blows, and he
immediately turned upon his antagonist and kept
him at bay With the fishing rod. Feeling, how-
ever, that he was seriously wounded, Mr. Brookman
made his escape with some difficulty, and was
ultimately conveyed to his lodgings at Clevedon.
Mr. M. N. Shipton, surgeon, attended Mr. Brook-
man, and, in his evidence, stated that but for the
protection of the hat the blows inflicted must have
produced instant death. Thorn was apprehended
in Bristol, and was not only fully indentified by
Mr. Brookman, but made a statement in his defence
admitting that he had assaulted Mr. Brookman,
but pleading in justification cilutimetanoes of alleged
provocation which Mr. Brookman denied in tote.
On searching the house in which Thorn lived a
hammer was found with which it is supposed the
blows were inflicted. The magistrates committed
the prisoner for trial at the next assizes.