The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-03-14 00:00:00

.the burnt
them to know that in o._
there was such an actual
within the meaning of the a
There, 1,114( another case

or aeorolaed, and it would be mild "for
• I order to satisfy them whether,
'al burning as would come ,
statute ' setting on fire."
in the calendar, In
*Omen Wedmore was charged with draw,"
i-icarit'ldrgiir loaded gun with "intent to
murder a man rained Melmoth. Here again was
decision which required attention. By the statute
liw ih WWI provided that whoever, by certain means
described, and amongst others by drawing the
Vigor should attempt to discharge a gun or loaded
areasvith intent to do a man grievous or bodily
harm, should be guilty of felony ; and here it was
again clear the gun, which would be the subject c
Inquiry, was a loaded one, and it was also clear t"
trigger was pulled, and it would appear therefore
the case was 'within the meaning of the statute.
The peoescutor was out and saw two men coming
out of a field, who were connected with two others,
and the gun, which was attempted to be fired, was
his own. He went up to the prisoner, and,
finding he had two rabbit., attempted to appre•
hand him. They 'draggled together, and
man took prosecutor's v-n away; and acoor
st him,

WAMI

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subject of
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had in
had r

could be laid against Whiting was that of receiving it.
The learned animal scoffed at the manner in which the
identity of the animal had been made out, and said he
would undertake to feed any pig from his hand within
a quarter of an hour. He maintained that no British
jury would believe the statement made by the
policeman respecting the boot tracks, and with
regard to Whiting mid his boots were actually
taken off, but it was found that it was
unless to compare them with the tracks. He urged
upon the jury to believe his statement that Swindle and
Andrews " waked him up," and contended that it all
tended to prove that Whiting was not engaged in 0
robbery, and maintained that the jury would
exceedingly rash if they convicted him of stealing
the face of such evidence, and if guilty of receiving
rig, that be did so with a guilty knowledge.- The lea/
Judge then summed up at considerable length, —_
the jury, after a short consultation, found Andrews and
Swindle guilty of stealing, and Whiting of receiving.
Andrews and Swindle acknowledged having been pre-
viously convicted, and his Lordship, in passing sentence,
said the convictions were so long ago, and the offences
so trifling, he should not allow them materially to
Influence the sentence he was about to pronounce upon
, them, which was that each of them should be sentenced
' to nine months' imprisonment with hard labour.
_ MANBLAUGHTZR AT IVERISHOT.

the
; in
—g the
learned
'- and

The Grand Jury threw out the bill against Henry
Christopher, pig dealer (on bail), charged with slaying
an-dialing John Chriertopher, at Rvershot, on the 24th
of January, au announcement which was received with
evident tokens of approval.
No bill was returned against Richard Rogerson,
indicted with his wife for stealing a quantity of groceries
from the shop tie Mr. Joseph Morgan, grocer, of Dor-
chester, on the first of March.

