The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1863-03-24 00:00:00

'3 mitt intrllignm.

Thpre was • cutlets seeps AA the Maidstone Amine
en Wednesday. Robert Alexander Burton, a lad of
eighteen, inta indicted for the murder of a boy named
Houghton in July last, at Chatham. Houghton, it may
be remembered, went to ply on the Chatham Linea,
and was found shortly eAsTwards cruelly murdered.
Burton gave himself up ea the murderer, averring that
be wished to be hang. In due enuree he was committed
!or trial, and should have been tried at the winter gaol
delivery. Ha, however, declared that be ahonld plead
treaty, and on the application of Mr. Ribton, who had
been engaged to defend him, his trial mu poatpneed
that inquiry might be made into his ands of mind.
Those inquiries failed in detecting any symptoms of
insanity, sad oe Wedneeday, when platted at the bar,
Burton pleaded guilty. He was asked if he understood
the status* of hie plea, and declared that he did. Mr.
Justice Wightnian then urged that It would be much
better that the prisoner should plead sot 0114, net as
denying the crime, but as expressing a with to be tried.
Yielding to these Felicitations, the prisoner, whose sole
desire was said to be that he Aght be hanged, with-
drew his drst plea end pleaded not guilty. Witnesses
were then called and examined, and croes-eimateed,
cad it was made clear that the prisoner had committed
the mime with which he wee charged. Mr. RAWL is
addressing the jury for the defence, did sot deer
Burton's guilt, but pleaded that when he murdered the
boy be was insane. The jury, however, found • verdict
of guilty, end the prisoner was eentenced to death. He
treated the matter with the greatest toolntes, and en
leaving the dock arid, "Thank you. niy lord.
RUMOR Or Pftolllllll.—An &aloe for breach of pro-
mise ef Marriage which, Mtn the position of the
parties, hen excited much interest in Ireland, was sow
eluded on Saturday at the Galway senses The plain-
tiff. Mias Lucy Beans, is the daughter of a gentleman
residing near Tuatn, and defendant, the Rev. Harine
Fleming, is rector of liallymacward, in the county Gal-
way. The case on behalf of the plaintiff was stated by
Mr. Blake, Q.C., who reed several letters whieb bad
pawed between the patties, on which he relied as
showing that the defendant had promised to marry the
plaintiff. The father, buster, and uncle of the lady were
examined, and proved that the defendant had admitted
having made the eremite, but that he alleged that air.
suntstanees prevented him from fulfilling his engagement
and also that the plaintiff had relealmal him from it.
After an able speech by Mr. Rainson, Q C., on behalf
of the defendant, his lordship chanted the jury, who
found for the plaintiff, With £l,OlO damage.' sad Id.
meta

TWA!. FOR MOIRDZIL —At the Stafford Assizes, John
Jesvons, mod HI, an engineer, we. plaited on hie Gist
'barged with the wilful murder of John Howell, John
Davis. and John Kempson, on the 30th of January lest,
at Ili [stop. It appeared that the prooner wee the
engine tenter, and had the charge of a pit in the
Padgett Croft Colliery, near Radian. About sit o'clock
on the morning of the day usehtioned, the three de-
cleaaed, two of whom were " doggies," MON to the pit,
and entering the skip prepared as turnal to descend the
shaft. The engine commenced to work, and the skip
gra, lowered for about fifteen yards when suddenly the
rope to which it was attalhed snapped, and the vehicle,
with it. living freight, was precipitated to the bottom,
• distanos of seventy yards. Two of the men were
killed Instantaneously, and the third died soon after he
reached the ordain. An ezamination of the rope
showed that previously to the aecident it had been
partially severed by some sharp instrument, And is •
few days afterwards the prisooer was arrested on the
charge. The evidence wail chiefly of • circumstantial
character, and at its close the jury returned a verdant of
not frailty.
Tan AILUNICAL Poisonings AT IMAICIAXLI Fig.
—The trial of John Garner and Hannah, his wife, for
the wilful murder of Hannah Garner, the first wife of
the male prisoner, and Juniata Garner, his mother, was
ce commend at the Lincoln amin Wa on Tuesday and ed.
noiday. It appeared that the female prisoner married
John Garner last year, having been previously in his
service. The male prisoners first wife died in March,
1861, her symptoms being those of arsenical poisoning.
After her death the prisoner's mother went to live with
them, and did so up to the tiros of her death, the
honwihold being all the time in • most unhappy state.
Garner kept • grocer', shop, in which he sold weenie
and milk; and on one occasion some milk being
given to • neighbour, and • pudding made of it,
the whole family were seised with symptoms
of poisoning. About this time Jingo. Garner
was taken ill, and although awarewly in a very
dangerous state the prieonet refused to lend for &doctor.
On the Saturday previous to her death a young woman
in the honor noticed that there wits • deposit at the
bottom of • bottle from which the dolmans(' was in the
habit of taking laudanum, and which she described as
bwing like wet mortar. On time day Ai her death &WI
male primmer mixed some arrowroot for Jentima
G , remarking at the same time that he hoped it
would he the last she would eat. Several witnesses
were atomised in corroboration of the above facts. The
jury found both the prisoners pay of manslaughter.
The learned Judge, in sentencing Use prisoners, said
that the jury bad taken a very merciful view of their
ease, but that he felt bound to p.m upon them Ike
reversal, sentence of the law. His lordship then
tensed them them to penal servitude for life.