The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-07-06 00:00:00

A BRISTOL SWINDLE.

- -
Some extraordinary disclosures were made in a ease
before the Bristol Bankruptcy Court on Saturday hat.
The bankrupt, John Walker, carried on business in Old
Market-street, Bristol, as • dyer, and towards the close
of 1867 he inserted advertisements in the Christian
World and other newspapers for "a manager for a branch
eatahlidiment in a fashloneble watering-plane." The
appointment was to be permanent, and a liberal salary
sod interest on the Minimal transacted were promised.
For all these "advantages" one condition was Imposed:
the applicant was required to deposit £75 with the
firm. It was subsequently explained that the reason
"the firm" inaisted on the cash deposit was that they
had been losers by the defalcation of • manager at
Brighton, and in another instance, where they had
taken the security of • guarantee society for • manager
in the North who had also become a defaulter, they bad
experienced considerable difficulty in bringing the
soretits to book. For so "eligible "• situation of sours@
there were numerous applicants, and this feet seems to
ha.a led "the firm" to increase the deposit, until it
reached M5O ! In September lent two applicant., named
Cross and Webber, paid BIZ each as deposit, and were
thereupon appointei "manager." at Faster. When
they arrived in that city they discovered that the firm
hail no business premises there, and all the importunities
of the unfortunate gentlemen seem to have failed in
inducing the bankrupt to make any provision of this
&tweeter. In March last Kr. Thomas Stott, of M4l-
- was tempted to reply to one of the bankrupt's
advertisements, and being "itampteci," be paid &deposit
of £l5O. and was appointed manager at PeOPIIOO. Mr.
Stott proceeded to that town with his wife and family,
and when he arrived there he found himself in the same
predicament as Messrs. Cross and Webber. The bank-
raot seems to have received several hundred pounds as
"security," none of which he has returned, and it is
probable that his conduct will undergo further
investigation before another tribune/.

AMENITIES OF WEDDED LIFE.
A ease ban just been heard ins Scotch court in which
the pursuer sued the defender, her husband, for aliment
for herself and ehildren on the ground that he had ,
deserted her. flaring sworn that her heaband was about
to leave the kingdom of Scotland, he wee apprehended
and lodged in gaol, where he now is under • sisediagriose
layer warrant. Parties were ho•rd in the notion for
aliment on Thursday, before Sheriff Smith. Mr. Paid
@tweeted for the defender, and pleaded that his client
bad the misfortune of being iil•mated, and in conequence lie and his wife felt it more congenial to break
the marriage bootie and live inert For the last seven
months he bad regularly paid his wife ss. per week ;
but having taken It into her head that her husband wag
likely to go abrowl, ell., with a wife's affection, pat him
in prison, and, instead of him now alimentiag her, she
wee alimenting him at the rate of Is. per day—the
husband living beaidn rent free, and without any work
to du. He further stated that bie client WWI ready to
peoforrn his marriage vow, and invited his wife to game
and live with him and share bin meal., which he held
was a legal offer, and one which, if ref mad, must end
the case. The defender's home at present was, no doubt,
the gaol, bat it was a residence selected by his wife, and
, she might consider whether she would go there and
share his solitude, or whether it would not be better to
open the gates and share with him his freedom. U thin
offer was not ago/Med. the defender would name
\continue paying aliment at the rata of sg. • week than
live with s wife who had deprived Min of his liberty.
'the Sheriff %%gusted that the money tender should be
issayptoil, stfol Mr. M' Donald. the puemer's agent, having
i seenditutly aecepted it, the sheriff pronounced decree
lin terms of the offer. Meantime the husband remain
fn
.I:sof,. his wife paying him for no doing Is. per day.
b•lng 2s. a week more than he paid her, which, in
a peen.oary point of view, taros out rather a profitable
1 speculation for the locureeratod husband. —Dundee
j A d ecrtiar e.

THE wide repotatiew, wad inereseia, deinawd foe Maim
iiewenien'. T..intim .1 van.>iocaio akar 1.461xe1n vackclit,
&... i• th•--eti...• 11414-oar) to CAMUoIg the tottl•lk'• c"..4.
.1 . II k r.l If &
• •Irtul'• ,• • t ••I ••o.i Tel." Kn.%
.11 ...log •I .4 tai bile
1.14. ,uuseUeu. Fur Lewd Agt.itt•• tom alfunimuttitt.

