The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-04-20 00:00:00

BE&MINSTEEL

A LUNATIC AT LAMM —oo Friday last • MAD 15A.M44
AAA W. Petard was brought op before Col. COI on a
oh•rge of being foetid wandering near Birdsmore Gate,
os the l3th nut., as • lunatic, and he was lent to
Forston uylum in • hopeless state of insanity. We
underatand that his father is now living at Yeovil, in
good eireumstanou He appears to be travelling about
the oonntry selling maps, sod when he was found he
bad • few maps with him.

MORE TWINE STEALING AT BRIGPORT.
From the peouliar nature of the twine trade, the
mural alturers are peculiarly subject to freed, and, at
the same time, it may be practised is. way far removed
from ordinary stealing, and ender circumstances such..
may scarcely appear wrong to any save the most
scrupulous. For many years Walter Powell ham been
ezleyed as foreman at Mears. Gantry's and Co.'s,
hie wife has been entrusted with twine to finish at
her Urn home. Is this proems, the use of ".me'
increment' the weight from one ter three per cent. as the
weather may vary, and it seems it is the custom at
Messrs. Gundry's mill to mike an entry of the
weight given out and of the weight returned,
and the settlement with the finishers for any
difference is left to the masters. In 1858 and 1859
notices were parted throughout the tows and are
diaplayed at each of the mills that all material given out
belongs to the masters. On Wednesday last Benjamin
Croft, foreman et Meesra Gondrys' warehouse, dropped
in at Mr. Mason's public-house to refresh himself, when
he saw a ball of twine on the mantelpiem, which he at
moo recognised as being Marra Oundrys' make, so he
cut • bit off, and showed it to Edward Crabb (who
" laid" the twine), and be identified it. Mr. Gondry
was informed, and further inquiries were made at Mr.
Mason's, when it was ascertained that he purebeeed it
of Matthew Powell, had two or three balls of it, and
was to pay at the rate of 10d, per lb. He had ordered
It some time previously. It seems that there is no
towbars in the town but Messrs. Gundry's that makes I
thin peentier twine. Croft aosompanied P.S. Batty, to •
Matthew Powell's home, and the otleier charged Powell
with being one orfol poseession of a quantity of twine,
the property of Mesas. Gentry end Co., and bath ig
ario sold the sune. li• at °Dee said ha had it front Mr..
Powell, and sold it to Mr. Mason, and that if there was
mulling wrong about it, she would have to answer for
it. Being asked him what be paid her for it, he replied
they had not settled that yet. They went from thence
to Walter Powell's and charged his wife with riesling
a quantity of twine and selling !t to Matthew Powell.
She said "1 have always returned Mr. Grundy his
demands, and what I had over I considered as my
rights to Nell." The &sergeant took her into enatody,
and she wished to go to Mr. Gundry and speak to him
en the subject, but he refused to hear her. The officer
cautioned her that what she might say might be used
in evidence against her, but on the way to the motion,
she said, "I declare I had no thought of !stealing thi
twine; after returning Mr. Grandy hie demands, I con-
sidered the red was mine, and I sold it to Matthew
Powell," and eh, n at the station, she said to the
sergeant's wife when about to march her, "Well
ma'am this is • dieariful job, I em brought here for
stealing twine, but I did not think I was stealing it, as
I 000sidered it was mine for the sire I had used aboot
it." The sergeant saw Matthew Powell afterwards sear
the George ism, when the latter said to him, "Shall
I be wanted for a prisoner in this matter ?" and the
officer replied, "If POO I shall fetch you." Matthew
Powell said" It's a bed job, and Mrs. Powell has been
carrying this on with too high • band for • long time
aril I told her so, for I knew it was wrong at
the time, and that it would be sure to be
known when it was seem as no one in the sown
made my twine like it." Hs added, " I hope
you won't tell of this again, and I don't think
you will" (laughter). Powell also said he
was not sore whether it weighed 10), 11. or llilbe.
Astoria Powell, wife of Welter Powell, was let out
on b 41 till Fridey morning, when she appeared before
8. W. Wbetham, Esq., J. Templeman, Esq., and Dr.
flay, 'hanged with embezzling twice belonging to
Messrs. Gentry and Co., and Menefee Powell, twine
spinner, of Westetreet, was chararil eith raceiviog
and selling the same. Mr. N. M. Loam prosecuted,
and Mr. M. C. Weston, of Dorchester, defended Tie
affair created great excitement in the town, and the
hearing took place in the large ball, which wee mush
thronged. The facts before rrirrated were deposed to;
and Mr. J. P. F. Gurolry was called to say it was well
known that all materials sent out were the property f
the masters, and that there were printed rule. to that
effect posted in the warehouse; and Mr. T. Hoonsell
deposed that the custom of the trade is, that all
material giver. out belongs to the master, and a notice
to that effect was posted generally throughout the town
several yours ago. This cdoe“l the case for the prose-
carioca. Mr. Weston throught from Mr. Loggio'.
opening remark', he had a much stronger case than the

