The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1863-03-10 00:00:00

ARSON AT BLANDFORD.

Aidalon Banta, 30, /re derick Wells, 19, and
&hem ilankers. 16, labourers. were indissed for
memo, aro to two wheat stocks end one barley stack.
the property of Mr. Samuel Bead, at Ellandforol, on the
14. h gebeu.ey, —Beene. pleaded guilty ; Wells and
Matthew. out guilty. The prisoner Wells challenged
three of the jurymen.
Mr. Stork prosecuted, and Mr. Collins defended
Well., and Mr. &under, appeared for ll.ttliswa.
Mr. Polled said be wee • fancier. Oath. 14th of
Fsibruory • lire broke eel in his funs-yard. Its, situ.
sled Put out of Us• {ewe. I went up to the yard, and
1 found • ire on each side of the gateway. They wore
two riclui of wheat. A burley rick was also burnt.
The damage was shoat £l3O.
Georg. Minket said be lived at Blandford with his
father o.lk, eight of Use 14th, as be was passing
by Mr. Paine's doer, he saw the three prusioars them
and he beard Well, say to Barites, Go and set some
d— ricks as Ire." That was about 10 o'clock. 1 law
These afterward; they saw thee together la ticalpsulfs
and I heard Wells again tell Barnes to sit some ricks
OA Ira They that left is the dimities of the ricks.
They were within 200 yards of the risk.
In crese-essmiostiou by Mr. Collins, the witases
stated that the prisoneri were net drank. The lights
were lighted.

la mutter to Mr. Sanders, ha said that Matthews
did not go towards his home.
Mr. Blinend Ball, inkeaper o Blaadford, stated that
the pri.aser Walla canoe isle the holm and calked for
beer. He Maned to let him heir. the blor. and
Walls said " Yoe will see a ti— diare up to-night.
Matthews came to the hoar, some tense aftmatiuda.
The praoser Wells •aa not drunk.
George Marian said he was in Mr, Tarne's Owl)
about tee °Week an the night of the 1450 February.
The arm Wiesen men outside the shop, acd he heard
on. of ahem ay "1 sepooft yon dant care a d shoat
going to pot again." Whoa mitoses came cest of the
shop Wells maid to hint " Have you a maid' to give this
felk.w"—meaning Bars.. gm Wells time or foar
to etches.

--Jues7.ll Ulster& a Ask dealer, said he was at lir.
Pop:. laieroosa, at dm Han Moos Ina. abortly alter
tea Wells awl Illattbows cams ia whilst be WY
there. Shortly altar they arrived ha hoard • cry at
" Hs .at out. The tap-ram was about ItiO
,s'-I. from tba riot.

Mr. Supsruitradint Watts mid hiss, the primmer'
Well. and Mmiltram at the gate oldie farm-yard, about
.Irrea o'siook, looking on at tho Ire. He took thew into
moody sad pat them 10 'resists calla On the Benda/
afmraomi ho heard lb. prisoners cell to soola other in
their aril& Ile unlit into Mtellnavnatr. and La Uwe
beard Karam inienAnig Walls for having dasind
lima to set the ricks on firm 11. " You told me
*0 5. up the lottle laws aid sit iii, rites as It., as it
wall seat, own. work fur ear chaps sad they noted
I. aid for it." W.A. avolti as moms', " It was bat
me told you ; it wei Matthew." Barnes said
" It was sot yua was it !Wilma' r sad the ktuar
asowend "No, is was ast, II wee Weft' Huse I

