The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-12-30 00:00:00

can be driven and coerced into their hard work by nien

who have no interest whatever in pushing them to its
but have these strong motives of self-preservation to
prevent their pushing them much at all? All prison
officials at present lay that if that most important part
of "the system," tickets of leave, are abolished, it will
be very difficult to keep order in the prisons. Without
some such reward for their good behaviour, wake pros-
pect of getting sway from prison earlier by good con-
diet than by evincing a spirit of insubordination and
discontent, the convicts, they say, are certain to adopt
the latter course of ccreddet and give a great deal of
trouble. It is this " giving trouble" to the prison
officials that appears to- be their only argument in
favour of tickets of leave ; mid, as it makes the routine
of their duties very much emoother, they naturally
support it. Sir destine Jebb says, " Many an iron-
hearted man who wortld be unmoved or grow sulky and
obstinate under Minh treatment, has determined on •
new line of conduct by seeing clearly the it was his
interests to take advantage of the terms offered te him
by paying the price in good oondect." &a Passing over
Ike gratuitous assumption that beeante the ticket of leave
is to be withdraw Hie conviet is also to be subjected to
"hash treatment," we cannot help directing atten-
tion to the very different standards implied by
the public and the prison anthotilies in the term
" good conduct." In the prison dictioeary good con-
duct means little or nothing more than that • convict
has given "no trouble" to the officials Be has not
forged, nor stolen, not garotted, because he has had
no proper field fer tech congenial operations. He has
done as little Work as he possibly could do without
being pnnished for refusal, and he has either conformed
to or not been detected in breaking the Mild pinion
regulations. Such a man got his ticket ot teeth with
wonderful facility, though at the time it is given to him
the prison authorities know alined to a certainty that
he is as incorrigible as eVer, and that he will at once
return to " mashing" or burglaries, and be back again
from tire next Assizes with a fresh sentence, to be got
rid of as lightly as the first. The police are expected
to look after them when they are out; the prison offi-
cials have nothing to do but to report to Sir Joshua Jebb
that they have complied for a certain time with prison
rules, and given no trouble, whereupon Sir Joshua lets
them go. Sir George Grey is only the nominal remitter
of sentences; it is Sir Joshua debit who is the real
pardoner, and he meet accept the compliment to
his heart at the expense of his head when ese
say that be pardons on a most liberal scale, It
is said that the tickets-of-leave are strictly limited in
their powers of remission to one-sixth of short sentences,
one-fourth of inediens sentences (from five to 12 years),
and one-third of long sentences of from 12 to 15 years or
upwards. This, however, is not the citse,and if there ie
any proper inquiry into the system, or rather nett of
system, on which these tickets have beeh distributed
through the prisons, right and left, it will, we think,
be found that in very testy eases much larger propor-
tioned the sentenees have been remitted, and that in
every instaase tickets have been given with perfect dia.
regard of previous committals or of the fact of the
claimant having been known to return to crime the
instant he got his pardon. If proof were wanted of
this, we need only refer to the remarks of Mr. Baron
Bramwell, who, in reply the other day to the presents
ment of the grand jury of Nottinghain, nonSplaining of
the reckless way in whitth these tickete were granted,
said :—" He had tried time who had had, if he might
use the term, one sentence overlapping another. They
had been conrieted, let out, and convicted again, And
in some cases convicted ti third time and a third Mini
let out before the term fixed by the first sentence had
expired." ft is Impossible after this statement,
from a higher atithotity even than Sir Joshua
Jebb, to deity thet the tickets are irost incautiously
given es regards the use the liberated convict intends
to make of his pardon. The warders as well know
the men who are certain to be back again for a fresh
felony or desperate outrage in a few months as they.do
the minority, whose fawn they will never see again
~
after they leave the prison, Vet the tickets-of-Leslie
are given with eqdal freedom to both. In feet, thit
most illmeed body, the British pithily, ie neyet dohs
sidered throughout the Whole transaelmion. What the
sonvict is going to rlO with his liberty is nothing to the '
directors of prisons. It is enough that for a certain
time, While in prison, he has conformed to its rules
"and given no trouble ;" therefore he may go. As to
the old, incapable remonstrance, that no discipline can
be kept in prisons if the ticket-of-leave is withdrawn,
the objection is absolutely puerile. If a convict has
such a horror of priecui as to conduct himself well, to
gain his ticket-of-leave, and so get oht sooner, why does
it not keep him out when kale free? But it does not.
