The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-10-17 00:00:00

WZIMOIITH.

FIRE AT THE LONDON llorgt..--On Sunday night the
residents of Bond-street and Maiden-street were alarmed
by the cry of " Fire r It was found that the fire was in
one bedroom at the London Hotel, whence clouds of I
smoke weni pouring out. Mr. Jones, the landlord,
followed by Mr. Martin, undertaker, Oakley Place, Mr.
Stokes, M. Watts, Mr. Butt, and others, pressed towards
the seat of the fire, which was on the first floor. Mr.
Martin and the rest, were driven back from one room by
the density of the flames ; but Mr. and Mrs. Jones got into
the children's bedroom, in a room beneath which was the
seat of the lire, the bed in this room beneath being in
flames. The three little children were rescued, and
taken out into the street, whence Mrs. Butt
kindly took them to her drawing-room while the
fire was attacked. This was quickly done with
buckets of water, by which the flames wore quenched.
P.C. Bartlett and other constables were soon there,
and the fire hose from the police station was run down in
a short time. By this time the fire had been pet out, a
number of neighbours had assenibled, the mattress which
had been under the bed, and which was still on fire, was
thrown into New-street, and the fire in it smothered out.
The first-floor room had most of the things in it burnt;
but the tire did not extend to any other room; however
the children were in danger at first from the smoke pour-
ing into their room, and almost suffocating them. At
first it was supposed that the fire had originated from the
candle being put too near the bedclothes, when the
children were put to bed; but as the smoke cleared away,
and it was manifest that it was confined to the other
room, the cause was difficult to assign, as the first-floor
bedroom was unoccupied at the time. But it is thought
that a person passing through this room with a lighted
candle must have accidentally, set fire to the bedclothes.
and gone on without perceiving what she had done, and
as the room was not occupied at the time, the fire spread
without being perceived until the smell of smoke pervaded
the house. The bed was entirely destroyed, a mahogany
half-tester bedstead was much burnt, and other this
were damaged; but the fire was unite subdued by half'
past eleven, the fire hose not being required. A large
number of police gathered, reedy to render aid.
Bonet:oft PwrrY SESSIONS, Saturday.—Before Mr. W.
Talbot, Mr. B. Hopkins and Mr. H. Raggett
Janws Brown, who pretended to be deaf, was brought
up charged withl e.ing at Mrs. Jeffery's.—F.('. Stickland
heard him ask Mrs. Jeffery for relief, and when he canto
out of the shop, witness took him into custody, and found
15d. in coppers on him.—Superintendent Vickery said
that yesterday prisoner pretended to he drunk as well as
deaf last night, and he had seen the inside of Dorchester
"AtHe told him that he had had all his relief taken
. him by the parish.—Seven day's hard labour.
fiassimes, Monday: Before Dr. Drew,
Mr. B. Hopkins, and Mr. T. Abbott.
George Wheeler, was charged with begging in St. Mary-
street and Bondetreet —Proamer said he was a harness-
maker. ----P.C. Stickland about six o'clock saw the prisoner
at the White Hart Inn, St. Mary-street, and, following
him into Lower Bond-street, found him at the Eagle,
where he WIL4 begging Money of the company. He took
bin, into cu.ito.ly, and found he had 11. in coppers and
four niendicity ticket, —Prisoner said he had three given
him at Derehipiter, and was told tog° to Wareham. --Supt.
Vickery informed the Bench that prisoner bad then just
come out of gaol—Dr. Drew said the Mali ought not to
have beggenl When he fool uumilicity tickets. -Prisoner
replied he .li,l not know where to go to change. theol.
IH. Drew reminded I any iralieninan Wonhl hate told
him wl.cr 1., change them. Why did he not, if lie could
net get work at his own trade, go in the army He had
better be a good soldier than a tramp. —Prisoner replied
that he could not pass the doctor; he had a bad leg.
Dr. Drew suggested that they would cure him in the
army, or he could got a wooden one. Fourteen days' hard
labour, and mused that this was his second conviction.
Prisoner (with feeling): I am very much obliged to you,
sir. —Dr. Drew: You are very welcome.

