The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-06-13 00:00:00

I'URIOUS lIISTORY OF A lIIIRDERED
WOMAN.

A shocking murder has been committed at Gundagai,
New South %Vales, the victim being a woman named
l'illehiqtan. She was found dead at 9.:10 p.m. on the Sth
Airil near a public-house at Spring-flat, which she had
left three hours previously in a state ot intoxication. Iler
skull was found to be fractured from • blow on the hack
of her head. When she left the public.house she had
some silver wrapped in a handkerchief, and this was miss-
ing when she was found. A man named Partick Hennessy,
alias I;rattan, has been arrested on suspicion of being the
robber and murderer. The Borde r Post relates that the
history of the unfortunate woman has been rather •
singular one. In the winter of 1R72, a gentleman named
Pilkington. who has resided at Gundagai for some time,
mysteriously disappeared, and has never been heard of
since. Ile lived with the murdered woman, who went by
his name. The night of Pilkington's disappearance he was
seen leaving a public-house at Gundaitai on horseback,
making for home, and taking along with him a bottle of
brandy. In the month of September, 1572. the body of •
man was found in the Murrumbidgee at klundarlo, about
20 miles below Gundagni, and it was supposed to lei that
of the missing gentleman. Such, however, was not the
case, as at a coroner's inquest, it transpired that the body
found was that of some unfortunate fellow who was
drowned during that season of flood. However, Mrs
Pilkington, in order to be on the safe side, had the body
so found encased in a costly coffin and buried after an
expensive fashion in the cemetery at Gunslagai. Since
then she has lived with another man, and last week they
made up their minds to go to the Palmer diggings. That
intention has been frustrated by her murder.

TWO WOMEN ws_rg..*vAtpEß AND

ROBBERY.—A SUSPICIOUS tacii

At the Eecleshall Petty Sessions, on Wednesday, two
women, named Mary Anne Freakly, living at Cranbury,
and Caroline /inept, aged 19, daughter of Freakley, were
charged with the wilful murder of a woman named Mary
Sueyd, and also with stealing a watch, on the 26tli May
last, at Cotssi Heath, a hamlet lying between Eccleshall
and Stone. The charges arose out of suspicious cir-
cumstances, investigated hy Superintendent Crisp. of
Stone. and Inspector Hackney, of Stafford, after an
inquest on the body of deceased had been held, at which
A verdict of "Found drowned" was returned. The
deceased was aunt to the prisoners, and lived alone in a
cottage on cotes Heath. lie was 72 years of age, but
was said to have had the thse of all her faculties. Some
few yards from the house where she residesl there was a
well from which she had been in the habit of fetching
water, and it was in this well that she was found
drowned after having had SORIA angry words with the
prisoner. Attention was attracted to the woman in the
well by the Khmers, and when the body was taken out
and carried to the house it was found that the house door
was locked. No key could be found until the day
following, when the prisoner Freakley produced it,
saying she had found it under a milk pan in the house.
Search was made for what money and valuables there
might be. It was known that the deceased had sold a
pig for £7 Iss. a few days before, and about .Ll 2 was dis-
covered asTetol about the house in bits of rag and
paper. A watch that demised was known to have had
in her possession the day previous could not be found,
and the younger prisoner volunteered a statement that
she was sure they would not Mid the watch, asl her
aunt had "sold it three years ago to an astrologer at
Stone," but it was eventually traced to her (prisoner's)
possession. The house of deceased appeared to be in
disorder. A hat belonging to the prisoner Freakley, and
which she said she had lost on the day the old lady wiki
drowned, was found under a bed in the parlour. A
her of witnesses were examined, when the solicitor
for the prosismtion applial for a remand, in order that
the body might be exhumed for a post-mortem eta •
lion. The solicitor for the prisoners opposed the appli-
cation on the ground that a prima feels: case haul not been
made out ; and the Smell coincided with that opinion,
and dismissed the case of ler. but granted a remand
on the charge of stealing the watch, accepting lath

THE BATH AND WEST OF ENGLAND HOCIETT,
The ninety-ninth anniversary of the Bath and \Vest of
England Society has concluded. It has been held at
Hertford this year, and held under the pleasantest of
auspices, as far as the weather and local associations me
coins:m.4. The reception of the society was hospitality
itself, and the exhibition of stock is said to have been the
finest ever held in connexion with the society, and the
display of agricultural machinery and implements very
good. The total entries of stock were 72.3. against 81:1 at
Croydon last year, 740 at Bristol in Pc74, arid TIM at
Plymouth in 1073. But Hereford is not the centre, as
Bristol and Ilyinouth are, of densely populated districts,
and the receipts in consequence are very inferior. The
total amount taken was 1-3,fi70, as againat An. at
Croydon. The attendance from Ilertford on the shilling
day—which is really the cash-box day of the society--has
only been exceeded twice in its history—at Plymouth in
1073, when nearly forty thousand people were present,
and at Bristol in 1071, when fifty-six thousand odd people
passed through the turnstiles. About twenty-five
thousand visited the show at Hereford on the shilling
day in 1065, but this year more than twenty-eight
thousand persons were present. Therefore, looking at
the population of Hereford and district, it has certainly
alone its duty by the society. The funded property of
the society, however, notwithstanding the serious losses
incurred at Croydon, still stands undisturbed at tukissf,
thanks to the takings at Bristol; but if the .ClO,OOO is
not to be touched the meeting next year must be very
different, financially, to the Hereford meeting. Next
year is the centenary of the Bath and West of Ragland
Society, and the centenary is very properly to be kept at
home in Bath, with the Marquis of Lansdowne for
President. Forty years ago, when the society was con-
fined to Bath, the then Marquis of Lansdowne was
permanent President: and his grandson appropriately
takes the presidency for the centenary.
The following are the awards to persons residing in this
district:—
CATTLK.