They come book again, as Mr. Baron Bramwell mid,
with a titifid sentence before the fir has elpired.
Surely this shows an horror of prison. If it shelve any-
thing, it is that their perdens have thine them no good,
thet they have no oblectlein to the good living and light
labout of penal servitdde, and that their good conduct
in prison was a farce. As we have said their good conduct
in prison means literally nothing, and we ventisre
to think that if an accurate retern of the prison
character of all the felons now in Portland were
published from the prison-books to-morrow it *mild
be found that nearly 90 per cent. had the weird*
" exemplary" and "very good" prefixed to tbeli-
names, instead et What it ought to be—" idle., bit hot
troublesome." It', however, It is tre ,e- as the prison
authorities state, that the oonviats dislike remaining in
prison, and it is tree, as our daily experience shows,
that after a short liberty they don't mind returning to
it, then it beconles perfectly clear that tickets of leeve
are so many encouragements and boons to convicts.
Let the converse of the ticket-of-leave system now be
tried Let the sentences solemnly and deliberately
awarded by the judges be rigidly exacted to the last
day, and let breaches of prison discipline and idlenels
be punished by additional senteocesae they are for
additional orimesei sik oh- tivelve months, according
Ito their character. Let the country magistrates have
jurisdiction Over these prison offences, their sentences
to be subject to the approval of the Home Secretary,
Who would not then have a tithe of the work to do in
affixing his signature to them that he now has in signs
Ing tickets of leave every day. If a convict choose to
wipe off such a supplementary sentence by subsequent
"exemplary good conduct," well and
.good ; bet let the
punishment as &Weeded to him Ily the law be strictly
enforced. Old watdets SC' that If such a system were
carried out now it Would be better for the convicts
themselves, and tostild be, beyond all doubt, letter for
the publia One thing seems evident, )hat the power
confided to prison officials and prawn diteetors of
annulling the verdicts of juries and rientelices of judges
has been too great And has been misused. It has,
apparently, never been administered with a sufficient
sense of the responsibilities incurred in its exercise.
The result has beenithat this power, from the first en
anomaly, almost at variance with the law, has gradeally
extended its mischievous influence till It has come in
conflict with that greatest of all kers, the law of public
safety. It is impossible that the teketssf-lesve system,
if continued at all, etth ever be continued on its present
footing. All %Movie's, of course, take advantage of the
remission, but all who intend reformation, and who
mean to live honestly if they can, would prefer remain-
ing in prison a year longer if at the end of that thee
they were sure of transportation. These, hOweVer, ale
only the convicts who insane to do well, •aSid they are
unfortunately A mittority, though Worth the saving.
At Portland Prison there are two Association-rooms,
capable of accommodating 40 or 50 convicts :each,
who live les sellers live on the 'tween decks
of a ship. 'Whey are not need now only because
the neuron Is 100 orl2o short of its full complement, and
when occupied it is stated that warders DM always iii
the rooms with the convicts. But though, risen le
admirable good order of Portland, Mothieg, is like y
to occur in these rooms oomparahle evittl the seethes
which, it is said, *seer to Mmilir apartments;
under the very lax discipline of Dartmoor, yet the
very principle pf Association-rooms for convicts is a bed
one. They Will plot and scheme; they will use the
foulest language, and they will often fight desperately,
in spite of all the warders. The latter, however,
unless the dreadful swearing ,or had language Is
addressed to themselves, do not intettere is long
as the prison rules are not opehLt defied.. Among
themselves time wardets generally, object mieb
to these Assoolation-tooms, and , With tease*. At
Portland those are teo classes Of 'dieta-:-- that which
we have already given, Old ividah nine-tenths of the
prisoners receive ill retern hit their so-called "hard
labour," end the "ordinary diet," a food given to those
who have what is sailed in the prison "light work," but
which out of the prison would be called almost no work
at all. This ordinary diet consists for four days a week
of 12oz. of bread for breakfast, with a pint of tea;
dinner, S's. of cooked meet free from bone, its. AV
cooked potstoes, and fas. of bread; slipper, one pint of
gruel awl flor., of bread. On the three remaining days
of the week the rations are bats* still, the breakfast
being a piet of cocoa, Wish milk and sugar, and 120 z. of
bread ; disner, one pint of soup, soz. of cooked meat