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I. I

A /AXIL! OF LIGHT PIIIIISONe POlllOllll3.
A very terrible grime was committed between Sunday
night and Monday morning in Hosier-lane, City. The
victims are William .1. Dagen, his wile, and six
children, ranging in age from • year or so to twelve or
fourteen years.. The father poisoned Ms wife and
children, and then himself. He was a man of about
thirty-four years of age, dseeribed se a steady woi Innen
of sober habit., and very food of his wife and family.
The neighbours had mien his children playing the
lane on the Sunday afternoon; had noticed him taking
his wife and family for • walk in the evening. The
fattier, probably in cionsoluence of declining health, had
been ill the habit of sleeping by himself In • room at the
back of the house, on the lute floor as that in whioh
his wife and children slept. Two children lay one on
each side of the mother, and a third at the foot of her
bed. Two more lay on abed made upon the floor ; and
, Ada, the baby, VMS in • cot by herself. The children,
the neighbours say, have been always kept neat and
clean; and Emma, the eldest girl, had wavy brown
hair, whleh hung down to her waist. The other children
were Walter, • boy of about 12; Alma, George, and
Herbert. Those who resided 00th. opposite side of the
lane could almost look into the room where the mother
and children slept. But on Sunday night every portion
of the window was darkened by the blind. being closely
drawn, so that although • light was unexpectedly seen
in the room, about four o'clock on Monday morning,
the neighbour's opposite could not tell by whom it we,
carried. From the appearance of the bodies of the
children, that hour is fixed as the one when the murders ;
were committed. All althorn lay in their beds as though I
peacefully sleeping. Their deaths, the surgeon wooled.,
mint have been inetantaneoua. Au examination of the '
room proved that poverty was one of the troubles from
which the family suffered. There was little furniture,
and the bedding was very scanty. Still it woe noted that
all the poor children, as they lay in their death slumber,
vole night-dresses that were scrupulously clean; and
from this a supiaion has arisen that the mother had
been an accomplice In the crime of her husband. A letter
addressed to the chiet of the police at the Smithfield
station, there is every reason to believe, was written
before the tragedy, and may have been dropped tato •
pillar box, as the father was returning with Ma family
from their Sunday's evening walk. The letter briefly an-
nounced that the police would be wanted in the morning at
No limier-L.oe' and stated that if any motive for the
crime which would be found committed we, wanied it
could be furnished by •brother at Bristol. On receiving
the letter the polies Maputo, sent an officer to the house,
where, after forcing open the door and entering toe
apartment., be was horrified to find the whole family
lying dead. Doggin was • silversmith by trade, and for
four or flee years bad been in the employ of Mews.
Chaucer and Co., who have a large factory and Aloes
In Heftier-lima Daring that time damaged conducted
himself in the most exemplary winner. His health
being precarious, he was latterly employed as • clerk
in the manufactory, and this position be occupied up to
• within a fortnight past His failing health had caused ;
a great depression in spirits ; acid, believing that he MY
enable to give his employees satidaction, he had ever
since Heater been looking out for auother situation. About 1
Easter his depression was so great that he gave none,
to leave his situation, and at Wintanotide went to
Bristol, hoping amongst his relatives to find seine con-
genial employment. When he returned, it esa ascer-
tained, that he had been unsucoseaf al, and his &spree-
sion so mach increased as to become matter of com-
ment amongst his fellow.workmen. The house which
he occupied was the property of his employers, and in
it he resided rent free. His notioe to leave expired
last Saturday week, yet he was permitted to Dentines in
the house without pitying rent. An arrangement, how-
ever, was made last week for him to give op possession;
and on Monday, according to this arrangement, the
home would have passed into the hands of his late
employers. lii the coarse of Monday afternoon, Dr.
Wilsoo,ol Farringdonotreet, made • postmortem exam.
