The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1870-06-21 00:00:00

AGIRIOULTURAL GAZETTE, TUESDAY, JUNE 21. MO,

prisoner Retell& was shifting some stones. which I was living as well (beet, I'l4o' As to the cause
.of
putting On the well. Mr. BIT said: You hot biter get deceased's death, to his mind the ease was execiedingiy
on with your building, and not mind sheet three atones clear. The planer was on the works doing his duty, aud
There was • shovel near, which had ben used. Bly they had it proved that he was tbi n attaisited. They
turned round to get up On the emhanliment above the also lied it upon oath that at the time he wad dying. the
wall, and Ratelife grabbed stg.he slumel,swung it round 'convict was brought in and mid ' I inteeded to murder
With both his hands to mach the Atom in the nook, lay man," and they I:ad the evidence of the convict
[The shovel efts produced. It was an ordinary Crawley that prisoner also told him be would murder
navvy's shovel, rather worn, and apparently the edges Bly. Although they bad it not before in evideorm, be
were.thin enough to be rather share. j I might tell them that the dying declaration of ta e poor
He swung it with all his force to satelb man tallied exactly
ises ptern ter
a
with what they hid beard today,
him with the sharp edge, inn ii o- I struck him as so that the use did not depend atj
ti with
on the e
he meant, be would hay,' cut his head right off. I convicts. AU showed that the
t t _
called out " Look out I Mr By !" as load as I could. the greatest premedita nd tion, le be Olt
Mr. Bly turned round, and the blow caught him on the in ins life heard a worse cam.
shoulder. Mr. Bly then ran on the wall, shouting to make the blood thrill in one's rettle
weet"almhs(r )
enoughnev
hear th•t aer
life." And
"Stip the rascal I" Prisoner followed, striking him men so deliberately said "I will take • maul
about the legs, with the sharp edge of the shovel. Mr. in the morning Ratcliffe repeats it. In addi
' Sly ran up about five yards. and tripped upm a stone had had the evidence of certain officers Is t
that caught his foot. As Bly was falling. the Convict the shovel which was merely formal. As to the verdict
lihteliffe struck at him again; but the blow paned over they should return, the law laid down most strongly
his bead, and nearly struck • eonvict earned Smith, who that if any set is done with felonious intent, sad ,i e
fell on hi, knees, and escaped It, and at the seine time ensue therefrom, the act shall be murder. If a man
caught prisoner by his wrist, end seined the shovel. were to ride unlawfully • vicious horse amongst a
Ratcliffe stumbled on the game stone; but did not fall. crowd, and that horse were to kick and kill some noo.
I pinned him by the throat. Prisoner Harris same up the person riding it would be guilty of murder. The
and helped me to hold the (envied, and we put the hand- 'convict Ratcliffe evidently tried to oaks out that his
miffs on. Mr. Bly drew his cutlass, but I said "Don't intention was to strike an officer that be might get I
Kr. Bly, it is no use 1/01/." I don't know if he meant away from one party to another. If that were really
to strike the convict. I assisted Mr. Bly down from the case, the striking being s. wrongful and felonious
the wail, and he walked to the infirmary, leaning on act, his not intending to kill the officer would be no
the shovel. Mr. Illy turned up his trouser leg, and palliation; the crime would be murder in every sense '
said "ft is worse than what! thought." Prisoner then of the word. Auto the wounds haying caused deceased's
said something to the Coroner, and continued. On Mon- death, the only evideece was that of Dr. Indict, to
day afternoon previous, I and Ratcliffe were show that the cause of death could be traced up to the
dressing stone together. Ratcliffe said I intend wounds given on the 20th April. Thom wounds being
to kill an officer, one of the worst officers I given wrongfully and in a impala' act, and if death
was thinking of Proaton, hut he won't be out was the resent of those wounds, then he said it yea a
this afternoon ; this officer (Bly) reported me one., ease of murder, and that must be their verdict. The
and he is the the man I'll finish." Pointing to • shovel doctor's evident* Mid that the mum of death was
like the one produced he says "here's the one I fetched morels, the results of wounds Agiven on the 20th of
up. I intended to me." I said " I had better get • fresh April. He asked them carefully to consider their
kibble." and I went to where Mr. Bly wee, and told , verdict, ae the convict's life to a certain extent
him "Between me and you, and the gatepost, there's depended upon it, but as far as the evidence
• prisoner intends to lake leer life." He soya o Who I given before them wad concerned, he could not
is the prisoner, Crawley !" and I, said "The prisoner sup they meld return any other verdict than
Ratcliffe, sir." He says, " All right ; I'll be on me that Thomas Ratcliffe, a convict in the Portland Convict
guard." He then shifted him from me to help build Establishment, in the said perish of Portland, aforeseid,
the wall. on the twentieth dey of April in the pet aforesaid,
By a Juror I aboet three or four yards from feloniously, wilfully, and of his malies aforethought ,
the Other when I saw it done. I had not time to then beat and strike the said Edward Love Bly with in
prevent mischief. If! bad hail time to get up by the iron shovel, in the upper part of she Rho and also an
wall, I would have prevented it. Mr. Batt era gone the leg, thereby causing certain worts' bruises, of which
on his rounds, and was out of sight. Mr. Bly reported amid mortal braises the said Edward Love lily from the
prisoner one night when he was on inside duty. Another said twentieth day of April in the year aforesaid, until
prisoner named Ashton knew about Rateliff's threats; the fifteenth day of Jane in the year aforesaid did
but I don't think he informed. The witness got very languish and languishing did live, on which said last
confidential with the jury, and said the other convicts mentiooed day in the year raforeeaid, the said Edward
charged him with being a "nom"—an informer. After Love Bly of pysousis, the result of the said bruised, did
some moral remuka. be continued Some of our party die. And so the jurors aforesaid upon their oaths
had to wheel dirt. There was only one officer in charge aforesaid do say that the said Thomas Ratcliffe him the
of the party. mid Edward Love Bly in the Meaner and by the means
Crawley was a man of rather unpleasing appearance, aforesaid, feloniously, wilfully, and of his maim afire-
and seemed to have had • great slice off his right cheek, thought did kill and murder against the peace of Our
He looked very much worse than Ratcliffe. So much Lady the Queen, her crown and diguity. And that the
for physiognomy said Edward Love By at the time of his death was •
The Governor said that the other officer, Mr. Batt, male person of the age of thirty one years.