free free hone, 1.11), of cooked potatoes, and 10oz, of
seet pudding. On this " ordinary diet"—erhfeh, as
daily food, would he a very extraordinkrY one to most
of oar hardworking labourers throagtiout the kingdom—
all the convicts 'used forMetly to live till a few years
ago, when one of the dilettante prison philanthropists,
of whom there it now so many, discovered that con-
victs, if wotkeel hard on such diet, might lose muscle,
and it was accordingly raised to the "increased scale"
we have already given in our previous notice. In }AV
tion to this, all the prisoners of every grade Or !Weer
diet have Soc. of treacle, to eat with their Irtends embed
to them every week 'ids: licit. on Mislay end lioz. pn
Wednesday. For such is ate employed out of doors,
but who are not at hard labour—who have, intact, only
their appetites *harvested by the fresh sea breese—
there is what is called a "light labour diet fot the
public works." This consists of a pint of tea Or cocoa,
with flog. ef bread, for breakfast ; fib.. Of bread, 6az, of
cooked meat free from bone, half-a-pint of soup, and
half's-pound of potatoes tot dinner ; and 6oz. of bread,
with a pint of grad, or tea "if preferred," for supper.
What the light labour is it is hard to discover, especially
as the "bard" seems to be about the minimum of what
will keep the men's hands going at all. Stonebreaking
close under the prison walls is one of the works that
come under this category, and though this work, as we
generally see it done, is certainly not light labour, yet
the way in which it is performed at Portland amply
justifies the prison authorities in classing it ander this
head. Those who have ever wen the pile of stooes
which the wretched starving twarepdms to break in the
stoneyard of a worbbolise, 10 Pilffilleet for his night's
shelter in the casual ward, should come to Portland to
see what ..the convict does forshis ' daft, work, The
work in the wirafriee isa mockery of "hkrd tabour" and
the "light labour," as the atheists do it, is positively
not labour at AIL Even taking the light-bibear diet as
the standard, en mere hard washing .dally labourer in
this part of England can 00nlaian4 it. None oertainly
are as well and warmly lodge!, or as carefully looked
after in health or sickness. We, however, Nava merely
. given the "light labour" and "ordinary" diets to be
borrect in
,giving all, thotigh the'triftli latifiticarcely
any *envies me kept on either of the latter at Portland,
Lthe great bulk—nearly 90 per cent., we believe—being
employed in the quarries or similar' hard labour," and,
therefore, all on the generous increased diet we have
already laid before the public. Perhaps, however, it is
worth while adding, that even those prisoners on the
ordinary diet, when in their third stage, receive their
extra allowance of bread and cheese and beer after
dinner on Sundays, and that those in the fourth stage
have not only the bread and cheese and beer, but the
usual treacle pudding on Thursdays, baked mutton in
lieu of beef on Thursdays and Fridays, and baked beef
Instead of boiled on Sundays and Mondays. But, in
order to give all diets we must give one which does not
appear in the orison books, which is Infirmary Diet.
When a convict is placed on this by the doctor, he has,
of course, whatever the doctor orders him. When he is

luerable

mply
till il

pnol` ,
there

objectrol
beholder

Piteed on infirmary Diet throneti the exertions or inter-
cession of powerful friende, he can have almeat what
he pleases. Sir john Dean Paul and others were
placed on this Infirmary lilt Ilk:nigh the exertions
of their friends, and an exemption was made
in Sir dohn'e case from working at the quarries.
IV would not be just in this aeneral account of living
at Portland to omit to refer to what we have already
alluded to—the strong de‘dre of many. of the best Class
of oonvicts for transportation. It is a mistake to
suppose that transportation has been quite done away
with. Comdata ate still sent year to Western
Australia, Which would gladly receive inure than ten
Limes the number we now despatch. Only criminals
under very long sentences are transported. The convict
who has, perhaps, been sentenced four times to live
years' penal servitude is not sent, and being • hardened
vagabond Who does not at all object to Short periodical
sojourns at Portland, he is very glad to remain where
he is and persons who are sentenced to 12 years' or
Upwards—and these are mostly forgers or murderers—
are sent in thin, priority being given to length Of imp-
tence. As a safe general rule, however, the very ill,
conducted men are always &Verse to transportation,
while those who wish to reform and do better are
anidoes for it. The latter class are nearly all men with
short sentences, and therefore they are not sent, though
they are just the class that would be valuable in a colony.
