The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-08-19 00:00:00

AN OLD SHSPHSRD KILLED BY A
OAMEKEEPER.

Ikliat at present seems to be a very bnatal murder
committed in the village of Toßard Royal ssn
Tuesday by Andrew Whitley, a gatnekeeper in the
service sd Sir Thomas F. Grove, Bart., Fern Hoare.
The victim was Charles Elford, a shepherd, who was
employed by Mr. S. Harnett. of Corner Farm, Tollard
Royal. Word, it appears, was pitching hurdles in is
Sell on his master's farm on Tuesday afternoon, when
two ef his gnortrup slaughters, who were working in
another part ef the same th•ld, saw Whitley walk is
to him, and immediately afterwards a struggle took
place. The keeper threw the shepherd down, but the
old man succeeded in getting up again. Whitley then
took hold of a heavy stake, called a "fold shore,"
which was lying cases' by, and struck him two or three
blows on the head with it. The shepherd was picked
up in a senseless condition, and died before he could
Is• carriesl home. tine .4 the daughters, it serials,
heard her father laphraiding the keeper for having
beaten the shepherd boy who Ind thrown stsmes at a
rabbit s,s • days before, and this is said to be the
sady provocation the keeper received. Whitley was
arrested the ',awe evening and taken to the lockup
at If indon. tr. IL A. Wilson, one of the coroners
for the county, held an inquest on the body of the
deceased at Tollard Royal on Wodnenday, when the
jury returned a verdict of "Wilful murder" against
Vs hitley. Ilfsnl, who was 571 years I,i are, ha,s left •
widow and several children. Whitley i. apparently
about 35 years of age. Ilssth men are native* 11 the
village of Houghton, near Illandford.
Andrew Whitley, a gamekeeper, in the employ of
Sir T. F. Grove, Bart., was brought up at Hindon on
Monday. before Mr. A. Seymour, Mr, J. Locke, Mr.
V. If. Bennett-Stanferd, and Mr. W. Fs. King
charged with having, at Tollard Royal, Wilta, tfit'.
sth inst.. wilfully, and with malice aforethought,
murdered Charles lford, who was a shepherd in the
The lint Witii,'ss Wa. silinu, rAtord
Ti,,,1119:d
Royal,
'daughter of
the deceased. She said that she and her sister were
working in L 111,0.011 ill a field als,ut four o'clock, and
Inc father wa. pitching hurdles in the same field. The
prisoner came across the field to her father and they
appeared to be talking together, but ill that she
heard was a remark by the prisoner, "That boy was
not a man," and she did not know to whom the words
referred. She mat taw the prisoner catch hold of her

father by the leg and throw him down. She then
saw the prisoner on top of her father, sitting upon
low. Her father told the prisoner that he wanted to
get up. The prisoner got off, and her father got up.
immediately afterward, the prisoner took up a fold-
shore which was close by and struck her father by the
side of the head, knocking him down. Prisoner held
the fold:111.re with both hands when he hit him, and
he appeared to strike with all his might. Witness's
father lay quietly after he had been struck, and never
' spoke again.
Before narrating everything that transpired this
'Vitae" beetled, and no evidence was given by her
afterwards during the day.
Fanny Mord, another daughter of the deceased,
was next culled. She said that the prisoner threw her
father down, but she dui not es, how it was done.
Her father told the prisoner to get up, but prisoner
would not do so. Subrequently both prisoner and her
father got up. Prisoner had taken a foldshore from
her father, and the latter asked him for it, whereupon
prisoner hit him with it on the side of the head, knock-
ing him down. He stayed down about five minutes
and did not speak, lie then got up. %Vitales did
not hear him say anything to anybody when he
had done so. She, in ,uso,rdance with her 'miter's
instructions, went te na 11 there Was anyone in the
next held. . . . . . .

Cress-etauuned : Witness's father had just taken up
the foldshore when primmer took it away. lie did not
rush at the prisoner with it. Prisoner had on • hat
like that produced la straw one, with a great fracture
in the WI,, apparently caused by • blow).
George Raymond. AU uuderearter, working for Mr.
Harnett, .Thl that the prisoner tripped the deceased
up with a stick, and tell on top of him. They were
not down above a iniutite. The keeper got up vain,
and drew back four or live yards. The shepherd also
g.,t up, and the forimr walked towards him and took
the ("ashore, which was between them, and with it he
hit the shepherd on the side of his head. whereupon
the shepherd fell, and the pnsouer struck I twice
with the foldshore whilst lie WA4 down. Prisoner
thou put down the foldshore and walked away.
NVitness did not me the shepherd lift a huger nor hear
him say a word.
P.C. Bryant and P.S. Evans having given evidence,
Mr. W. IL Heed, a surgeon, WWI called, and he at-
tributed &cal LO a fracture of the .kull.

Supt. Bull pnwed that the primmer wade the follow-
ing statement :—" We had none wont+ about ,nane
partridge neat*, and I went to him about it. We had
a ft!W words and lie knocked inc down with a fold.
'lire and cut coy hat in two. I was insensible, and
When L got up he hit at Inc again with the Chore. I
is.pped down my head, and he missed me." He also
asked witness to feel 111.11084, which he did, and on
the front was a little iiiiiii perhapa about am wide aa
witness's little finger, and at the back there was one a
little larger than the first.

The pri.oner rewrved hi defence, but a couple of
witnezw.l were called t., pmre that be had ..winplained
4. thew of the way in which be had hen treated by
the deceared. lie was omuuitted fur trial at the
awize.