viii 11 had shown. On behalf of his ghats, be would
admit the fasts es given in evidenes ; at theses. time
Mrs. Powell truly believed the was dealing hoses*
with what was bar own rights. There was only one
thing Alia tended even to oast the Least mu
Roth tar, and that wart what that fooliehrst:
Matthew Powell had told the sergeant of polies about
himself l—(langbtor.) There was not the least evidence
coin's Mn. Po,eU. who bad been working for the
firm shout 19 years without having • complaint against
her all that time ; and without a guilty knowledge
there ought not to be • canvietion, in fast, the was in
their employ up to the very moment of her canning
before them, and with gosh • ataractic, he trusted this
Booth would not alix • stigma upon her of • convic-
tion. If Messrs. Orundry believed her to be dishonest,
would they still employ her Really, under such oils
elima"peta, be would refrain from calling a
witness, but would leave the case to the Benoit.—
airman inquired the date of the notate produced in
court. when it appeared to have been In 1868-9-10 years
ago. At the requestof Mr. Weston, the Bench asked Mr.
J. P.?. Gantry if he had ever said to Mrs. Powell in
reference totbis pertimilarwork that heshould export at
least one per cont, gein when returned, to which Mr.
Othdry replied in the adlrmative.—The Bench, after
long consultation, came to the otholusion that Mrs.
Powell was old (month to remember the public talk
some years ago about the notices, Irrespective of what
she had been told by her employers, and that she knew
she was doing ',male. It was necessary to put • stop
to this state of things, as pcesibly deleterious substances
midst be used in the.e preparations, which might prove
injusions to the goods sent out, and thereby injure the
trade of the town as to its credit with the country, and
thus cause loss to the manufacturers, which, of worse.
would fall heavily on the workpeople themselves.
Matthew Powell had admitted his guilt, and the
decision the Bench had come to was that each prisoner
be committed to Dorchester gaol for 14 days, with hard
labour. Of worse, Mr. Weston had liberty to "peal,
if desirous to do so.—Walter Powell, the husband of
gamath Powell, was sent for, and in the interim Mrs.
Powell said the anxiety of the next two months would
be too mach for her, and she would rather suffer the
penalty. After the husband Game, Mr. Weston made
• fervent appeal to the Bench whether, geeing the pub-
licity which would be given to the law bearing on the
matter between employer and workmen, the justice of
the ease would not be met by allowing his clients to go
at large on their own reeognisances, to come up for
judgment when called on.—The Bench could not accede
to this proposition in the absence of the prosecutor end
his legal *Avner (Yr. Loath). Those two gentleman
were at once sent for, and Mr. J. P. F. laundry having
heard the question put from the Bench, and basked by
• very feeling appeal from Mr. Weston, Mr. Oundry
said of all the workpeople in the employ of the firm,
there were no other two than Walter Powell and his
wife In whom be had placed more oonlidenoe, and with
that remat k he would leave the matter entirely in the
bands of the Bench--The Chairman then informed the
prisoner that, though not absolutely discharged, they
were at liberty to leave the wort, but, if nailed upon,
they would have to undergo the ouniahment thoording
to the sentence, viz , 14 days, but whieh he trusted
their eubsequent conduct would render unnecessary.
—The lane of the case has ceased a great deal of talk.
trod r the circumstances there can be no istizn that
the defendants have been very mercifully treated, for,
although they are liable at any time to be called on to
surrender and be committed for 14 days, that course is
not likely to be takes unless they are found acting
dishonestly again.

