The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-02-27 00:00:00

SIGNS OF BETTER. TIMES.

TIIE OrrElt PIER contract has been signed, and the
work will shortly be commenced. Our experienced
Town Clerk (Mr. F. C. Steggall) has had such inform-
ation from his correspondents In the North, that we
may look forward with c onfidence to this work being
earned out by men who thoroughly understand their
business. One .4 those who showed how imisotint
was th!s work has " gone over to the majority ; ' but
via who are left ire happy in being supported nod
aided by Mr. IL Edwards, our senior member, who will
spare no money, but have a thoroughly gomi work
made of the extension. While the good shin of
Weytnanth I. being refitted for fresh business: we can
.I.ssire no better " ship's husband " than Mr. Edwards.
The Swannery Committee held their meeting on
Tuesday, at the Council Clamber, started with a
capital sobscription list, and, under the gui.Lance of
..or worthy Mayor, they expect to get over all their
difficulties, :Ind provide well for the nnaintenance .4
this great attraction to the town. The Sanitary State
of the town continues excellent, bit our Town botne4
are not going to rest satisfied without trying to be
healthier, if n osible, than the capital of the modern
tituhia." Hygeia" itself. Mr. llawkslev id on his
way t i Weymonth, and will be hero in a few days, to
say if it 1.
gil I refined gold, to mint the lily,
Or all a !whim to the violet."
Let or hope all will receive his dictnm as setting the
question at rest for a generation or two. Ten per
cent. divided by the Gas Company shows how elastic
'itch a business ut gas-mnking becomes with gel
manngnnent. The memory .4 the c sitly 'accident"
is now almost worn out, awl the c .mpony will be glad
only to be "blown up" in wor Is, jude to keep them in
etweise. With all these signs of improvement we
congratulate every one on "the Good Time coming.
The imp wtatit matter of the outer pier was cam-
men4.l last week, by "setting not" the work, and
the ..ontractor hopes that Ile shall be able to antidote
it in two or three m mtbs.

