The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-07-27 00:00:00

GUARD SliAll oF SAILORS AT

PORTLAND.

and Portlond have been looking forward with great I
For some days past the inhabitants of both Weymouth I
ititereat ci a rumoured review OS chain fight of sailors
front the fleet The little boat attack on Friday 'set
led the Weyiroothianr to suppose that it would take '
elute at to Moor, soil expectation was kept awake by
flying rumours that the Weir would certainly tame eff
on Tummy. And sit did; but unfortunately no notice
WAS given, and into many of the Portlandrio them-
selves were not ...ore of what was going on. Thin is
the more to be regretted, as the weather was delight'
folly fine, and there would undoubtedly have been
thousands of visitors lied the affair been announced.
Aboat nine o'clock 90 Tuesday morning, a number of
beet, full of ',nos& WSW) SOISINI to Castletown by the
ateani launchco of the Fleet. and the parties were dig.
tribute.' in a way that showed something remarkable
was on foot. The left wing. oomposed of the Minotaur',
who carried the bilk colours pre/tented to them by Lady
Goodeiteugh lintel at the Breekwater, near the
,
cranes. The centre wo formed of the ilellerophons, in
th. ir white esoeass eaiters, ant these landed at the
Government Pier, a little to the west of the Break-
water. The right win:. the Hercules meth huuled
at the 1/ act.ti's Pier. About 80 of the sailors with
tour A:in-trout; field pieces proceeded up the
hill which in crowned by the great Verne ojhod.
:aid in a slisht irregularity of the ground just
tinder the north face of the fortress, they took up •
;mitten with their four guns. The defender.' party
ware commando(' by Gunner-tient-cunt Ransom. The
force below evened out at wide dinteneett, the left
wing being nearly an far out as tke Breakwater, while
the right wing overlapped the inclined railway down
which the stone is -gut, and extended to • field or so
beyond. Time whole were under the conamand of
Captain Geodenough, and the right wieg, at which end
were the frw IA present, war under Commander
Lord Walter Kerr. Here were a counts of Arm-trong
& tapioca, enustituting the artillery of the auilenta.
Th.,- were mimed by a couple of dozen blue jackets,
ant in the re.r were tbe ammunition waggons, served
by other parties, the artillery being mammal by men
of the Hercules. father to the emit &not& r company
of mailers were statiored at the foot of the stone incline,
and other cumpauira at wide illoL4oo-11, partly sheltered
by the heapa of stone an inequality of the ground.
The Ilinotauo were towards the left. But the force of
the attacking party was very well ooneesled, and only by
• long walk along the line of att.ce could you estimate
their otunbers as you came across one piety aft. r another
of tars ready for the fray. A large number, estimated by
some at half the force, was held in reserve. By and by
nited
it alrafiEtefimrolgedhstit:beterftuPposed to have
the defenders were supposed to perceive the attack
threat .ned nainst their position, and they commenced
a rapid fire from their guns, which was replied to in a
spirited manner by the two guns of the assailants. The
under • part of
latter, however, were far too weak to matsheauritihrur
de.
fend, ra,nweletrehepotintt.
the scarp of the Verne.
There
d...thrite couple gnus posted On the loe ground.
tle of
drintand for rockets to hurl into the
defenders' Nihau ; but none were at hand, and it was
well there was not, for they ore vary dangerous, and the
assailants bad to submit to a fire that must have silenced
their artillery. However, under cover of this fire, the
main body threw out skirmishers, and advanced • short
distance up the hill. The defenders now turned their
suns upon the advancing liner, and succeeded in ma-
terially checking them. Again end win the skirmishers
sought abetter as far as pearible from the cannonade,
and the main line !Atha, and laid down. The scene
ass now a very eretty one; the various companies of
he assailants had (tonverged from their different posts
unta they met, sea formed a giand line acro-s the hill,
fringed by the skirmishers in tie ir front. The blue
jackets and white tr aners of the sailers, as they lay on