While referring to sentences, we may venture to
disabuse the public mind of a popular error. , There is
no such thing as" penal servitude for life." No matter
what the crime or what the &erecter of the criminal,
the longest teriii that they are held in penal servitude
is 12 years. Whether judges are or are not aware of
this when they sentence prisoners to penal servitude
for life we cannot say ; but the fact is as we have
stated, that there is no such thing, nor are any con-
victs kept in servitude longer than the tune we have
stated. As there may possibly be persons who bring
themselves to believe in the innocence of the Glasgow
murderess and of Gardner the sweep, they will be glad
to hear that in 12 years at latest, and probably much
sooner, they will both be at large again. " Penal
servitude for life" is a legal fiction. Before dismiss-
ing the subject we may say, with regard to the kind
of labour on which the convicts are employed, that
It appears beyond all doubt the fittest as a penal punish-
ment, if only enough of it was or could
be exacted. As to utilizing convict work, making car-
penters work as carpenters, butchers as butchers,
clerks as clerks, and so on, it is out of the question.
We have hal enough of costly systems which have
foiled without resorting to thik Which wocild be ten
times More cooly than any, and no manner of punish-
ment at AIL No labour as a labour of punishment is
is good as quarrying and working on the Breakwater
here, where the men are comparatively isolated and
well guarded, and where, in fact, anything can be done
with them, except making them work as all men work
for their daily bread. The "Convict Question,," is
fruitful of suggestion, has never elicited anything Which
pm overcome the diffieulty Of their generally nncon-
idleness. It *Mild seem, therefore, that the
dy cotirke is to rednee their present very generous diet
Is sornething more on an equality with that of the
, honest, hard-working labourers around them. If
re were anything like an approach to penal diet, and
tickets of leave were at once and for ever done awaY
with, we austect we shmild hear of very few men
cornier: mi to the bar, se Baroh Bramwell says, with
their eentericee " obeilapping each other," and getting
third term of penal servitude before their first
Original sentence had expired. Penal servitude, as it is
now in this country, neither deters criminals from the
prison nor reforms them while in it, and any convict
system which fails in either—much more both —of
these great ends, is worthless.
WARM/AM.—Names:, Scnool.—On Wednes-
day evening, the 17th inst., the public examination
of this school took plane at (L3O p.m. The tom
was decorated as nodal , very ptofusely With holly
and evergreetur, aftel altrigethet assumed a very
Cheerful aspeoli The day had been extremely wet,
but the evening fortunately cleared, and a goodly
number of the parents mid friends of the children
were present. We were also much pleased to see so
many of the late pupils present. The examination
of the infants was conducted by Miss Bee, and the
scripture of the 3rd and 6th classes by Miss CapeL
The Rev. S. R. Capel examined the Ist class on
"the Sacraments,' and the Rev. A. Heflin= the
same elms on " Kings of Israel and Judah."
Mr. H. Norris, of Highbury College, examined the nt e t etob irt.
2nd class "the Hilitoty Of Sad'," and the ISt
chtal on the Genglephy of Europe," and in
" Grattimar.' Miss Parker examined the 2nd class CHARD.—On Thursday week a vestrY meeting
on the "Geography of England." Between each WM held at the King's Head Inn for the purpose of
lesson the children sang some hymns and school songs considering the best means for making out the New
very creditably, the favourite pieces being the Parochial Assessment for the parish of Chard ; the
anthem "Awake, awake, put on thy strength, aro., vicar occupied the chair, and a committee of 12
and a Christmas song "lie merry now," Ac., the respectable farmers was appointed to assist the
whole concluding. with the National Anthem. The ovneeers. •
proceeding' terminated at 9 p.tii., At which time Misafturaeir Minsfreft.—tin Triesday laet a meet-
the Rev. S.R. Capel gave it short address to the ing in connection with the Church Missionaiy
'obit:Wert, in which he enlarged on the usefulness of a Society was held at the Townhall, the Rev. H.
