The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1879-07-15 00:00:00

1111 i VSKI/ICT.

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The Judge finished his stunniing up at a quarter-
' past the ."clock. The jury returned into court at 26
minutes past six, when the foreman said that the
jury had found,, venlict of Guilty.
The prisoner heanl the sentence comparatively
tirmoved, and then 1,111, cottsultrd for a few minutes
with her solicitor, who was sitting at the side of the
dock. In reply to the Clerk of Arraigns if she had any-
thing to say in mitigation of sentence, she replied that
neither Church nor l'orter had anything to do with
the crime, but that it was instigatsal by the man who
was the father gd her child. She thought that she
sla mid m A antler for the crime.
.tfter sentence of death had lasm passed, the
prisoner said, in a clear and distinct tone, "I am not
guilty, sir." She was then moved hi the rear ,d the
,Mck, and being subsequently askni if she had any-
thing to say in stay 4,1 the execution, ...he stated
thmugh a female wanier that she was ho-x„,-mint., where.
upon a jury f matrons was itupanelled.

EXTRAORDINARY SCENE.
Net mince the conviction of the Peng° case (says the
Prue. Asaciation), now close upon two years ago, was
there such a scene ae that enacted in the Old Bailey
(Tuesday) evening. Throughout the hearing of tho
case, which lasted RIC days, IVelater exhibited tiro
utinoet coolness and lielf.posseesion. There was no thing
11.3111130 I almut her manner. Day after day she .at in
the dock with dropped eyelids listening attentively to
every word that was said, and for one in her position
looked apparently unconcerned. Mislay, however,
her face looked careworn' if net haggard, and there
could he little doubt that she had made up her mind for
the wont. The court was crowded in every ;art. The
reply of the Solicitor-General wa. a brilliant recapitu-
lation of the evidence, and it WILI felt that he had mado
not a etnong Pee against the prisoner. The charge
of the Judge, which lasted about four houno,
atopeared Go be &linseed to twelve men who had made
m their mintie, judging from their demeanour. There
was a belief shared in by many that the jury would dis.
%Tee or acquit the woman; but as the time posAIXt
along people began to change their view... Just at a
sparter to six, prisoner, unaasisted, walked into the
dock, and went straight G. her leading counsel, Mr.
Warner Sleigh, who WAS sitting close to the governor of
Newgate prieon. With her head apparently leaning
upon the right shoulder of Mr. Sleigh, she convened
with him for nearly Len minutes before she again dis-
appeared from view. This incident gave rise to much
speculation. About a quarter of an hour later Rho
again entered the dock, and this time onentlted her
solicitor, Mr. O'Brien. What did all this mean? At
last it became known that she meant to plead her
loreaent condition in stay of the execution. This of
iteelf Wall evidence that the prisoner anticipated her
eonviction. A quarter past eix o'clock and total no
sign of the jury. Preeently silence is proclaimed and
slowly the Orono file into their Lo., and Mr. Justice
Denman is summoned to his seat. The prisoner enters
the deck with a light if not elastic step, and at omeis
leans over the rail to whisper to Mr. Sleigh. The
Chief Usher precLaims silence, and then the Clerk of
Arrahme puts the 11,11131 question to the jury. The
foreman, who looks a.o if he has a painful duty G.
perform, pronouuced in loud and distinct tern,, the
verdict o inky." The prisoner, who now IMO .inei
flushed in the Noe, struggles hard with her emotion,
and on the whole ie composed. "Have you anything
to say why sentence of death ohould not be paired
lIIIPM you ?" inquires the Clerk of Arraigns. " Yea"
she replies firmly, but supporting herself with one
hand clutching the rail of the dock, "My lord, I have
never done it." Then ..he proceeded with 3 state-
ment in which she exonerates Church and l'orter, and
lay. the crime at the door I,f the moan who is father of
her bay. The Judge having 3NOIUMCd the black cap
proceeded, without a nemeent's delay, to lose the
sentence of death. He expremies approval of the
verdict, and his satisfaction that prisoner has at the
last renewed all ground for nuepition against Church
and Porter. He concludes with the metal prayer fos
mercy ins m the *mil of the doomed woman, to which
the chaplain of Newgate responded with a hearty
" Amen." Recovering herself with rapidity, the
convict said with great deliberation, "I ani not guilty,
my lord," and then is rem.. et to the back of the dock.
The Clerk ..f Arraignedireets that she shall be again
brought before the court, which is accordingly done.
Has she anything to say in stay of execution ? 'Yee,"
answers the governor of Newgate. The female warrlern
whirler to her, and then .one of them replies "TI,.
convict esy, the in pregnant." Sloe oseenes now in an
exhausted condition, stimulants °reapplied to her, and
everybody present is excited beyond expression. "You
may leave your hoc, gentlemen," pays the judge to the
jury. "This is a matter with which a jury of matrons
must deal." There is a bewildering pause as the usher
I goes round the court and summons twelve matrons,
some .4 them wives of the junors who have just been
discharged, and thus they are made to pay the penalty
or their curiosity. The matron of Newgate at once
1 contradicts the statement oof the convict, and then hie
henishie calls for the prison mimeo, who was absents
His leonfship is evidently ano.rry, bemuse momentarily
the unfortunate woman is becoming more prostrate.
Mr. Sleigh opeotes the Brighten poisoning came, where
the matrons judged for themselves without medical
evidence. The Judge remembers the precedent, but
may.. he wishes to save the ladies from this duty if he
can. At lard lir. Bond, surgeon of Westminster
Hospital, is thought of, and his loniehip suggests that
he should retire to the side room with the convict.
This takes up another quarter of an helm. On return-
ing into court, Ih. Bond Mateo on oath that the woman
is not quick with child. "Is she pregnant?" ask. Mr.
Sleigh. "She may be," the dooctsor replies. Then the
Judge explains that whether the priemer is pregnant
or not is mot a main issue for the jury. Unless the
convict is quick with child now, execution could not,
be stayed. Mr. Sleigh put other queetione which the
Judge would prefer left unaeked, hut his lorelehip
admits that during an experience of thirty-two year..
in his profession he has tie% er seen a jury of matrons
before. Mr. Sleigh, having shone his best in tho
interest of hie client, deriets ; and then Mr. Justice
Dennum addresses his fiist jury of British matrons.
If they are not satiefied with Dr. Pond's evidence—
and he hints that they ought is. be—they have
a right is. retire with the convict to the jury mom,
and there judge for the 304,1 is, her state.
The matrons, when his Leroiship had finished, appeared
to have little idea of what next to do; but " consider
your verdict" and "turn ro Rind to each 'other and COCI
milt," delivered by the trsher in a somewhat peremptory
style, apparently relieved them of a great difficulty.
All this time Catherine Webster, supported by the
prison .official.., lay in a Remluticonscioue state, her
temples hieing washed by a female warder. The
verdict ef the matrons Come, at last. They are
satisfied with the evidence already arkluced and they
find that the convict Is not quick with child. As the
crowded court takes a last look at her as she disappears
down the near staircase she seems more dead than
alive.

