The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-08-15 00:00:00

GRAND BAZAAR AT CANFORD.

PUBLIC "MORALITY" AT WIMBORNE.

THI 131111.0111 OYU THE LARY [Lenten or Otikeinalre.
The Polioe-court at Wimborns, which on ordinary
occasions answers all necessary purp mew, Wee suffocate-
ingly over-crowded on Friday last by thou deeir me of
hearing the adjourned charge, against Mr. Fred
Henry Woe'bridge, grocer,of Holt, who was summoned
for having personated a voter named Walter Squibb,
on the occasion of the last election of Guardians of the
poor for the Winaboras Union; ant aqi against Mr.
William Randall, charged with like off meta
It will be remembered that at the .it court Mr.
Woolbridge had to answer a cherge of fabricating the
voting paper of Squibb, which after a hearing owner-
ing some four hours *as disuidAted. the chargs of
personation being adjeurnel until this, the next
meeting. Great interest was teci'.. I in the matt•r, tun
, to put it bluntly, it is really a fight botween Toryism
and Liberalism, and the putisei.s of either side
mustered la strong (ores, and woul I have expressed
their feelings in a very demonstrative manner had
they not teen rebuked by the Bench at an early stage
of the p oeeedings.
The ma/aerates' precut were the It.v. Carr-Glyn
(chairmen), C elonel Paget. W. Itolles.Fryer, EN.,
Major-General Lane, Lord Huesca C,cil, and Captain
°lecke-Kennedy.
Ac on the last ea:l'4o'4ldr. C ixwel.of Southampton,
solicitor, was for the pro eaution, and qr. Kingsford,
barrister, instructed by Mr. Dibbeu, of Wimborne, for
the defence.
Shortly after the commencement of the prooselliosts,
Mr. Coxwell wished to dr AY the attention of the
Bench to the complaint of Mr. Boor, one of the
informants, who felt himself aggrieved at a question
put to him on the lest cooed= by the learned counsel
for the defence. The query in question was whether
he had not visited Ides. ekjuibb on two or three
occasions with referee°e to this matter—the sting of it
lying in the addendum—" during the absence of her
hueband." Mr. Boor indignantly replied that if he
were outside he should know how to &rawer the
learned gentleman. The question,however.was calmly
pressed home, and Mr. Boor was compelled to alma
that on two occasions the husband wee absent.
He had since written to a contemporary staticg that
he lea member ol the Common Council for the City
of London, holds various testimonials, and that the
old and respectable inhabitants of Wimborne
sympathies with him in the indig.iity to which he has
been put. He also adds that the reporter of our c
in-
temporary forgot to state that he thr,atened to barge-
whip the learned gentleman. In justice to the repirter
alluded to, we eh mild state there ware three repre-
sentative. of the Press in attend:sec , d, strange t
say, ea h failed to her this t, rrible nunciation. One
thing is certain the Bench did u their rebuke
would probably have been more sov re than it w
Mr. C 3:well, as we have said, wet ii. nirous of settine
right "these aspersions upsn his c i mt's char.icter,"
but the Beech suggested that it was not worth while
going into, end the matter droppe I.
Mr. Kingsford rem abed his felon I must know that
although he had • painful duty to p rform in patio:
those questions, he acted upon ingructions, and he
could not retract or express reg et for what he had
done in pursuance of his duty.
Mr. C well, in opening thee ef irthe prosecution,
stated that the proceedings had lo n aken under 14 and
15 Vic., c. lOi, s. 3. The pyre c .W 0 were actuated
by no vindictive witless, neni therefore they had
instructed him to proceed again., the defendant upon
the lightest charge that could be brettAt against him.
Tiler bad n further ed in view tban to obtain • coo.
victim,aq I thvv trite I for a tour., nominal pueish-
went. The def•n lent was HAW, 1.411 be sent to gaol for
three mouths, but, also happily. under a recent
'dative, the II rich hid power t inflict a fints,
not exceeding C2O. StiJuld tite.r wee-lips consider
the (IVO pr wed, the lightut penal y they thought fit
ti imp° e wunlil met with the sporoval of the prose-
Hs shout prove by Squibb that he never ,
authorise!, direct', o; indirectly, his wife 0 • the I
defeeilent to sign the pap for lion, nor did he know I
it was g dog to be th.liverel. If he proved that he
thought they could eetertais no doubt that it was a
clear case of persoustmn fir the worda of the section
wore not " persdria• e an:l vote ;" it we. not necessary
he vote should be recordid, if ha wilfully signed the
i.aper without the authority f Squibb, then the
,Hence wee c implete. Ni dieild him learned friend
w iuld try to induct them t think oth•rw me, but he
could WU'S them that If the cad) ha Ito be tried in
another court, be bail no deeht that view would be
confirmed. It Wel very like a men putting the name
of another to a hill of exchange. 1. rd Chief Justice
Cockburn had ruled in such • cue it was net necessary
to utter, hut if he ate:noted ti utter. that was
suffident, and here in this cane he (Mr. Coxwell) con.
