The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-11-25 00:00:00

OFFENCES.

Ti. TlOltel,olP-LEAVII kirersll.—Really, mattersare
ginning exceedingly alarming. Robberies, aecompanied
with the most brutal violence seem to be rathet on the
Increase than showing any signs of diminution. No
district; either in town or country, seem safe, and in
the metropolis the Fast seems to be as badly off as the
West. At Westminster on Monday no less than four
ruffians were brought up charged with a murderous
attack, *ith inteht to plunder an unfortunate gentle-
man, who appeared in court Covered With bruises, his
head bandaged up, and no less than eight of his teeth
—which were produced in evidence—knocked out In
fact, he had undergone precisely the kind of treatment
which the Dartmoor and Portland scoundrels are not
deterred, even by the fear of the cat-o'-nine-taila, from
inflicting on the warders, whenever they have an op-
portunity for so doing. On the same day, at the Thames
Police-court, another vagabond was charged with garot-
ting a Yorkshire tradesman. He was captured, but
his confederate, we are sorry to say, made his escape;
arid on the same day a notorious female thief and pros-
titute was brought up for assaulting a young man in
the Commercial-road and endeavouring to rob him.
This woman had likewise a male confederate, who
evaded rapture. Anally, on this same liMack Monday,
at the Southwark Police-court, George Harbett, a re-
turned convict, was charged with breaking into a public-
house at Dockhead, and stealing a number of valuable
articles. What is to be done With these blOodthirsty
'Miens! Is any more satisfaction to be afforded to the
public beyond the knowledge that after their conviction
they will be comfortably housed at ldillbank or Penton-
villa, fed on beef " free from bone," wholesome bread,
and nourishing cocoa, provided with nice books and re-
ligious instruction, and such recreative employment as
" coir-picking in Number Seven Pentagon till it is time
for them to take a trip to Devonshire, or have a' whiff
of the briny' at Portland." Are they in process of time
to be vomited forth on society with tickets of leave,
which are but licenses to garotte and plunder anew? If
this state of things goes on we shall have ladies carrying
pocket pistols in their reticules, or spring daggers in
their parasols; the ferules of umbrellas will he provided
' with bayonets ;.no walking stick will be complete with.
I alit I afttd blade ; a gentleman going to the opera will
put his lorgnette in one pocket and his life-pteserter
in the other; and the doctor who goes his rounds to
I visit the poor will be compelled to carry • blunder-
' buss.

_
GAROTTING IN TEM STRUTS OP LONDON.—The
da.ngeroua condition of the streets of London was
further illustrated on Wednesday, when • gentleman
named Thomas, a partner in a firm who carry on the
business of watchmakers and silversmiths, applied at ,
Marlborough-street Police Court for advice, stating that
one of his assistants, • gentleman named Woodward.
had been garotted and robbed of some coral ear-rings
and • purse containing 22185. The garotting was of
thensual character. A fellow came behind Mr. Wood-
ward and pinioned him, when • ocnfederate came up
and robbed him. From the results of the ill-usage
he received Mr. Woodward has been confined to bed
ever since, and is still suffering severely from injury to
the throat and inflammation of the back caused by
violence. The only advice the magistrates could give
was that Mr. Thomas moat apply to the police, which
was not very satisfactory, seeing that the police seem
utterly unable to deal with this class of offenders.
ntIRGLARIRB AT DONCASTER.—tII the ptovinces the
burglars have turned up at Doncaster. They visited
that town on Tuesday evening, when they succeeded in
entering several houses, and in carrying off • con-
siderable amount of property. Of course these depre-
dations have given "much uneasiness to the town,"
but the Doncaster police do not seem to have been
sharper than their brother constables in other parts of
the country, for the burglars got clear off with their
booty, and not the slightest trace of them has since
been obtained.