was placed over some men who had to wheel. Deceased The jury immediately concurred in returning the
told him the day of the assault that if it had not been above verdict.
for the witness end another prisoner, Ratcliffe would The proceeding. lasted about five hours.
have killed him on the spot. The funeral of the deceased warder would take place
The convict itatoliffe mid there were four others who on Saturday, at five p.m.. starting from the prism to
knew of it. He made • statement to the effect that be St. George's churchyard, Reform. Great diasatisfaetinn
wanted to do it, to get out of the party. lie did not was expressed that the Rev. D. Houma would not
do it with the intention of taking Bly's life. bury the man on Sunday, as a meeli greater number of
The question was put to Crawley, who said Ratcliffe officers could theu attead.
did not say be did it to get oat of the petty; but that The magisterial examinaticm yen also to take plies
he did it to take the officer's life. on Saturday, prisoner being committed to the assees
Prisoner: A convict named William Pike knew he did it on the capital charge.
only to get out of theperty. The moviete everted together
on the well, and they had • nice opportunity to have
one tale. He never intended to take the officer's life.
He did it to get off the bard harrowing.
In answer to a remark of the Coroner, Rakliffe said
he had indeed said he would be hung rather than starve.
Ile could not work for five or six hours, on food only
enough for • schoolboy. He should like William Pike
to be called.
By this time Mr. Blaker had minimal. He mid ( I
have reads a peg move* of the body of deceased. In
the right pleural eerie, of the cheat I found • large
sheens, containing about • pint of Pus, and there was
also an amount of pneumonia in the right lung. The
left lung hail also some pneumonia., and • small abscess.
The liver was ooe complete mass of mattered abecessee.
The spleen was also in the same state. The left
femoral veins were clogged with a softened °mode, and
a small quantity of pus. The other organs were
tolerably healthy. I examined the brain, and every
other part. The ileum of death Is pycemia. This was
the result of the injuries retried, more partieularly in
tbe legs, on the 20th April.
John Smith :lam a convict at Poetised. Onithe
afternoon of the 20th April, I was one of No. 48
party, under the charge of deceased. They were
building a stone wall on the works. Thomas Ratcliffe
was one of the party, end Richard Harrison, Henry
Harrison, John Crawley, and others were there, When
they went on the works Mr. Bly left the party in Marge
of another officer, and afterwards came back. About
half.past two prisoner was '• sort of playing with some
stones," and Rly told prisoner to go on with the work
he was doing in the morning, end also directed we.
He then tamed round to get on the embankment above
the wall, so as to .be about six feet above us. liateAiffe
picked up tne shovel, which be (prisoner) bad been
using in the morning—(slmnd produced)— and taking
it with both his hands, used all his force to hit at the
officer's neck. If it had hit him it must have cut his
head open, and probably killed him. Prisoner slipped
and the convict Crawley called out, which made Bly
bend his head, and the shovel hit him on the shoulder.
He also hit him on the legs. Mr. Sly ran away •nd
Ratcliffe kit him on the legs with the sharp
end. Mr. Bly called out "Seep the wretch.'
Al the next blow Mr. Bly stepped on • stone,
and it gave wait under his foot, and he fell down,
Prisoner struck at him • third time, and the blow went
over him, and fell between my legs. I fell Cu iffy knees ;
if! hadn't I should have been hit but falling saved
me. I caught hold of Ratcliffe by the wrist, and with the
other hand took hold of the shovel. Ratcliffe strugeled.
By that time Crawley had taken him by the throat,
Mr. Preston came, and prisoner was handcuffed. Mr.