"Mid education, but more especially on the impor. Thompson, vicar, in the chair. Several rev. gen-
tance of scripture knowledge, in which he was tlemen addressed the meeting, including the Rev.
pleased to find them so well instructed. He then J. H. Hodges, who appeared ass deputation of the
pronounced the benediction, and the children re- society.
turned to their homes with their parents, in anxious SERIOUS ACCIDENT.—We rezret to announce that
expectation of a "break up" on the morrow. as Mr, Vincent, of Kingston Wells, was returning
MIMS JERRYMY DIDDLER AGAIN alias Ehida home filen Chard market OH Monday night, the
Young, alias Rabbits; alias ,Sarah Rose Edith Con- horse on which he was mounted stumbled and fell,
stance Westwood, alias any nanie the lady ,may causing Mr. Vincent to fall on the ground with
ehmiee to giVe herself.—Mr. SnpéHmitelidetmt Eeles giviat force. He. was conveyed to the residence of
brought before the Reneh of magistrates in petty T. H. Marshall, Es 4„ surgeon, when it was found
sessions assembled, on Tuesday week, a female the unfortunate gefttlainan'a .collar bone was dislo-
closely veiled, tolerably well dressed, innocent how- cated, but under the skilful tratment of Mr.
ever of crinoline, ami her hands encased in kids. Marshall he is fast recovering.
She was charged under the circumstances detailed RABBIT SHOOTING EXTRAORDINARY.—We are
below, but all efforts failed to elicit whence she given to understand that on a farm in the neigh-
origirally came, and the object of her movements, bonrhood of Chard which is infested with rabbits,
which, to say the least of, are very suspicious. Her there has recently been shot the enormous number
carriage and deportnienti coupled with a good com, of 1,700.
Mond of language, which for purity of dietion add TAUNTON.—UNeLEASANT SEQUEL TO A SEARCH
graceful delivery impressed its with te idea that ion A Husiimb.—A farmet hiring near this place,
she had received allberal eddeattori,.M ought hot recently left his home; in company with his setvant
to be waildering aboet the acithitry. The Sapeeinten. girl and his two children, intending to emigrate to
dent stetbd that his attention had been first called Australia. His wife,from whom it appeared he had
to the prisoner from her calling on the Rev. Mr. heenlately separated, oil • Mutual agreeinent to pay
Capel, of Wareham, last week, making inquiriee her ss. a week; tniced his Map" tcl Bristdl, el-hither
as to the character of a .servant she wail anxious to she arrived in quest of him, his paramour, and
engage, at fifteen guineas a year, as lady's maid, children, late on Wednesday night. Ascertaining
and whoni slit had been informed had that her bus and was acquainted with a baker
lived in the reverend gentleman's family. No named Lock, trying on business in Temple-street,
each persons was known to Mr. Capel, consequently she went, in co pony with P.C. 210, to that trades-
no information could be given. Dropping that line man, to whom he made known her business. No
of tactics, she proceeds to Swauage—walking thither sooner had Mr. Lock been put in possession of the
—and engages apartments at £1 a week, represent. circumstances than be hastened to the rnnaway bus-
ing to the olergyman that she was the daughter of a band to inform him of his wife's pursuit after him.
minister, and had come to seCiire vertu:elite fdt a The htisband Wes for a tjule,perplesed et his peed-
sick brother, who, was tiYnoniinended to try the don, but in his difficulties it °emitted to
effect Of the air of eivanage. The absence of luggage him that he might easily rid himself of one whose
Wait accounted for to the landlady by stating that presence had threatened to thwart his intentions.