THANKSGIVING SHIMS AT Sr. Jog's.—The Rev. JAL
Whytt, go., preached at the thanksgiving service at St.
John's (.Iturch, Fortune'. Well, on Thursday, and • maim"
tion was wade towards the fund for the restoration and
enlargement of the church.
VICTORIA AND ALBRAT" LOOGR, of
Oddfallows had their anniversary dinner at the i..wton
Hotel, on Tuesday last week, when the room was
decorated for the occasion. Loyal, patriotic, and inch"
dental toasts were drunk, songs were sung, and a
convivial evening spent, the county magistrates having
granted an extra hour.
Murata MssegiC Lows. —A new lodge has been
opened by the Masons of the 31st regiment, at the Royal
Victoria Lodge Hotel, a room in which has been fitted up
by Mr. Hodsdon in capital style as a lodge-room, and in it
the lodge, known as the "Meridian," meet every fort-
night. The brethren of the Portland lodge visited the
" Meridian" by invitation on Wednesday evening, and
spent a profitable time.
ST. PRTILR'S CHURCH HARVEST FRUIT/L.—OR Bun
last week a harvest festival was held at St. Peters
Church, which was decorated by friends with flowed and
fruit. Among the ladies who engaged in the labour of
love at the decorations were—Mns Hill, Mrs. Richard/.
Mrs. Roberts, Kiss Driver, Miss Laws Hill, Mrs. %ASV%
Mrs. Cuthbert, and Mrs Miller. In the evening the
church NM lighted with gm for the first time.
Roureu, the ex-M.P. and convict. is going. tnnwn
City Missionary. Very well, I am not going to „.._
doubts on the sincerity of the ex-forger's conversion. But
let an eye be kept on Mr. Banner Oakley , who will sorely
be only too anxious to follow so profitable an example.
Can he not claim to have been a pious man even when
swindling people right and left? Did he not write pions
Jetta,' to his dunes ; and was he not captured with 'little
book,' of devotion on him Bo cascara Ceram* commies
let governors a prisons look sharp.—' ATLAS. in ia4
World.

PARBSTONS.
DISTRESSING FATAL GUN ACCIDENT.
A YOUNG LADY SHOT BY HER BROTHER.

On Wednesday evening Mimi Elizabeth Fordo, a
young lady visiting at Garry Cottage, Liliput-hill, in
this place, was accidentally shot by her brother, Mr.
Henry Fordo, a barrhster-at-law,whilat playing the piano
in the drawing-room of the home we have mentioned.
Death was instantaneous; and the mad affair was in-
vestigated by the borough coroner, Mr. G. B. Aldridge,
ada jury, with Mr. J. S. Hudson at ita head, on
Thursday afternoon.