the greensward of thet,ortinien, ;weenie." an appearance
somewhat novel in reviara. but to our thinking fu more
picturesque then the colouro of line uniforms. The
•eiralialiers took every opportunity of gaining ground,
tiring all the way, end by and by they haa got well
within range, and the advance was more sapid. This
mein body then leveret forward. firing independently,
mud a continuous fo-illade rattled against the hilt, whik
the reports of the firad pieces were echoed all round tat
Bay. In the mitts; it the din, the mailers were much
amused by the fright of a number of horses which hail
been quietly grazing. but who now mated up together
as if for minted protection, and madly gallop. d off
down the hilt, with mine • and tail, flying, until they
coula hardly stop thenerle- s when they had got away
from the scene of the liting. Some tracks buten with
steno tweed down the incline, and prevented the u-
tailantr from extending their line to the westward;
but, as they climbed up the Lill, firing all the time, it
was evident that, as at the Alma. the poeition, though
• splendid one, win allotlt to succumb to the attack. So
thought tbe &feeder-, fir they alackened their fire, and
won ceased, and it emit evident they were seeking to
Garry off their guns. At once the swollent-, were
orderea to (CASS Arius, and charge. On they bonn-ie!,
with step as elastic as a undo-fa and as firm SA a lion's,
and although the groan,' was no steep, ay they neared
the ',sorry the pace war increased to the double, awl
they imbed in. The f( oder* had dismounted their
gut., carried off the wheels and vent-Pieces. and •
thing portarle, arid, unahle to elimb the scarp to their
I tuft, Wire new swernang no a (-lope to the night, which
I appeared to be part ef the el.ci• s.f ti e YeStlim RAC'S. ems-
-
I one of its outworks. Folueky re, ul.l they have
been jilt had Urn reel war, for they woult
hovebernrtut cv
picked 'it r
,ie green too a titan,
eean h.
s they t
posted
.ie truly ait
tout
bluvorna-white rig mat it.s them prominont marks for
tie- coulee.' rifles. Th, ir it, lay while di.blins the
gun., tittergh it Wan Ann, in a marvellously short time,
must have been fatal to the whittle. 'the defi rulers
then re-entered their tottery, and the whole party
rearehea &It to the eted, and then rice (gged
we-dward, ccon red by two e( munier of -lurnsislier.,
locomotive citron° now came round the corner of
the Verne on the troy just above the pal tie,.
The appearance of an engine at that immen-e
bight was rat& r stattllng to three not accustom.'
to see emit a thing in such a plus, and really it
looked as if the vertie 1.4 rent aid to the
defenders of its outworks. 'rho assailantn, however,
apreilly occupied the etcond it mition. The parties were
military rood juat outside the Verne,
now unitod, an I marched iii a grrtell long line along the
from the north-
east towards the and this was really a noble sight.
The line reached all along the north-west face of the
Verne. On gettin4 as far in about oppnaite the but, of
Fortune'. Well. they turtext at a sharp angle and
desoended the hill. A meta at the lower ground, it
mos o.;,,eted they would go on board ship; but •
• few minor movements were gone thionxh, before
the whole returner! to their ships about half-pant
eleven. The movement, of the day were perfectly
utidactory, the s ght altooether was a very striking
site ; ;Loa toe only gam of regret is that the pettier
both at Weyruouth and Penland not know of the
affair in time to be present. Many persons were on the
look ont to SWO the review at I„,a,ener bet ee time
passed, and 110 sign of the boats coming
front the fleet
appeared. they grew diseppointed and returned home,
at the very time that the attack was commencing at
Portland. If it sal been known, the steamer and the
railway would have had heavy freights, and the blue
jackets and their oh h term too, would have been doubtless
gratified at the presence awl admiration of many of that
sex, to win whose smiles the Bailor as well as the soldier
immens
will give op his c mma a and risk hi. life. The commons
St Penland are large enough to contain, without the
least risk of iuteriming with the movements of the
leen engaged,
&tor of really a e capital snumbers, thus adding to thetela.