Menu of three of the bodies—namely, the mother, the
eldest girl, Emma Duggin, thirteen years, and the
youngest boy. George Henry Deigns, aged about three
and a half. to the intestines large quantities of prosaic
said were discovered, especially in the stomas* of the
mother, which contained no food. This polun
we, easily trainable in the bodies of the children,
who had taken food evidently late on Sunday night,
Two bottles containing small quantities of prussic acid
were found in the house were the dreadful crime was
oommitted, one in the sitting room on the first floor,
and the other in the room above where the mother and
the children were. In the bed were the mother arid throe
of the children lay was else founds spoon with poison
upon it. It is thought that the children were first ;
poisoned, Dr. Wilson giving it as his opinion that some
oh them were poisoned whilst asleep. This emulation ;
is arrived at in consequence of the peaceful expression
of their features. When discovered the mother and
children were all found undressed and in bed with the
clothes over them. Hoggin was •Iso undressed and in
bed in the back room. In the sitttiag room was found
on the table a Bible opened, which it ia supposed he had
been reading before going to bed. It is said Dagen
was a Uniterian, and that he was a kind and loving
husband and father. The poison is what is know as
Sebeele's Prussic Acid. Additional puticulars give ,
strength to the supposition that the mother had con-
sented to the tragic deaths of her children. The most
important fact is that the bodies of the woman and the
man were both warm when discovered. They are stated
to have returned from their evening walk about 11
o'clock; and, before closing, Duggin was seen in the
Wheat Sheaf Tavern, Hosier-lane, where he purehased
• quart of ale. It is stated that the husband was seen ;
at half-put four in the morning posting a letter in the I
pillar-box, opposite St. Bartholomew's Hospital. In a
hmlly Bible were found the following entries Emma
Charlotte Doggie, married, November. 1851 ; Walter '
James Dagger, 13 • Emma Leggin, 12; Alice Jessie
I Dagen, 6 ; Herbert Thomas Doggie, 4 ; Ada
Frances Doggie. 3. The marriage certificates of the
emus. is, found Mrs. Doom is said to be a
native of Germany ; she met her husband in BristoL
When the crime was committed the family wore not in
immediate went of money, for 12s. was found in the
room after the pollee entered at. The bodies of the six
children look. as they lie in the room, remarkably hand-
some. Each has fair hair, blue eyes, told regular
features. They present the appearauce of alabaster,
and there is a calm expresaion about their faced as if
they had all died without pin. Death, it is thought,
moat have been almost Instantaneous in each case. The
countenance of the man presents quite • different
appearance from that of the children. His features are
contorted, and is mouth is drawn on ono side as if he
bed died in • convulsion of agony. The facie of the wife
is calm. . .

The inquest on the bodies of Walter James Husain,
Emma Charlotte Duggin, and their six children, who
were found poisoned at their residence, in Hosier-lane.
Smithfield, was held at St. Bartholomew's Hospital,
on Toads, afternoon. Mr. Payne was the coroner.
Ti.. evidence added but little to our previous know-
ledge of the cam. liii clear that the poor man was
in ill-health, lied he berme low-spirited end anxious
about what was to become of hi, wife and shildren.
The following letter which he sent to his brother, dated
the Sunday night of the tragedy, was reed :-
13, Hosier lam. Smithfield, EC., June 27, HOD.
Dear llrollrer --Vu are aware of Mr. Adams's hanh and lad
canna of action when he loan' my lunge were affected, which
mksl in his giving me one ntonth's notice to have hie employ,
Mowing (es I tokl him) I had no mcans of livelihood Ind the
one week's wages I left with. fibs bearing and language have
been thoroughly tyrannical from the the first moment he
beard I we, struck down, and have been continued up to the
last, and the cause of it all is that he has made • misialcidation
in me. Ile had reckoned he had &goal, amid, and iierviceable
article in me, and when he discovered his militate he was
furious. and showed hi. annoyance only es • hard, selfish,
narrow.nilieled man could clo. After the month ex Meal he
then allowed me, after • gnat deal of eulk-itation, to remain in
the house, which I. his, • week longer, while I looked for work
and • place to. live in, which I had no opportunity of doing
before. I have tried hard 41 Alain either or both, but can
dial no lodging hone, for when they know lain out of work
and mu, riVe in, reference, they decline altogether. I askol
Mr. Adams if he would allow me to name him as • reference.
Ile laid he would hare nothing to do in the meter, as he may
have to pay. I asked him what he thought I could do. Ile
said I could get • place zomewbere if I liked, and that I more
Ire out of hie house at the expiration of the week, or he would
put my thingo into the lane. I appealed to him for PIMP 01.11.