It was at the station, and would be brought by the It seemed that before 11111 111 119 PO tçliad obtained a
omnibus. A day or two passed, but no signs of its warrant against his wife for an assault, and instead
approach. Still this did not muse any, misgivings of its having been served upon her he had it in his
in the breast of the landlady, who engages a servant posseesion, fie resolved if possible to have her ap-
especially to wait upon Miss. On Monday niotning Ereheftded undet the *inlet, and with that view
she takes her breakfast and Felts eff, !eating e Went W•the•Heidridnitter poli6e,st4tio#,--he having
bill unpaid; InfOrreatinil it giy'ekt ttl Boles, end ken lip his abode ill BottilarietAregt, Ceittisp,l—and
the sable IfAylie runt her dniVn 111 a little cottage at requested Sergeant Hamlin, the officer to
Winfrith, ea ecatte for Weymouth, "where she had execute the warrant. That astute and vigilant
friends." To the occupants of the cottage she re. officer, with his characteristic ingenuity, soon found
presented herself as the daughter of the principal a loop-hole by 'which to escape from a task which,
of an academy, having a whole legion of pupils, under the circumstances, was somewhat delicate and
The superintendent thinks it beet to get the runts. disagreeable. fie therefore told the applicant that
tame of the clergyman to endeavour to discover the duty sought to be imposed upon him was out
if she really was a person entitled to credit. While of his jurisclietiot; and that If he teqttired the api
he **l gene fn t the 'Arpin)", Miee walks Off. Mr. EOM preheiMion of his wife he :Met for that piirpoile seek
pitratied iti the &teeth:el of Wiiymoilths slid Miele het the Iffiest:ince of a enrinty.policemati. The husband
ithoht A Mile • Oil the ,SIAII h a diteh, our theii promited Mi offieer froth Hedmineter Dmitri, in
bti eing ,e it night; audit hieing heavily, he deems the county of Somerset, And iii fa* lidiird sifter-
It pnident to bring her to the lock.up at Wareham. wards the wife waa in custody, and on her rettifn
In the Police Gazette, of December 22nd, he journey to Taunton. But this was not all. The
observes an advertisement of a young lady missing husband having preferred the charge was compelled
from her home, near Southampton. As regards to accompany her to prove the allegation against his
dress the announcement would appear to point to wife.
prisoner; but upon being shown it she repudiates GLASTOMILTRY.—Tfte Tnoele, —For
all connection. A telegram is dispatehedi Mid eil Rome lienttlries the Abbey of Glastimbery Ift Somer.
' aneeret tem:lye:l'; that tlle yeting lady referred to setahire, rejoiced a linly that Was said
'returned horse. The superintendeut said i to have the habit of coming suddenly into blosadna
When he took her back to the cottage he directed on Christmas-day. The monastic legend affirmed
the woman to search her, but no, Money, irately, that the ebbe, arse fothided by Joseph of Ariz:tithes.,
jewellry, or Purse was fonnd Upon her, and he Who Cattle it Chrietidai to (Beaton MI for the pUr-
ebarged her with Winderffig abroad having no visible pose of founding a church; bill t e Peotile Being
means of Mitisistmee. If they thought fit to remand disinclined to hear his preaching, he prayed for a
Nei, he had no doubt be should be. able to bring the miracle to convert them; and having in hie hand a
Other charge horns to her. The prisoner requested staff of hawthorn wood, he struck it into the ground,
she might make a statement Her object in going and it instantly .beoiline • tree covered with bloaeome.
to Weymouth was to see some friends there, and The prodigy, of minim, ptoperly impressed the infl-
%elle thought it very hard that she hoeld not tio 10 dale the elitirell WM fiftindedk add the holy thorn
without being watched by 'A iiolicetintri, Who , Was held in high vefietittioh, till tidt doerd by, the
bee away, the nreVidis evening, from the lodging zeal of the Puritans in the great rebellion. Softie
ertiiCh she had obtained. She was not, of course, &menden* of it, however, that were nursed from
! 'obliged to depart, and the inmates Were its sciens, are still extant in various places, and pre-
Softy that she was going, but Of course it serve the habit of bimieoming iii winter,' but they
Was not pleasant for them to heVe in their Iffiude I are not uniform an tO time—SOHlp IlciWerin& in
person who was watched by the police. She left December, others in January and FebruarY. The
the home and heathig the policeman she stepped holy thorn of Glastonbury was an exotic, brought
tkode ma went close to the hedge, but she was not from the East by some early pilgrim; from its
lying in the ditch.. As for the lodgings at Swanage, nature it bloomed late in December; hence thetradi-
they had been taken for the week, which had not Elan. Potmerly it was customary to present a
yet expired. She thought some apology was due to branch of the old holy thorn, carried in solemn pro-
ber for the indignity which she bad sustained in cession, to the kings and queens of England on
being taken for /another person. The Bench re- Christina. morning. The dowers of this venerated
quested the prisoner to step into a private room, but tree were long a favourite sign for hostelries, par.