them geld. feu bum it was 149 W*4l6 prii
.15... them loom° lie 4,1.4 "ItlB done sew,
and can't bie undone."
The stst. mem ul 1.. prio,ner& wird thee put in,
orozinotied rba other elating that
manliest. rceoginten.l. d Pena. to siClet
orb as.
and Matthews shetgag that Wells as ited Ma to
commit the (wins,.
Mr. Saunders asked the Court ehether there was a
owe agmust Matthews to go to Ills fury •
Ti.. learned redeem thought' the evidence was not
go clear agaittat illstthears, but still he could not take it
oat tithe hands of the Jim.
Idi% Collins, for the di fmog of Wells, contended that
the evidence was not suMeicntly conclusive. It even
was proved by the witnesses for the prowcotion tl.at
they took no part in fettles the ticks on lire, as they
were in • pnblie honer some time before the
alarm ass mew& The obeertatioug he made
were ',rightly hespicioss, but it would not be safe to
convict upon mere se. kiss. He was vei7 foolliah in
having made those statements.but it was not shot • lose
said, loot what he di I, for which he must be punished.
H. thought there was great doubt upon the matter, and
he trusted they would give Wells the benefit of such
doubt, and acquit his..
Mr. &enders ribuilthed that there wog so evidence
aphid Matthews to show that he was as acces•ory
before the fact, or that he had taken any active part us
the matter.
The learned serfeant bating evrefully summed up,
the jury totted Wells guilty of fessidgtiolf Bathes
I. emonsit • felony, and Matthews wren acquitted.
The loused rerjeant charsetorieed theoffenee as • very
serials one, sad sentenced lismes and Wells each to 6
years' penal &welted'.
Hilt.thigth Paovituois AT WITIMUTIL—Miekarj
Deed was &dieted for stealing • cheese, a side of bacon,
and a leg of a purk, the property of Albert, lecomisn,
at Weymouth, on the gist id Janoary.—Mr Coseus
prosecuted ; sad Mr. Ithok defroded. Itanpowed from
the statement of bergeant Brine, that while on dety on
the day in queatimi, at shoat 5o eloelt in the looming,
he mew the prigoeor on the Ileleolube Regis ode of t'ot
Midge. fie had & bag on his li.ck. cio.l irtiuu he was
qoestioned ad to its emirate he dropped it. Prisoner
s.id "do forgive nee, it is mine." Witness them took
prisoner to the station, and 00 examining the Img found
a aide of pork, • piece of bacon, and • cheese. In
orminemeihsehloo oitwww ooi.J rooter might have been
shout lOU pods. —Ati.-rt. Gordian said he had • store
in Nicholas-street, and kept &Mallet the Market Howie.
Amongst other things hi lot *owe Moon and cheese
there, lie sopt back to his store two legs of pork, by
a nom maned Mooden. He hail only adld one chee-e
to the 20th of February. The cheese rune
riii:eogeTtgadairy at Bockhamptou. There were two keys
for the store, ous of wloch h• ears his moss, btit he
returned it attain. Witntos volt to hit store about 6
o'clock the ii.xt dag and there yea nothing smog in
its appeetaace. Hs moon, however. Mined the
bacon, thew, and pork, all of whish he could
Identify. la orme-examinatiou, witness sad he
kept the keys of his Motet cm a sh.olf in his lodg-
hip, and he never kept his room locked up. Hu
meld 'wear to the leg of pork Ili a piece which lial
bees cut wit u, it, And *loch had not ought to hare
born done.—ltich..rd Mead, n, a young was. in the
employ of the prosecutor, stated that on the 20th of
February im was at the market during a part of the
day. lu the afternoon lie toeh hag" to tie. wore two
legs of pork and four aisles of bacon. He locked up
the store, and gam the key to • boy in his masters
ooldol• The nest day, when he went to the store be
found his moiler and two polimmen there. He found
Hut 'sue of the frets of pork elick lee had hung up stas
missing, as was &LW • aide a Moon. He huythe
of pork in • peculi a re moor, in order that it might
dry quicker. and be aboahl know it ageoesst a thousand.
—Jgrees Groves. a dealer in pork, mid be aced the pro-
secutor four sides of Moon previous to the Rah if Feb-
ruary. The beam was come of his curing, and he
could swear to it WI one of Ilse four Isie had sold.
Is grosinexagaleation witching aid them was waging
particular le the hall for
Imaging up the hate.- Yr.
Nock in the Mum of an able defenee contiodel that
kg proof of Jonotity Muhl log shown, end that so far
Irons the prcenctdot isesAng the key, of his store in
his inmesidon be left them in hi. oarlour, n. that tiny
one might hero had them. The learned eerie.", bar.
leg carefully sumo.. d uo, the jury retormed a verdict
of "Guilty" and the prisoner was sentenced to six
mouth's hard labour.

VsLtTw OPMICE —Alined Pope. a lahourer.
and who was only 14 vsnirs of ar, was charged with
committing an abseninside mine at Chit' Oketord, on
the 2lbt September. —Mr Plonks prosecuted.—The
learned aerjeant said Vie jury coal Dot, iii aceordsnee
with the evident*, end the primmer guilty (J the more
Perinea charge, bat the, tis gl.t do so on the charge of
assanlt with intent. tb.• strjaesit severely
eensered the goaded et the one who witnessed the
tran.etion, and had lb in hia ',wee to prevent the crime
being attempted. The jury found the prisoner " Not
Guilty." a verdict whirl the jed..ie bid he entirely con.
enfred in, and the Priiciner was dischsrged.
The Coprt roes at hallJpeet sip, and was adjourned
until 9 o'clock Monday.