1)5% ON. 'lnn., olr c two unt not CNCOC41111; Low 'ears (4,1,
first, Mr. Walter Farthing, Stowcy Court, Pr (It:water ; second,
Mr. T. If. ithelon, Washford, TaunUni. Ilvil, not exceeding
two vears old, first, Mr. T. Risdon ; second, Mr. Walter
Futhing ; ~,, xi, win. Rolls Fryer, Lytchett Minster,
Poole. !lull imir, elate six, and itot exceeding twelve numthe
old, highly COMMCIMIOII. Mr. Walter Farthing. Cow in cult
(or it in milk iiiVilo7. bad a call within six months), first, Mr.
Walter Farthing. 'leiter, not exceeding two years old, first,
Mr( Walter Farthing, healer tmlf, above six and not exceeding
t welt e months old, second, Mr. W. It. Fryer ; highly comm. flied
Mr. W. Farthing.

NIIORTIIOIM-01111. 110, 0X0.0,111111 two yeafl old, first. Mr
joserh Stratton. Alton Priors, Marlborough. Bull calf, above
six months and infi cacao lliis twelve months old, first Mr. ft.
Stratton. Cow iii calf (or if In milk having had a calf within
six months), first Nev. K. S. Kennard, Marnhull, 'Sandford ;
second. Mr. .1 aleph Scalt so; highly commended, Sir .1. 11.
Grew illc Smith, Sart.. Ashton Court. Heifer in calf (or if in
milk having had calf within the last six months). not exceed-
ing three 'taus old, first and second, Rev. K. 11. Kennard.
Heifer, not exceeding two yews nfg, H. H.
mug,. ,Aff, shove six and not exceeding twelve
months old, second, Mr. M. Nicholson, Basing Park, Alton,
Wants.

Bronzy: -Bull, above two and not exceeding four years
old, that, Mr. John Tonill, Hartley Park Farm, Alton.
ANS IL hiamtini (Jainorr).—Bull, abovs two awl not exceed.
ing lour years oh), first, Mrs L. Mvlcolin Beachwood,
Lyndhurst ; highly commended, Mr. J. Lyatt, Ilighworth.

I.llllr.
A DOWX. —Nestling nun, lira, Mr. Allred Morrison,
Fonthill-houie • second, Mr. Prank It. Moore. Littlecott• com-
mended. Mr. Alfred Morrison. Ram of any other age, first
and highly commended, Mr. T. C. flounders, Watercombe,
Dorchester ; second, Mr Alfred Morrison ; commended, Mr. W.
F. Bennett. chiimmk, am/ Mr. Alfred Morrison. Pen el fire
yearling cam, Mr. I'. C. Saumb•ra
SOY MINT MID MOWRY HORS. —Yearling ram, first, Mr.
Herbert Farthile. Nether Stowcy. Bridgwater ; second, Mr. J.
Cuiverwell. Nora Petherton. Bridgwater. Ram of any other
age, first and scowl, Culversall.
1101Ut101. •

FOK APRICULTI'IIAI. Pt 11.1.01611, --Stallion, commended, r.
Gibbs, Chilterns, Ileytesbury.
II rants. —Mtn) In foal, commended, Rev. W. C. Lyall
Castle Frume.

hU.olllßL—boZ, not exceeding one )ear old highly cont.
mended, Mr. W. Hewer, Serenharopton, Wiltshire. Breeding
/ow in fernier. or exhibited with her litter, first and wic 'rid,
Mr. W. Yells, Knoyle-down, Itindon.
. _

roukntr..
Cochin hen (cinnamon and buff), Elm, kn. Bbmcb,3 Rndci3
nyd., Wareham. Cochin hen (white), very highly commended,
Rev.*. S S. Woodifate, Tellont Magna. Barrie cock (black
breasted red), first, Mr. W. H. Stagg, Netheraron. Powitey,
whose hen of the same breed was commended. liamburgh
hen (silver spangled), first, Wm E. Browne, Clutnileigh-griwn,
°bad ; highly commended. Mr. U. Crusts, Doddingtotstall,
Bridgwater.