The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-03-23 00:00:00

Scotianb.

DELIBERATE SITICIDE.—In ivory-tamer committed
suicide in the most deliberate manner a few days ago at
Mamhill, near Glasgow. He had provided a piece of
gas-pipe, about a foot in length, the one end of which he
closed; then, making a touch-hole, he loaded the tube,
and fixed it in a slightly raised position on the floor.
He then strewed a quantity of sawdust on the floor, ap-
parently to absorb the blood, and, 'mapping himself in
a counterpane, lay down at full length, with his head
opposite the mouth of the tube • then applying the
match to the touch-hole, his skull was instantly shat-
tered to pieces.
"IT'LL NO' BRING BIN 00T."—The Glasgow and
Edinburgh papers describe the disappointment in those
towns resulting from the inability to see the eclipse as
having been very great and very widely felt. The
Edinburgh Expreno says that considerable indignation
seems to be entertained by various persons at the ineffi-
eiencyof the coloured and smoked glasses with which they
had provided themselves. They had got them the better
to see the eclipse; and, finding that under the gloomy
circumstances of the case such contrivances did not aid
their visual powers materially, some of the less rational
seemed inclined to think they had been taken in. One
venerable gentleman, the centre of a circle of gossips
and bairns, was observed with a bit of smoked glass
applied to his eye, evidently looking with all his might.
Having contemplatedthe heavens very earnestly for some.
moments by aid of this magic invention, he at length
removed it from before his streaming optic, exclaiming
more in sorrow than anger, " Ah, it'll no' bring him
cot."

_ _
SCOTCH PRIBONS.—The report of the General Board
of Directors of Prisons in Scotland has just appeared in
print. It appears that the buildings and grounds of the
General Prison at Perth at the end of the year were in
good order and repair, and that new buildings have been
commenced. At the elms of the year 1856 there were
616 prisoners in the General Prison—viz. 291 males and
325 females, 336 having been incarceraied during the
year. At the close of the year 1857 there were 597 pri-
soners in durance—vis., 277 males and 323 females; 928
were in prison at various times during the year. The
"separate" is the established system of this General
Prison, but deviations have been made from it from time
to time. The total net cost of each prisoner during the
year amounted to £l6 Ils. 7d., being 10s. sd. more
than in the previous year. The sum of £18,731 was
disbursed for the expenses of the General Prison in
1857, including £2,626 on account of liabilities incurred
in the year 1856. The current expenses of the estab-
lislimenta (salaries, diet, clothing, and working mate-
rials) amounted to £14,359. The educational progress
of the prisoners in the General Prison at Perth, accord-
ing to the report of Mr. W. Brown, the chaplain, is
"truly remarkable." This gentleman, who is rather
lavish of the language of the sanctuary, says, "Our
visits are declined by none, save one, a man of mature
age, who unhappily spurns from him Heaven's antidote
to rebellion, the Bible, the unmerited overture of good
will and salvation to all." The prisoners are allowed
the use of a select library, in which sacred and secular
literature are judiciously blended, each prisoner (who
can read) receiving weekly two volumes, one religious
and the other secular. 43 males and 20 females learned
to read in prison, 105 males and 41 females to write, and
141 males and 40 females to cipher. Many improved in
each of these branches of rudimentary knowledge, and
a few learned to signed their names merely, so as to
avoid in future the disgrace attaching to persons who can
only make their marks. Of the liberated male prison-
ers, 134 are registered by Mr. Brown as "expected to
do well," and 121 as having obtained work; while of
tl.e discharged women 28 are marked "hopeful," and
10 have been provided for. The general health of the
prisoners has been good. One man, rational on his ad-
mission, became impressed with the idea that he was to
be hanged, and that people were coming in at his win-
dow for the purpose; he was transferred to the lunatic
wing.

AN ESTATE WITHOUT AN OWNIOI.-At a meeting of
the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire,
held in the grand jury-room of St. George's-hall,
Liverpool, on Thursday night, Mr. Joseph Mayer, who
presided, in referring to an interesting seal belonging to
the family of Moels, stated that the last owner of the
property at Mods had a son of very dissolute character,
who, getting into debt, collected the rents of the estate
to meet his extravagances. His father vowing that he
would be revenged on his son set out to find him; but
whether he did so is not known, as to this day neither
father nor son has been heard of, and the whole of the
estate is now in the hands of the tenants, and would
be claimable should an heir be found.