Bly was misted up, and went away with the shovel.
By Mr. S. Pearce: Mr. ffir could not defend himself.
When we had the prisoner, he drew his elitism *id
would have out down the prisoner, if we had sot begged
him not to do it. In the morning of the same day,
prisoner said he meant to take somebody out of winding.
Mr B. Stone and Mr. S. Pearce mid this was • corn.
mon phrase in the quarrisa (It refers to taking • piece
off a block of stone.)
. .

In complutooe with the prisoner listaHMl's wish, the
convict Pike WM mat for. Prisooer declared that Pike
knew that be only struck the officer to get away from
the party. Pike entered the room with rather • won-
dering, Neared air, and paid: I was detached from the
party and knew nothing of it —ln answer to prisoner:
heard you may you was going to do never
told told me previously he was going to do it.
Prisoner : Ile know well enough I wasgoing to strike
an °Meer,

Witness, I know nothing of it. He is • dangerous
man, and I never have any sonversation with him.
Prisoner: It is useless for me to my anything if he
denies it. They all have one story, they work together
and have agreed what they shall say.
The Coroner : You have stated ti me over and over
again that you intended to kill the man. These state-
ment. do you no good.
A Juror: You followed this man up, end struck him
main and again. Ose blow would have been sufficient
if you only welted to pt out of the party.
Another Juror: You might u well have blacked his
eyes as to have cut his head open, if you only wanted
to get out of the party.
John Chamberlain: I am • principal warder.
I produce the shovel, whim I resolved from Chief
Warder Brooks on the morning of the 21st
April. It has been in my possession ever since.
I produced it on the 10th of May, in the presence of
deceased, and the convict Ratcliffe said that was
the shovel used on Bly on the 20th of April. We oall
it a large screw sh°"l-
- Warder William Brook.: On the morning of
April Mat, I gave warder Chamberlain a shovel which
I received from the deceased, on the day before. Be
mid that was the shovel with which prisoner 'truck
him. He also said, " I shall go to the Infirmary ; but
I shall not stop in if I can help it." The shovel produced
Is the same.
'Thomas Heritage, principal warder: On April 20, I
visited Warder Ely a few minutes. He reported "All
right," and I went on about 100 yards, when I heard a
call of "Ho l" and I turned back. I found Ratcliffe
on the ground, and other prisoners holding him. Bly
was near I saw blood running from his legs. I helped
assistant warder Preston to put the cuffs on prisoner,
and ordered them to let the man get up. He got up.
I took him a distance towards the prison, and asked
him his name and register. Whilst I was putting down
the name and register, he said, "I wish the other men
had kept awity ; T would have taken his life." I told
him he had better hold his tongue; all he said would
be against hint. He replied "Oh, never mind; It will
be all in the bashing." This is a word need by the
convicts to signify a flogging. He also said" I will
have his life now, if I get the shame."
Assistant Warder Henry: On April 20, I was at the
main entrance to the West Ditch. About half-past two,
I was proceeding towards the place where 48 party was,
to get a man to fetch water. I was about 15
yards from prisoner, and I saw him strike
deceased with a shovel The blow took effect
across his shoulder, and knocked him down. As
he was attempting to rise, prisoner struck hint
again. I ran to his mistimes, and gave the alarm
Whim I got up, I found Rateliffe on the ground, secured
by three prisoners. I put the handcuffs on him, wad
took him to the prison. Principal warder Heritage
went part of the way. As Mr. Heritage was taking his
number and register, prisoner said he was very sorry
the other prisoners stopped him, as he intended to take
his life, and would do so the first opportunity he had.
William Memphis, infirmary night noise: I was
present at half-past 11 on the 15th jut., at the death of
Edward Love Bly. I saw him die.
Prisoner was then removed to the adjoining pentane.
The Coroner said the jury had given the case their
most serious oonsideration, and be could not help mak-
ing a remark upon a point which had no doubt struck
them. He did °maw that to have • single warder
armed with a cutlass alone, down amongst a lot of
prisoners, like these, was most unsafe—(hur, he.
from the jary.) He had theipleuure of seeing there
the Governor and deputy-governor of the prison, and
he did trust they would convey to the prison authorities,
in the strongest terms that could be used, the wish of
the jury that the arrangement should be altered. Many
of the prisoners were dangerous men, yet they were
armed with such weapons as picks and shovels, while
the officer had a hare cutlass. During the short time
be (Mr. Howard) had been coroner for Portland,
this had been the second CUM, in which a
warder had been killed by a convict, while
if there had been more officers, their lives might
have been saved. He thought the authorities should
make rules so that there might be more officers than one
in charge of a party. The jury could judge of the
granter's situation at present, by supposing there were
14 or 15 convicts in that room, unshackled and armed
with tools, and only one warder ressat—(seneation).
There was another officer at some ; but he was
150, 230, or it might be 300 yards away. the warder
attacked wee got down before another Gould come to
his rescue. Tree they weld not king the dead back •
but their duty wits to deal) they could to protect tle;