tended, although defendant did not actually put the
paper into the voting box. vet, OA he had signed it, the
off nee was c 'omitted. The learned eentleman then
said that since the last hearing he bad obtained a
tlrowa sulipo: as, and ha lulled ler the ratebooks to be
produeed to show' that 4ottibb was duly qualified to
. .
vote.
Mr. Monition, assistant oversee, handed iii the
rate book.
Mr. Tanner, at the request of Mr. Colwell, ex.
stained the bo ik, and said he f erred the 111 Me of
Squlb.3 upon it as •properlyqualifie I voter.
During the course o a lengthy argument which
ensued, Mr. Kingsford contended the mere fact of
t
Squibb's name l,efng on the rate book did not prove
tbe rates had been pill. The ho oks might have been
kept by a csrelera rl etk. It simply ;hovel the persm
in question had been rated.
Mr. C awell said sorely they cu-ill net suppose
the overseer would enter the &count under the
c "lumn of re,„Neveable rates, get it passed by the
an litor. and pay it out of his own pocket.
Mr. Kingderl argued the pnelu tion of the rate-
bootee njight he vireo facer evidence, but it must he
proved Without doubt the rate had been paid. He
was defea ling a man pr.erroted for a criminal
offence, an! be was bmod, as he gave Lis friend fair
notice last time th at he should—to rine every pcssible
objection. The b mike so far aboweil the rateability,
but they did not prove the c dlection nt the money.
The Chairman said the Bench accepted the rate,
book as sufficient proof of the payment of the
rater.
At the request of Mr. Kingebvd, the clerk to the
tnegisaratem entered upon the minutes a note of his
objection.
Mr. Robert Kerr. doing duty for Mr. Vesper.
Thomas, relieving officer, who is wiffering from an
accident, ponluced the outdoor relief book to show
that neither Squibb nor his family had received parish
relief for the 12 m the.
Mr. Kingsford made a similar objection as in the
case of the rate-blok—it might have been badly kept.
The medical relief book WM ale objected to on the
same grounds, bat the Bench overruled both objections,
Dotes, however, being made of them at the request of
the learned counsel, on the minutes.
Samuel Smith wag cal e 1 to prove the delivery of
the voting papor, Ii tt the Mr. Kingsford admitted.
Elia sleet h 'hotel>. wit! of 'ha otter, was then sworn,
ant rop alda, to et idenco CO tare on the last OCCSItiOIL
It Wit• t the cfil ct that ;.'ne &fondant called up ,n
her, asked her if slag lad bloat, her votng
paper, aml when she ' replied le, Le esid
be yag r nand doing it. Art would make nut
hers. khe than gave it to him, and he put her
husband's lollies to &he names of certain candidates.
Tjitis. she gated is reply Li Mr. Kingdord, was done
••••• k island was stray at work. When became
we. adjpet gjye jalto the pipet% bet *e believed
home en. flu *.api not say whether be took
he new it, althou,, ••• (14,4Raziames, butabe did nod
It op. She knows fut. 4.4.eb„en her husband
toll that gent eman that she . -essie edit Os paper.
the way in which Woolbridge had 5a,„,4,,,* I
_What did you tell him then ?—That ia,'a
aid not understand the voting paper, and I gave •.
and was eorry f r it.
Hat your busbaod been thir. atened that he would
be sent away from his employment if la- seknowledged
be wee rea.amdble for the tiling no of the paper!--I
leave not hoard it, sir.
Do you mean t 3 say that on velar oath?—l know
nothing about it, and heard nothing eh eit it.
Iler hueband went into the Infi mary on the follow-
ing Sa.uniay. Nora of the fuuily ha I been there
during the oreceding year.
Now be caret ul, did not %Vo,dbritigo ask you for whom
your husband meant to vote ?—No be did not.
You swear he asked no such question '—Re asked
me no qtaesti-m at all.
Di.' you tell him it made no differe-ce t him, and
he di bit min-1?—I did not say he didn't mini, I said
it diman't melte any d.ffer mce to es.
td., yin me in l—Witnest looked puzzled, and
did not answer ; in reply to further questions she said
her bushand could read capital letter'. She .11 not
toll him what names had been put down. !occult., she
didn't think to. " long sit wan made out a'l right."
Walter f3quibh was n called, lie co tamely could
not be addie-el se an, illustration iii f air of the
exteneion of the Era chise, If, call, in reply to Mr.
Kingsford, he ha-1 never voted before.
On the night when the paps: wan brought did you
tell your wife whom yin were to vote for ?—Not till the
night when hie. Woolbri lge came and made it out. I
said "How about that votiog paper'' and she said he
had made it out.
Did you ask whom you had voted for? -She slid be
bad made it out for George James.
Did you ask for any other name. Cr were yiri g iing
to plump for him?—No. sir, I was forced to.
What I mean 1., did you intend to only vote for one
man. I don't wish to confuse you.—! into ,del to
put a ems..
Who for?—l hadu't reale up me mind. I didn't
know it hat been given to the collector; I d d not
enquire any more about it.
New. Mr. Squibb. I want to ask you how many