The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-03-27 00:00:00

DEATH OF MR. ROBERTS.

This journal has sat lined • severe loss by the death
of Mr. Roberts, for more than 16 years • member of
the reporting and editorial staff. He died on Tow
day last, at his reside's*. in Upper Boni-street.
He had been mixed with that dire complaint,
bronchitis, end, though apparently of almost
Iron oonetitutioa, he succumbed to the disease on
Tuesday morning, after little mows than • week's ill-
ness. Mr. Roberts bed been the represectstive ef this
journal for 1106r17 'IWO'. of years, and we are sure in
thee* few heartfelt expressious of sorrow and regret we
shall be joined by large numbs,. of his fellow towne-
men. He was • true lover of Weymouth, his native
town; in all hie writing. he WM prOMPtild bj but one
motive-1w prosperity. He was • good soul • valued
servant, was bald in the highest esteem by his
employer, who aloes could rightly estimate his
worth, &Oct was respected by every person connected
with this paper. He was an able and powerful
writer, and In marine matters he displayed unusual
power. As a Wrap:natal:lieu be will be tiootrell
lamented.
The greatest sympathy is felt in the town for his
family, especially for his bereaved wife and his aged
widowed mother, who have by his death been robbed
of • good husband and an affectionate son.
At the Borough Petty Sessions, on Tuesday, the
Mayor (H. N. H ,ward, E q.) said :—Before opening
the proceedings of this Court, I web to say I am
sorry to hear one of the reporters has bees takes to
his long home, Mr. Roberts -having died this morning.
I cannot speak too strongly in born favour, as I have
known him as long as anybody in this Court. The
way he has discharged hie duties hart been to his
honour and to the credit and satisfaction of everybody.
We have lost • good map, and his employer • faithful
servant. I thing it is only riot to exprees our regret,
but I am sure he has gone to • better plasm—Mr.
obertsoo : I fully endorse whet the Mayor bad said.
Mr. Roberta had been • Forester for 23 year., and
had filled the highest offl As in Court " Praying." 3.038,
Dorchester, of which he was nearly the oldest member.
He was held in the greatest esteem by the brethren
of the Court.
Referring to the sad event our contemporary, the
Sherborm J.nsrosol, says :—With unfeigned 'arrow we
record the death of oar able Weynmath Reporter,
Mr. W. Roberts, who died from an attack of
bronchitis, after • few days' Bloom on Tuesday
morning. During mealy years Mr. Roberts was our
faithful, Industrious, hottest lrepresestative. His
devotion to his calling was intenae—no time was too
long, no ditSculty to groat when duty called. Same
of his deecriptive articles powered high merit, and •
long account of a shipwreck on the Chesil Beech,
published in our pages some years ego, wee equal in
descriptive power to the writings of some of our lead-
ing novelists. He was • man of high principle, and
most Wittily dispositiebed, and a large circle of friends
will join with as in deep and true regret for his loss.
A correspondent writes as follows
Sir,—Will you kindly permit me to pay • small
tribute of grateful respect to the memory of Mr.
Roberts, your late reporter. About four years ago,
sir, he inserted in the Telegrams an advertisement to I
the friends of the blind, to which he kindly offered to
supply books, on Mr. Mooe's system, for the nee of
any blind person in Dorchester who might take an
interest in reading for themeelvet In answer to
that advertisement I made a personal application to
Mr. Roberta for the loan of • book, when, though
quite • stranger to him, I earn kindly received, and,
after assuring himself the books would be taken care
of, he readily promised he would bring me one the
next time he went to Weymouth, which would be in
• few days. He did so, and from that time, as long
as he resided Is Dorchester, he regularly supplied nee
with a fresh book wh I required it, always
bringing the book himself, and always doing so In •
most feeling and gentlemanly asenner,sever swoop soy,
inr his favours with as amount of unasked for good
ado ice,
family affairs se I am sorry to say is too generally
the custom with persons in Mr. Roberts' position in
their communications wilt the poor; but W. Roberts
was not vnly content t , know that I wee taking an
Interest in acquiring the art of reading by feeling,
but he wan always pleased to think he could be
instrumental in enabling me t page • few hours
pleseptly that might otherwise have been spent in
solitary idleness, and for that moon he seal always
be remembered with gratitude and respect by
J. SPLACILUID.
The funeral took place on Saturday amid every mark
,d respect for his memory and the deepest regret at his
death. A lar.A number of Good Templar", attended,
the Press of the town •.d neighbourhood was
represented, as was also the Order of Foresters. The
body was borne to the grave by members of tha Hope
Chapel Bible Claes, of which Mr. Roberts had long
been the respected Witcher. The Rev. W. Lewis
delivers I • short but sympathetic and affecting
address in the Cemetery Coapel before *mallet:dog
the body to the grove, in the course of which he bore
testimony to Mr. Roberts' high Christian character
and kindliness of heart. At the grave the orutornery
Cool Templar oratioa and payer were read. Taste
was a large concottree of spectators at the Carmen',
daring the funeral.