SATURDAY.
ARSON AT POOLS.
John Williams, mariner, was indicted for maliciously
setting fire to a dwelling-house in the occupation of John
White, at Poole, on the 13th of January.—Prieoner
pleaded not guilty—Mr. Collins prosecuted, but the
prisoner was undefended.—Jeonima, wife of John
White, a licensed victualler at Poole, said prisoner
began to lodge at her house on the 27th of December,
and continued lodging there up to the 12th of January.
He occupied the inside attic. On the 11th of January
his children came; one was eleven years of age and the
other nine. On the rpornieg of the 11th of January,
about 10 o'clock, she found prisoner's room site, but
soon after her husband smelt smoke. She went towards
prisoner's room and met him in the stairs. Her
husband said to him "What are you doing today,
captain, that you have been runing up and down stairs?"
He said "I have been and sot your house on fire."
Her husband replied ' What," and prisoner said "It is all
in • blaze." She and her husband went as far as the
door of the prisoner's room, but the smoke was so
great that they could not effect an entrance. The fire-
engines were sent for, and the flames extinguished.
After this was done she found that all the bed furniture
was burnt, and his children's palliasse in the next room
was destroyed. She had noticed prisoner's conduit
whilst he lodged with her. She was rather afraid of
him, and had often said that she did not like him to
lodge with them. He was very strange, running about
the house and jumpiug about. Before he did this nothing
had been done to annoy him. On one °suasion her
husband advised him not to sit at the fire, but to go on
the quay and endeavour to get work. He then jumped
up and appeared as if he was going. From the 27th of
January to the 11th of February, when his children
arrived, his oonduot was much about the same. The
first night when they came, as they arrived so late, she
was afraid to let the prisoner sleep at her house, and
her husband got him A bed.—By the Judge: When she
met hint on the stairs he said he had set the
house on fire, but something had struck him in
the heart, and he was compelled to do it.
She did not think prisoner was responsible for his
actions whilst he lodged with her. John
White, the prosecutor, gave corroborative evidence,
but in addiion to saying that the bed-linen
in prisoner's room was destroyed, said that the
floor was much charred, but the walls were not
injured. Prisoner was a sober man, but at times
very strange. Ile had sueh strange sayings, and would
put himself in curious positions without apparent
muse. He said that about 20 years age lie fed over-
board when a shark took after him, and stated that was'
tkeeanse of the American and Crimean wars, and if the
Quart would allow him a frigate he would blow all the
Portuguese off the face of the earth as they ought not to
live. When he uttered these statement*, he appeared
to be in earnest. Witness did not believe prisoner
was accountable far his actions at times. He would not
join in conversation. On the 12th of January witness
went to prisoner's room, and told him his children had
, arrived. Ile said. "Where's the little boy lamp
wife some 1" Witness replied "No," and told him he had
, better come down stairs and see thesis He did en, sod
after kissing them and shaking hands, Dante Into the tap
room and smoked. Witness then told him to go
on the quay, and try Id get some work. He went out
and returned soon after saying that he thought be
should soon get • job. Witness replied that he was
very gled of that, as he could not afford to keep them,
but said if he placed his children somewhere, be
(witness) would not mind keeping him for two or three
weeks. Whilst the fire was taking place prisoner was
in the Square looking at it.. —Catherine Saxton proved
that on the 12th January, prisoner came to her shop
and bought several boles of menthes. Those pro-
duced were the sort she sold him; —Superinten•
dent Gifford, of the, Thiele policei said on the
morning of the 12th of Jansiary he received
information that a fire bad broken out in pro-
seoutoes house. He sent the fire-engine and also
attended himself, and the flames were Put out. With
Mr. White he inspected prisoner's ram and the
adjoining one, and Mend the floor in the former room
bitrnt,and the bed furniture destroyed. He apprehended
prisoner at 12 o'clock the same day in the Square, when
he was in company with his children. He said
to him, "Mr. Williams, you are 'Marred with
setting fire to Mrs. White's house in High-street,
for which offence 1 must apprehend you," He said
"Me," and witness replied "Yes." He was taken to
the station and searched, when two boxes of Matches and
some paper where found upon him. He afterwards
said, "I did it; sonsething Wont me in the breast to
do feimethltig, and I did that," When placed in the cell
he stripped himself, and his conversation was very
vague. He told him the story of the shark, and said he
had never been happy since the Queen, with other'', had
tried for the last 10 years to deprive him of his cer-
tificate.—John Good, Esq., sturgeon of the County Gaol,
said he first saw prilsotier cin the 14th Of Jandsty, and oil
different oee,asilips linos: ,Fle, Had been enahled io frirm
In opinion of the state of his mind, and had not the
slightest hesitation in saying that he was of unsound
mind. That was hie opinion on his first interview with
him, and which had been corroborated ever since. —J.
V. Lawrence, Esq., governor of the County Gaol, said,
according to his opinion prisoner was of unsound mind.
The first time he saw him he formed that opinion, which
had three been eerroboretild.—The learned Jtidge said
'there coca be no demist that prisoner committed the
Act with which he was charged ; but the question was,
whether he was then in a sound state of mind and re-
sponsible for his actions, and capablb of dittingnithing
the different* between right and wrong. —The jury
returned • verdict of not guilty on the ground al
sanity, and prisoner was ordered to be detained
Her Majesty's pleasure.
15TiALItie

MOIR.

shim Deming his statement take that <
vitamins. That waa the only object
view in making them observations, and
otper remarks to make. He begged on tt
as he had done previously, 'in other
his circuits, earnestly and ray