THE Court Ne=EMI 11110Ouneee, witflt regard to
Prima, Leopold's illness, that his Royal Highness " has
been confined to the sofa for some days by a stride.
His Royal Highness'. general health is sattsfuriory.”
Os Wednesday author body was washed ashore at
Mullion Cove, and although it was so decomposed es to
be beyond recognition, it ii surrnoend to hive formed
one of the missing boat's grew of the Calcutta.
AHRICHLTHEAL LA 840111118.--Agrieultural labourer,
are, the Ageinsfferaf aoseUe believes, at present exciting
more compassionate interest, in the minds of well-
meaning men than any other clue in the country.
They are declared to be half-fed, ill-housed, helpless.
It is no answer to inch an assertion that other large
classed living in town, are in an even worm plight, and
, that unskilled labourers in the country Sr. better eff
than the corresponding class elsewhere. The honest
legalese has generally to allow for this fact, however,
that the superiority of eosantry lodging, had as it may
often be, and of country food, has to be admitted. But
it is the comparative helplessness of the village labourer
that touches you ;the townsman strikes and congregates,
even riots and will be beard oemaionally ; the farm
labourer is never heard. That la probably thermion
why clergyman and philanthropists are so wrist on
the subjeat, and why Fanners' Club and Chambers of
A tricultare are constantly discussing it. Audit is wel
that this interest should exist, notwithstanding that it
is from the class themselves that help most real*, come.
rhey are not helpless. Over • great part of Kngland
the agricultural labourer has abundance of reket
money. From 18 to 21, when a single man, he is I Aged
and boarded, and receives from £lOlO £l6 • year. If
he could only be induced to abstain from public-house
resort, he might before he married be a man of property
—have • houseful of fureitare, or even both house and
furniture, of his own. There is no one from whom he
has anything like the chancre of help that exists within
his own unaided read. And it is on education during
boyhood, and on enisiderate and firm management
daring youth—on re rsonal character, in abort—that his
condition as a man depends.
DESTRUCTIVE TH CZ DELMORE. —Daring the thteader•
storm at Todroorden on Wednesday. three houses at
Cross Stone were struck by the lightning. The thunder-
bolt penetrated the slates of one house, pared thee ugh
the bedroom floor, and through two walla into the third
house: Mrs. Barker, who lived in the house, bad der
shoe soles nearly teen off, and one stocking and one foal
much burnt: she was struck deaf, and so far paralysed
that she could not walk. One of the inmates of the
mildle house was atraek blind, but only remained so a
abort time. Most of the windows of Barker's lon,.
were blown out. Some of the slates were carried a
d stance of 20 yards by the force of the stroke. On the
same day at Preston a horse took fright at a flash of
1 ghtning. and Hall. who was riding In the cart, was
thrown to the ground, and suatained injurim that
caused his death. The thunderstorm at Malton wan
very severe. Font persons were strained. On the farm
of Mr. Lamb • twceyear-old bunting filly, by Malpu,
was killed by the lightning. Several tree and • met-
iron roller were smashed to Dimes. The rain was
heavy in some places, and in others there Were showers
of %ail. A young mao, engaged in a field with three
horses, in Buxton, was streak by the lightning, which
mused the total lots of the use of his left arm. Two of
the horses were also partially disabled. di Holmfirth,
a cow, belonging ti Isaac Sykes, farmer, was struck by
• Bash of lightuMg, and died almost instant tneorisly.
A girl, cl tught:r of the owner of the cow which she had
been milking, war aler struck by the electric fluid. She
was deprived of the power of speech, and remains
dumb. At Thuratordald the lightning descended the
chimney of a true occupied by Mr. Lam:raster, and
greatly alarmed the inmates. The children were
knockel about rtnl the ocompants nearly smothered
with soot. At II u•ten larr angular pieces of ice, some
13 inches in diameter. fell. In plus, crops are cut,
a rol fruit tree. in bloom on south walls have suffered
heavily. The light,ing struck a barn In the occupation
of Mr. G. Hilo ie., and in a very short period the
whole structure win completely gutted. A large
quantity of hay and a number of farming implements
sad machinery Were &lie consumed. Two cows were
with difficulty saved.