TERRIBLE MURDER AND SUICIDE.
A sad tale comes from Plymouth, where a man
named Alfred Gregory, .4 the Queen's Hotebniews,
Chester, cut the throat of a married woman named
Harriet Lawrence, wife .4 a man-of-war's man at
present in Portsmouth, and then cut his own. Beth died almost instantaneously. The woman and man
had been living in Chester as wan and wife. The
woman, when her husband was coutim home from
China, returned to Plymouth, and wrote to Gregory
to think no more about her and to semi her things, as
she had become reconciled to her husband. Gregory
, arrived in Plymouth on Saturday night, and hM an
interview with the woman .on Sunday morning. They
went to the hotel together, where the deed was
committed. At an inquest held on Sunday evening a
verdict of "Wilful Murder" was found against the
man for the death of the woman, and .4 "Suicide
whilst of unwound mind" for his own death.

FOOD Annreasllo2l.—Dr. Tripe, public analyst
of the Hackney district, reports, "that all the iamplee
be examined, except one, were sold as mixtures of
cocoa, arrowroot, and sugar, the exception being
Cadbury'. Cocoa Essence which was genuine. The
quantity oi March in the oiler samples varied between
67 and 80 per cent., so that allowing for sugar, there
was not in some of them more than 10 par cent. of
cocoa. An article like this was comparatively veins-
lass an f 004." •

•
ARMING! iiRCRITTSI PARIS t LAT- —.Me 11141•Rezi
s4.lslioritY d QM /sundry blue over all others. and the
quick appreciatioe of its merits by the publi, have been
attended by tbe usual revults, vii, flood of imitations,
the merit of the latter mainly consists en the ingenuity
exerted, net 'imply in innutung_, NUlre bid
making the (gams' wraPPers resemble
that of the genuine article. The manufactuere beg
therefore to caution all buyers to arn " Reckitt's Paris
Blue" on each packet

0,4 AND MAILS
lIROAT ArVECTI eNsas.—All suffering
f irritation of the thrust and hoanieneas be
_wee
th? almost immediate relief affonled 14;
Bronchial Trochee These famoas
1 .1... we Me now feAd by most respectable clannish; in
thin sooners at la It per box. People teenaged with a
" /ladling s"ah'" slight culd." or Iwonolaial affections, masa try then, too soon, as similar tscisl, alks'n's
to protoses, result in aerialsPuleson..w and Asthmatic
affeetione. See that the wuedj run Bronchial
Trochee are on the Govesennees Sionp around ewh box.
—Manufactured by JOHN I. allows and no, met,"
United Staten Depot, MS. Oxlced-elsect.