The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1870-04-19 00:00:00

PIDDLEHINTON.

THE ELECTION OF OULHDI LEE —The SlarlArne
Journal speaks of this event in the following terms :
A contested election is an event that rarely happens in
a country parish, sod when it does is sooompanied, of
course, by a great deal of commotion in a swill cir,le,
but the contest which is just over In Piddlehintoe (an
event unprecedented in the annals of the parish) has
been a subject of interest "in all the country round."
For twenty.three years Mr. James hovels., has been
guardian of Piddlehinton, and so attentive has he been
to his duties, and FO able in the discharge of them that
for many years he hag been selected to fill the honour-
•ble office of vice chairmen of the Dorchester Board.
Whether the fact that Mr. Lovelace, in his capacity of
churchwarden. lately felt himself obliged to resist souse
ritualistic tendencies, had anything to do with what
we are about to relate, we know not; but the first
opposition to him comes on the first opportunity after
events which were related in this Journal about a year
ago. Before the the time same round for the eleotion
of • guardian Mr. Geo. Mayo, • wealthy yeoman of
the pariah, announced his intention to fill the office..
The old guardian, of course, declined to give way unless
some reason were assigned, and hearing nose he deter-
mined to contest " the seat." A canvass of the perish
was made by both parties, voting cards were issued
soliciting " your vote and Interest," and exhorted all
who were for "Liberty and the Poor," to vote for
Lorelei/a, said such as wore short of manure to "veto
for Mayo." And although the success of the old
guardian was never questionable, the contest raged so
furioully that if only one half of what we have heard is
true some party stands in peril, it is quite as well
that it should be known, as a caution to fervent parish
politicians in other neighbourhoois, that bribery at
these elecitiora end any interference with voting paper.
are offences punishable with imprisonment, and that
penalty was imposed some two or three years ago upon
parties who tampered with voting papers at Leeds.
Any offer to haul dung on an allotment for nothiee,
with a view to influence a party to vote in a particular
manner at an election for guardians is, we have no
hesitation in saying, • proceeding which, if proved in
court, would subject the party promising to be harried
sap in another and even leas agreeable fashion. The
voting papers were collected in this ease on Thursday,
d added up on Saturd.v, at Dorchester, when the
result was as follows :- Mr. Lovelace, 62; Mr. Mayo,
'24; majority, 38. Of the 24 losing votes 6 were the
candidate's own, 6 the Rector's, '2 Major Astaire, the
nominator, 5 those of Mr. Mego's labourers, and 1 his
tenant's the individual votes being 51 against 10. When
the state of the poll warn ascertained printed placards
were at once issued, as large as the broadaides used at a
general election, Lad when the successful candidate
returned from the Board be WU mete mile from his
house by about a hundred villagers, who insisted on
"chairing" him, and carried him in triumph through
floral erase, amidst peals from the church hells, round
the pariah. So much excitement in a quiet parish has
seldom to be recorded.

SWAN AGE.
A naoll.—A boy of 12, named Thootaa &ries, has
been committed for trial at the assizes for setting fire
to a straw rick, belonging to his master, Mr. S. 8.
Hunt, of Godlingston, on the 2nd inst.
Tittritatatcn MEM No.—On Wednesday, at Studien d,
• interratins temperance meeting was held in the
National hohool•room, kindly lent for the purpose. The
chair was taken by the Rey. O. Manua, of Chureh
Hoowle, and the Rector of Statile:id was also present.
The speakers were the chairman, Rev. Mr. Aosta, Rev.
G. Hint', Messrs. S. Payne and R. Digby. Titers WI
a good attendance.

FATAL ACCIDENT.—On the 13th inst. an inquest wag
held at the Ship Hotel, before Woodruff. Daniel, Etl ,
coroner for the Isle of Purbeck, on the body of George
Prettyman, aged 29 years, a seaman on board the barge
Alpha. Pram the evidence given, it appears h
vessel was proceeding to Portland in a thick ,
when near Si. Alban's Head she got veiy near the
cliff. A coastguard warned the master of his danger,
and he immediately ordered the crew to change her
position. The dece&ied bids loaded gun among some
coils of rope which were required. On attempting to
remove the gun it exploded. lodging the whole of the
charge in his leg, dividing the femoral artery, and
causing a frightfel wound. A woman on board did all
in her power to stop the bleeding, and the eoaistguori.
beicg oommunicated with, advised them to mate for
Swaged. Bay, which they did, where the esisiztance of
Dr. Delitinotte wee obtained, who proceeded at once to
the VOW], but too much time had elapsed, and the
deceased died a few minutes after that gentleman's
arrival; a halfpenny which must have been in hie
trouser. pocket, was found in the wound. The Jury
returned a verdict of "Accidental Death." The body
ham been lying in the watch-house at the coastguard
station, and use interred in the Stranage oeinetary on
Thunday evening.