Mention for my wile and little mtge.-the eldest be knew was
ha gone in consumption. I also naked him If it were
possible he amid go to such extremes after my being between
four and aye years In his employ, and the long character he had
with me, Lid 111/ Ur the time 'fury health partially falling had
devoted my whole energy in forwarding his interests. He
took no notice of that. but mid he would not be trifled with,
nod unless I wee out of his louse he would don, be had mid, •Co
not to deceive owed( in the matter. So we have to face the
alternati, or .1 starving in the streets, the workhouse, or death.
We prefer the latter. We may hare been able to norm. runt the
peedbly, if Mr. Adams had acted leo unfeelingly;
hut he he, shown want mercy, and if the mew is meted to him
In hie extremity, it will go-bard with him. for the blood of me
and mine is on his bands, and will cling U. him and his. It is
better to fleet Death as we have than to wait till he comm
through want, privation, and :Misery, and would come with
equal certainty; for me, Emma, and the chiktresi aro far from
Among, and moat have quickly succumbed. We are innately
attached to each other, and separated alone would 110 art bad an
death, and we love the children dearly—too dearly to condemn
thew to utter matchablm, and want It le agony of mind
alos.t beyond endurance to think that the alternative la a.
terrible that we cannot shield from one or the other. Beak
the news gently to norther. Tell her it is. under the cireuni-
*tutees, the bee course- far better than the degradation and
went and disease before um, which must have ended In the same
way afar al our sugaringe. Prussic odd tram the thing med.
Pray undertake the funerals If you can. I trust you will have
enough things botay ',anemia oh I the horror of this night.
May it be rhetod oral the man who forced it. I ran write no
mere. lam nearly mad. No, an eternal farewell to you all,
and may OW hum you I Farewell for aver
Th. Cur The letter begins in the singular per-
son, and ends in the plural. It looks rather as if he
and his wife were agreeing to what WWI done.
Mr. Adams, the master alluded to In the letter, said
that as he had been thus spoken of he should wish to
be sworn. He said Duggan gave him notice on the 3rd
of April, a& he mid he was in. Duggan told me that he
was in that state of health that be could not continue
any longer in him terries. Until that tints I thought
he was only suffering from • cold. Dugout
.said that
he most gel out-door employment immediately, MI Ws
lungs were affected. I think be said ho hail been to
• Dr. Powell, mud that that gentleman had said he must
week outdoor employment I reasoned with him my-
self, and urged him to try by exercise to dentine° in
his situation, at all events, for a time, and till he could
get employment I told him to consider his vile arid
children. Ile said he was afraid he should never be
any bettor. From that time he gradually drooped and
drooped. He said he must give it up. He did not
alter that go about his work as usual lie received 3f1,.
• week, and lived rent and taxes free, At Whittuntide
I advised him to go to Bristol to look for something.
Ile did go, Ltd returned to his work on the Wedoesday.
lie said he could not get employment at Bristol He
'optioned with me, but kept Wind be MBSI give up.
fie mid he was not doing his duty by me. On the 22nd
of May I said we bad better mange to part; that I wits
in no hurry; would a mouth suit him? On the 19th of
dupe be left. He naked um if I would give him another
week lathe house, which I did free. His wages 'eased
when he left. last Thursday, the 24th, he came in and
add that he wild not get • situation, nor had he found
aI. as . told him that I must have the Loom, anl
waited it, Friday evening he came iii and said he bail
ma. al erriumemants, and should be out of the home
• mid.day. on Monday. I said that would do. That
vs/ bli that permed •. and that was the last time I new
• It was agreed before that he should leave on
tha sat,,rday. He WU to hay,, gone out on the 19th,
cat a, request I gave hint another week, Nethiag
WS/A said about it. He did not even thank ore.
jarfurati said he ditl not think the conduct of the
masts: was at all harsh.
Witham.: I never refused him a referencia. He never
I ouo. 'fbu usual sulien NI a workman is a
6:se oek, duas,th -say had two wouths. Firat Le gave
too • inottii's matioe, Itud then f wive him

TERRIBLE NITRO-GLYCERINE EXPLOSION.