she still refused to give her name, or where her Ballet-1y in the vicinity of Glastonbury. Bosom's
friends resided. Mel the termination of it was that Inn, in St.lLawrence's-lane. London, is a corruption
she was allowed to depart, a eollectioti being made of Blossoms Inn. The sign is (or was lately) the
to enable her to reach Weymouth by train. Where effigy of St. Lawrence, the deacon, surrounded by a
Miss will next turn up it is impossible to say, but it border of hawthorn blosoms.
is not improbable we shall in a short time find 3 BRIDGWATER—A WOMAN GAROTTED NEAR
second edition of her doings at Ringwood a year and
a half ago, and where,as w reported in our journal BRIDOWATER.—A daring garotte robbery was pee-
as
trated on the night of Saturday, near this town.
last week, she had been lately trying to "do the rile victim is a young woman, between 18 and 19
natives" again.
CHURCH KNOWLK —CREECH CLAY WO years of age, named Hannah Gage, who resides with
RKS-
her father, a shepherd, in the employ of Mr. Taze-
-Lad week while two men were sinking a shaft well, fanner, of ilaygrove, about a mile from Bridg-
for the purpose of mining clay, at a depth of 30 water, on the Enmore Road. It
feet, a plank fell down the opening, and came in eon- appears that about
seven o'clock on the evening above mentioned the
tact with the bead of one of them, named John
. young woman left her home with the intention of
Stickland, making a large incision of the scalp
Under the treatment of Mr. A. Dyer, surgeon, he -making some purchases of grocery at Bridgwater.
Having done this she started on foot on the return
was progreesing favourably. journey, and when she was near the Durleigh turn-
LOWER HENBURY.—Tne LATE POACFIING pike gate she was stopped by two men, one of whom
AFFRAY. —lt appears that the prisoner, George seized her from behind by the shoulders, while the
Bweetapple, who made his escape from the Poole other gagged her with something which she des.
Borough Gaol some few days since, and who was cribes as like "a piece of tin covered with cloth."
subsequently recaptured at Lytehett, is one of the They then threw her down on her back and searched
men who desperately assaulted one of Mr. Park's her. Her purse had been placed for security in her
keepers at Lower Henbury. The other man is bosom, and her assailants were unable to find it,
known, but he has hitherto escaped the vigilance of but they took away a half-crown which she happened
the police, to have in her hand when first set upon. The girl
SWANAGE.—A monument has been erected at states that she was detained for nearly three hours,
Swanage to the memory of Prince Albert The and was not released till ten minutes to 12 o'clock,
whole of the scaffolding now being down, th- when she was warned by the ruffians that if she
presents a strikin g appearance to the ;liiised an alarm or moved a step for half an hour
on entering the town—standing as it does on the they would immediately return and murder her.
stone
is of
tof Court UHL It is 25 feet high, and the She at once gave an alarm, however, and she has
har,4 %malty, being dug in the neigh. since placed the matter in the bands of the police,
bonrhood, but no trace of the ruffians has been obtained.

In ekpeetatioh of a large influx of visitors to this
delighthil watering place, the inhabitants are carry-
ing out improvements in all directions. The enter-
prising proprietor of the Anchor Hotel has made
edditions on a large scale in anticipation of the
Purbeck line of railway heir* completed.