rtir. ATTEnrr AT SUICIDE BY A YOUNG LADY.
At the Comity Petty fiettions on Tuesday last, Imfore
Mr. IL C. Goofisten, Mr. It. If. Eliot, and Mr. G. Eliot,
Miss Alres Reyes, of 5, Chetterfield-place, appeared to a
mentions charging her with an attetnpt to wentnit suicide
by drowning hermit on Saturday week. She is apparently
about the middle height, with dark hair ; but she re-
mained seated all the time, and sit much as possible
Atom tel from observatinn, evidently affected by her
nnotion.-Mr. Pelly Hooper appeared for her Men: e, and
Sir. Sept. Batty prosecuted-At an early stage Mr.
Hooper asked that all the witnesses might leave the
Court. -The public were not present in large numbers,
being partly attracted by a small case or two in the
borough court, and there seemed to be some desire to
limit the attendance of those not connected with the
ease ; bat, nail the worthy Chairman, " We can't exelmle
the reporters."-The tint witnesscalled was David Geary,
corporal of the 31st It-I:intent, who said that, about 11.:P.)
on the 10th of February inst. he WAS walking along the
tteadwaeh and saw a lady going along the railway line.
That lady was the defendant ; she passed hint walking on
the railway towards Portland, out she WWI about the
centre of the bridge when he first saw her. She bailed him
at about 40 or 50 yards off, but he paid no attentipil to her
till he heard about three-quarters of an ham after that a
woman was in the water. A man came running towards
Ituna and tehl him so, and that he was on the way to the
Inn to get some brandy. Witnew met a cart on the
bridge, awl there was plenty of help for the lady.-,-Oross-
examined ; Del not take any notice at tied, hut first BMW
the defendant in the centre of the railway-bridge.-
George Falk, of WYke said that on Saturday, 10th
inst., he and John and William Maid, were walking out
from Portland on the line. -[Mr. Symonds asked if they
knew they were trespasftingll-Witnew continued that
when they got some distance front the station he heard
mine acreams, but saw no one, and walkout along the road
as usual till some distance further on they saw something
in the water. As they walked on they saw it fall and rise
again and then fall. Next be saw something floating
towards what they bad teen before, and whim they got to
the water's edge they saw a hat and jacket on the beach
atsl rushed into the water. Ile did not get them first,
but when he arrived John Mabh was milling her ashore.
The water wa, about three feet deep.-Mr. Symonds said
they really did not reoptire these witnesses, they had
loiter have the man who gut to the person first -.lolin
Maid,. of %Yeinnouth, was on the 111th coming fettle Port-
land with Falls and another, and was wrilking on
the line. Falle asked " you hear that screaming looser
and witness answered "1 think it is at Portland,"
awl continued to walk on. Ile thought it Was a man
trying for 'sand rivers, " or brown shrimps, and remarked
that it must be cold for him there. Next he thought it
WWI a woman, and they hurried faster, and saw a jacket,
parasol, and white pnekethandkerehief, on the Exit leach,
and witness went in and found a young woman in the
water. The young woman turned her head towards
lot did not speak, and he dragged her in till about II
yards from the shore, when she dragged heavily, and his
brother came atel helped him, and they carried her, and
g d her on shore. When they had sat dots n she "gave a
tremendous screech, and went off as if she were dead."
George Falle went to get some brandy, and he saw a
carriage, stopped it, and asked the lady to take the young
woman up, as she was neatly dead; but the lady said she
had an invalid in the carriage, and did not want to ntake
it wet. Falle came with the brandy, they put her on the
top of a stone waggon, and took her to Passage House. She
did not say anything after. Defendant is the young lady.
-Cross-examined : Ile heard screams when they were
about three quarters of a ndle from her, and about a
quarter of an hour before they got to her. He saw no hat
on the beach, only a paratel, handkerchief, and jacket •,
the hat was floating. It WM about 150 or 290 yards out,
and the water was three feet deep; further out the It ink
runs uhf steeper. -Mrs. Sarah Auto Stone, landlady of the
Ferry Bridge Inn, antl defendant was brought to her house
on Saturday week. She was not sendible at the time, and
Wai put to bed, and warm water applied to her feet, de.
She wan very ill, but slowly recovered in about three hours
or three and • half. They asked tier how she came in the
water, and she said she did not know. Before eke left she
bad quite recovered consciousness. She only said "I'm
very wicked." This was after she had been in the house
out hour,. but witness slid not knew if she was conscious
then.-Crogg-ex.ceiged Before she left she walked down-
. stain, with her leather and Dr. Lithgew.-On Mr. Batty
desiring the question to be coked, witness said the defen-
dant gave her address as 5, Überiterfleld•place, and gave a
name which she thought was" Harris i" but it might have
been "Alice." She fainted several times before she was
pot to bed.- By Mr. Eliot: She was conscious at intervals.
When nhe said she was wicked it was an hour after she
got to bed.-Mr. Hooper, on behalf of the young lady's
family, maid they were quite unaware of what was taking
place, or of any cense or reason for her attempting to lay
violent hands on herself; but she was in a state of great
deltility, and he would call medical evidence to prove that
her mind was overbalanced, and that temporarily she was
not accountable for her actions-hr. Lithgow said he was
called to attend defendant at the Ferry Bridge Inn, and
, found her suffering from a chill, de., the effects of inuner-
sion in the water. She was sensible enough to answer
any questions, and he asked her how she felt, Ac., and her
name. She gave her correct name, spelling it, and he
administered some medicine. Finding there was not a
great deal the matter, and that the sooner she was removed
the better, be went to Weymouth for her mother, and
returned for the defendant. She was removed to Wey-
mouth, and he attended; her. It appeared from
enquiry that the young lady had not be, as
she might, her health was not very good, and
probably this cannel a temporary ahlseration of
intellect-Mr. Honper supposed this was not at all
likely to be repeated 1 -Dr. Itlthgow said that having once
occurred, it might 'wear again. Defendant was nqw
letter; but she suffers from loss of memory, and is not
quite right in her mind.-Mr. Hooper sake,' if the Bench
would like to hear the evidence of the runther.-Mr.
Gnodden said the mother must take care of the young
lady, as she was unable to take care of herself. Such an
attempt at this was not only an injury to herself, but to
the public.-Mr. Hooper said the mother, who is a widow,
was ready to enter into recognisanceo to take care of the
young lady. In answer to enquiries, defendant said she
had been here one month, and Mr. Hooper added that
she came from Jersey.-Mra Rose Hayes, mother of
defendant. was called on to be bound over, in the RUM of
.CN, to take care of her daughter for three months, Mr.
G todden adding that what had happened was not only
very had for the young person, but for the public also.-
Mrs. Hayes then entered into recognisant:es that her
daughter should he of good behavione and keep the peace
toward, all Her Majesty's subjects, and especially
towards herself, for three months. Mr. Symonds warning
her that if her daughter repeated such an attempt, she
(the mother) would be in a very serious position.

GENI.ROCS BrEOl2 11l WAS JUST.
114 M Ttryrnan, a soldier Of the 31s1, with three good
conduct stripes, was charged with stealing a pair of bead
haaketk shell lox, brooch, four specimens of polished
stone, a book of photograph', and a fan, front Mrs. Jane
Roberta, schoolmistress at the Verne.—Mrs. Jane Roberta
said she was wife of the Scripture reader at Gibraltar,
and now schoolmistress of the ltit Regiment
Truman was einployed WI school orderly, and his duties
were to clean the school. On the afternoon of the 15th
Met, witness went upstairs, and found that her drawers
were all open. These were in her quartprs, which are
attached to the school The drawers had locks; but she