The inquiry was opened at the Station Hotel at
three o'clock, and, after a few remarks from the
coroner, the jury walked to Garry Cottage, about two
miles distant, to view the body. The corpse was laid
out on a bed in an upetur room, and there was •
ghastly wound behind th. t ear where the charge
of shot had penetrated, and come out through the
the I: ~n the same aide, and the pillows were saturated
with blood. In the drawing-room there was a pool of
blood and some stray shot on the finger-board of the
piano, and the music on the stand—an overture—was
riddled with shot and bespattered with blood and hair,
as was also the front part of the instrument. A large
patch of blood on the carpet showed where the un-
fortunate young lady fell on the floor after the fatal
occurrence. The coroner and jury, after viewing the
body and the drawing-room, proceeded to the next
house, Liliput-lodge, and took the evidence of Mr.
Forde, who, it was said, had been in a distressed state
during the night and morning. He, however, gave his
evidence coolly and collectedly.
Mr. Henry For& deposed : I reside at Garry
Cottage, and the deceased is my sister. She ts 90
years of age. She has been staying with me about
sax weeks. At night I used the gun to shoot the
rabbits that came to eat the flowers. Yesterday, about
half-put five, I came into the drawinc.room with the
gun. I bad been cleaning it in the dining-room, and
as I was obstructing the light I was asked to go into
the drayring.room, and I was walking up and down
rubbing the Run. Both doors were open. I went
near the fireplace, and was standing on the hearthrug.
My sister was playing the piano. I began, then, to
clean the hammer of the gun. which was a double.
barrelled muzzle-loader. I put the hammer at full
cock so as to clean it better. I have always been care-
ful to see there were no caps on the nipples. There
was no cap on the nipple at that time, and I expect it
must have stuck in the hammer. as whilst I was
cleaning it an explosion took place, the rag I was
wring having, I imagine, accidentally pulled the triger.
I was about five feet from the deceased when the gun
went off, and I PAV/ the deceased fall forward upon
the piano. I ran into the other room for help. When
I got back she was lying on the floor, having fallen
back from the chair. I at once sent off for medical
help. I never heard the deceased make any sound
after she was !truck. When I came in, the last time
I used the gun. I could only find one cap on the
nipples, which I took off, and I supposed the other
had fallen off, being loose.
By the Foreman of the Jury The gun was last
loaded on Saturday, and I imagine the cap I could not
find must have stuck in the hammer. The other
which I took off I now produce, and it has a flange,
and nearly tills up the hammer. (The wp was .me
such as are used for carbines, and on being placed in
the hammer it was found that the flange would
prevent it from easily falling out). When I went back
to the room I felt her pulse and her heart, and thought
she was still alive.
By the Coroner : I only borrowed the gun recently.
I am accustomed to the use of firearms, and have
always been very careful in handling guns, and did
not think them was any danger as I saw no caps.
(The second barrel of the gun waa still loaded, and at
the request of Mr. Fordo it was discharged by the
isdice).
The evidence of one of Mr. Forde's servants was
then taken at (lorry Cottage.
Eliza Bugg said she was in the service of Mr. and
Mrs. Fordo, and had been with the family one year
and four months. Deceased had been to the house
twice during that time. Mr. Forde and deceased were
on terum of affection, and very kind to each other,
awl she never heard any unpleasantness between
them. She was not in the house at the time of the

accident
The Court was then again adjourned to the Station
Hotel, where the medical evidence was taken.
Dr. J. R. Philpots said he was a surgeon practising
at Parkstone. Yesterday, about six o clock, he was
sent for to im to Garry Cottage. and on arriving there
WM called in to see Miss Elizabeth Forde. He went
into the room, and found her lying on the floor, with
her head supported on two pillows, apparently quite
dead. Bleeding had then stopped. Be Lunnd an
almost imperceptible beating of the pulse, and on
raising the eyelids found the pupils dilated and
insensible to light and touch. There was a large
wound and fracture of the skull at tho back of the
head, behind the right ear, about three inches in
diameter, such as would be produced by the discharge
of a gun. On examing the body lie found that nothing
could have saved life. In his opinion death was
instantaneous. He considered that the immediate
CAU6O of death was injury to the brain and loss of
blood.
A juryman asked if any policeman saw the body be-
fore it was removed upstairs, and it was elicited that
this was done before the police arrived. Several jury-
men remarked on this irregularity, and the Coroner
said he wished it to be understood that in eases of this
kind the body must is .t be removed till the jury had
seen it. The absence of the exploded cap was also
commented upon by the jury.
The Coroner having shortly summed up, the jury
returned a verdict of "Death by misadventure," and
at the suggestion of Mr. Hudson expressed their deep
sympathy with Mr. Porde in his great trial. The
Coroner undertook to convey the jury's rote of
sympathy to the unfortunate gentleman.