RINGWOOD. Mies JIMILYVY DIttILER
AdAIS." —it will lie recollected that sore 19 Inonths
age a female named Elite Toting. d fds flabbits,
I obtained lodgings at the house of a person named
Ward, under pretence that she had a wagon load
of luggage on the road, that some large cash remit-
tances sent to her bad been miscarried, and that she
was waiting there till a military officer, to whom
r 3, was ,bergthedi arrived to marry her. i
Although she had lint & farthing in her pooket, yet
Ed successfully did she impose on the people at that
time that she succeeded in obtaining a number of
new dreased fdr heMelf; and ill her Magnanimity ehil
actliallY ordered dressed to het landlord's twd
daughters, who were to act as bridesmaids, and
who, when the imposition had been exposed, found
themselves in the disagreeable position of having to
pay for the unnecessary additions that had been
I made to their wardrobe and toilet. She Obtained a
large wedding cake from Southampton, and the
Matchers grocere, and wine mer Chants of Ringwood
etipplied the necessaries for delebriiting the wedding
festivities. In the midst of the excitement—
everybody was on the tiptoe of expecta-
tion of witnessing the approach of the
wagon load of the boxes, portmanteaus, and
hampers, composing the lady's luggage, and the
arrival of the gallant bridgroom elect—Miss Rabbits
as quietly as possible endeavoured to make her exit
from the scene, but was foiled in her attempt, and
subsequently treated to 18 months' board and lodg-
ing at the expense of the County of Hants. On her
liberation she wended her way to Bournemouth and
commenced her old game, but was somewhat more
adroit in her proceedings than she had been at
Ringwood, as, on her apprehention at Christehurch,
her liberation was ordered, the intuiting of a
common debt bring all that could be brought agairisk
her. She next again wended her way to Ringwood,
the Acene of her former expidits; and obtained in
ekeellent tea, and bed, and breakfast on the follow-
ing morning. On the landlady kindly inquiring if
she had had a comfortable night, she expressed her
complete satisfaction with her lodgings, but said the
chimney smoked, and inquired for bricklayers to
come and put on a chimney-pot at her own erpense.
She also inquired the name of the best butcher in
the to*n; and of the, &oder that could be most
trongl reeommended, &wiltg she shodld order
some things in for dinner and afterwards take a
walk. On the present occasion she gave the name
of Sarah Rose Edith Constance Westwood, the
daughter of a clergyman residing at Bridgenorth,
Shropshire, and represented herself is being a niece
of General Stewart. do preceeding, through the
town td make her pretended purchaties. her
familiar face was recognised, and, getting wind that
such was the case, she " bolted" as fast as her legs
would carry her along the road leading towards
Wimborne.

MAIDEN NEWTON—The annual concert of
the singing class of the National School took place
on Tuesday, the 23rd inst. There was, as usual on
these occasions, a good attendance, and the audience
seemed much pleased with the success of the pupils
In vocal music. As a variety, several of Mr.
Ilrowtt's pupils played Soule nieces oil the pianoforte,
iihieh reflected great credit oh teachers apd
One of the Most icitereing was, a trio, (played by
three sisters,) "Little •I'eep re," in Which
seven little children, from four to sit years of age,
sang the airs as they came in the quadrille. After
the children's portion of the concert, other friends
kindly gave some vocal and instrumental pieces,
concluding with some negro songs, in character, (by
Mr. Allen,) which caused great amusement.

BAtH —A deSpicabie theft was perpetrated
at Walcot Church, on Sunday. A thief waa actually
mean enough to purloin the box containing contri-
butions for the relief of the Lancashire distress.
The churchwardens have offered a reward for the
detection of the offender, and we hope it may have
the desired effect.
THE LATE MYSTIMIOUS DISAPPEARANCE—it is
Said i letter from Mr. Britten has been received
giving directions as to Settling some affairs. His
whereabouts are not known, btrt the letter bore the
Dublin postmark. It is rumonted the cause of his
flight is debt.
BRISTOL—CAUTION TO BIRD-CATCHERS- —Three
men in search of sparrowsdhad a narrow escape on
Monday evening, at Montpelier. They were
observed by Mr. Pain upon his garden wall, and,
supposing them to be there for an improper purpose,
he held tip a, loaded pistol to shoot one of them.
Fortunately, however, he hesitated, and demanded
of the intruders a reason tor their being in such a
place ; they answered that they were catching
sparrows for a shooting-match, on which Mr. Fain
warned them of the danger of such a pursuit tipon
private garden walls, and then discharged his
weapons (he had two of them) in the air.
The period fixed for the execution of the wretched
man Morgan is the rhornin_g of the 9th proximo.
This fact was comintiniCated On Friday to the con-
vict by the Sheriff and IDeputyAierift, who visited
the gaol for the purpose. Efforts, however, are
being made to obtain a commutation of sentence;
but it is, of course, impossible to forecast the result
of the application to the Rome Office. The
memorial in Morgan's favour is being signed, and
on Friday Mrs. Wickham, the widow of the
murdered man, expressed a wish to put her signa-
ture to the appeal in favour of her husband's
murderer. This is a generous act, which cannot be
two widely known or two warmly admired. It is
an exhibition of womanly magnanimity of spirit
whieh statild do honour to any class of society.