It has become the custom, of late years, to use in
mines, quarries, and other suth places, • whole family
of chemical detonative* which, under the various names
of " nitrollyeeriee," ",pierie acid," "dynamite," and
" blasting oils," are immeuurably stronger in their
action than the beet gunpowder. Those explosives are
easy of employment, end they do their work with doh
Titania energy, that, in spite of accident upon aceident,
unnsawners and quarrymen prefer than to the old-
fashioned eharae It may be obeerved, indeed, that
the public generally has made icquaintence with those
tremendous agencies only by weidents—that is to say,
by death and desolation. It been at one time of a
catastrophe at Newcastle, at another of a wholesale and
fetal disaster in Paris; and the quiet valley uuder
Snowdon his just contributed a third popular allude'.
Lion of the awful might of these new products. In the
present instance nitro-glycerine was the exploding
material. It appears that a ship load of that commodity
—note that portentous announcement l—had arrived at
Carnarvon Bar, with °wheys of the subatenee le ques-
tion, for the supply of the slate quarries and mines in
North Wales. Five ewe had been loaded from the
cargo of this ship ; and two of these were to go to the
Limbed' Quarries of the late Ms. Aesheton Smith,
while three were destined for those of Lord Pecirhyti,
known as the Bethesda Slate Works. The firet two
carts bad entered the vale, neat the two large lakes no
well known to tourists, and were within a furlong or
two of the village of Owni-tgfe, whea the load done of
them suddenly "went off." Under the stress of such
• concussion, the other, of course, instantly followed
null; and in • moment the three men in charge, with
the horses drawing the ewes, simply disappeared, end
there was beard one long continuous explosion of
terrific noise. The spot being surrounded by huge
mountains on three sides, the echo of the first explosion
reverberated several times, and one mountain seemed to
throw the noise with quick suocessive strokes from one
side of the valley to the other ever the lakes. The
two lakes, weaselly the lower, were all at ogee greatly
agitated, and rolled in mighty waves from north to
south. Clouds ef dust, stones, portions of the carts, and
the walls around.for two roods were either thrown to a
great height or cast longitudinally into the morass or on
the rods adjacent. A third of the circumference of •
street was thrown fifty yards high, and fell near •
oottager's garden on the sides of a rocky hill three
hundred yards off. Portions of flesh, bones (whether
human or those of the horse.) were eollected indis-
criminately from • radius of fifty yards and placed in
cloths. A foot, • chin covered with beard, and • man's
heed were found together about eight yards from the
spot. The Owm.y.glo railway station—the nearest
building to toe scene of the *cadent—an inn lately
finished dose bje and several (fortunately) unfinished
houses a little further, as well as • chapel, present •
desolate sight Roofs nearest the sadden{ we piercal
through by falling stones into network. Window
frames are blows in and destroyed. The merles doors
of tee goods depot of the railway station are shattered.
Windows all round within a radius of two miles present
marks of the explosion. Scores of men were thrown
down. Those killed are: David Roberts, 35, • nati re
of Denhigh, married, carter ; Evan Jones, 22. Tyddyn
Llwydyn, Carnervon, unmarried, son of • widow, par.
telly dependent on her son, carter; Robert Roberts,
26, quarryman ( who had only returned from America •
few weeks sinoe) ; • quarrymen, who we' supposed to
be passing at the time; and two others. About twelve
have been badly bend, and about as many slightly in-
jured. A leg, and, in two other, instances, arms have
already been amputated ; and two boys, Owen John
Roberta and Griffith Pritchard (the latter the son of •
blind man), have suffered internal injuries by being
thrown down. Even on Thursday neirning the police
were engaged In walking the neighbourhood of the
accident, picking up very small portions of Beth and
bone. Such was the terrible power of the oil, that the
soot where the cart is deposed to have been at the
time of the accident is marked by two deep, perfectly
circular holes, of the same size' each measuring 71t. 61n.
in diameter, 711. deep, and a horse length apart. 'I be
stones appear to have been subjected to a terrible rota.
tory motion, and the holes are in the shape of an in.
aided eons. The shock was experienced more or less
for many miles around. Three persons have had
their limhd amputated, and seven have been severely
injured. The inquest on Thursday passed off quietly.
The jury were 'selected from the neighbourhood, and all
of them were quardinen. A verdict of " Accidental
death" was returned. The facia disclosed lie in a nut.
shell. The men with carts hid been drinking at several
beerhouses along the road, at two within halfexmile.
The real is covered with loose stones, on which one
cart bumped and caused the txploaton.