Tax atieirs of tbo Ihtko of Newcastle are likely to be
arranged.

--
TitIAL FOR MCRDIR : EXTRAORDINARY SPIISCH OF Till
Pitleotec—At the Worouter amiss on Tuesday, before
Mr. Baron Pigott, a wo eon mune" Fanny France" Maud
Oliver was eon‘icto4 of p.isoning her husband, Joseph
Oliver, at Dudley. The prisoner is a milliner, and
, the motives by which it we.. presumed the primner was
actuated were. First, that she had contracted an
Improper intimacy with a man nainel Brine; and.
condly, that her hus'imil had money in a bull line
Intel, ~,,,l that she. without his knowledge, hail licen
drawing it out, and had 'shandy" the fund. When she
was asked why sentence of death should not be passed
upon her, she delivered the following extraorimary
&eldest': "I am not guilty, by my great God Hey Ibe
Allowed to explsia the re.e.on whys letter was sent to
him ? If I may he per:id:to" to @tete for myself the
vino.ie;o
rotten, my lord and gentlemen, as my great God wit-
nesscs for me, if I speak an untruth, oh God !—(here the
prisoner clasped her hands eolemnly, and east her eye,
(Creot sensatien in court). The
epwitrds), take toy bleota from me, and let me die
erwythsennemu'adiest'an incoherent statement. and coo.
lalloadalguaoi 'Ws' duped
bCirinredu°,silr: —l3ut as for administering poison to my husband
n, her
e,hands)e
Heevenly Father, of the charge they have brought
(here
et
she
hide reineda wer herf
o r
against me. And why dost Thou leave n.e in this
terrible hour of need ? God, I have trusted in Thee.
I helm been wild and wiekod, I know; hot. Heavenly
Father, give me strength. I ii Ver pouessod such
strength es I hsvo possess." since I have Wee east into
;a kat'. I never knew the purer of toy Saviour until
th• ; and .ilthough iL.stli is to Le paseedsupon an io.
noceut venom. Lord, rtweive toy apirit ; awl although
I am found guilty by an earthly judge aud jury—(here
ate rsi•ed her voice dellantly)—my Great .1 ivige and
Jury who aro in heaven, they will receive me to their
home (sensation). I am inn°i nt in the sight of my God,
cud I fear not what man eau do uuto me. What even
though you should put me to death tomorrow, I would
receive it cheerfully, my Col, ma it has eome from Thee ;
for now I am left alone; toy hones id gone ; my friends
are fir; I have but one, and that is lie (poiiiting
upwards). Lord, Ilu not leave me in this terrible hour.
Lord, prepare me to meet this trial. Thou knowest I sin
innocent. Murder I loved nay husband. God, thou
knowest I loved him. Yes, and he loved me. Call hi.
friend" ; call those who woro with him when ho
What lathe reason thie has lieu brought against MU, 0
God? (The prisoner here toad, anot.te- rambling state.
meat shout her husband's mother having accused her of
tooisooiO4 her hneltairl, because she wild not get some
money that belonged to him). These last four years
(she continued) I have had nothing but &Motion. I have
had three doctors with In.. for nine mouths together, ;
one doeur I paid £lO. awl my busbsnd paid 1.1 to Dr.
Hirt Davie.. of ihrtningham, within the last lorded
tountim We had a .1. al to pay to out .o." 741147_1
in, and we have bail on.. ripenersnot nolo. • t 7
(slid the prisoner, in closing), if my irs.d.: V..... I
vs., . a sentence of death upon an
reud.inn'l bays no friend
hell reteiro it ies blessie4 (row --- (other e (h.r. th,
doar
, here to care for me but a
nre• 0t...1 her
• u hiah
I.•trit int ,