The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-03-23 00:00:00

Dorsetsbire,

SgElloOßNE.—Pctto Sessions, Thlteeday. —Mr. Harris,
of the Black Horse, summoned Mr. robins, turnpike-
gate keeper, for refusing to allow his inan to go through
-the gate without paying a second toll, he having pre-
viously paid one. Mr. Harris stated that his man was
sent by him for a load of fir poles, to be used for the
purpose of fencing off a portion of land which he rented.
The man paid the turnpike when he went through with
an empty truck; and on his coming back again with a
load of timber, a second toll wu demanded. The man
had s ticket, which the toll-keeper did not ask hiin for;
and it appeared that there is an atit of Parliament
specifying that a double toll shall he levied on timber at
a certain time of the year, and this happened within the
time specified. The gate-keeper stated that there wee
no name on the truck, and he was not aware that Mr.
Harris was • farmer—if he had been aware of that fact
he should have let his man pass. The Bench said it
was impossible for the gate-keeper, who was a stranger,
to know whether the timber was for agridultitral pur-
poses, or whether Mr. Mania, in ht capacity of
auctioneer, had not bought the poles to sell again; in
the latter cue the gate-keeper was justified in makings
double charge. They then dismissed the case.—
George Greatwood, of Ctistleton, was summoned for
assaulting Mark Wills, on the 18th February. Com-
plainant stated that on the evening in question lie was
going to Trent, when he met the defendant, who was
tipsy, and who inquired of him the Way to Sherborne,
and requested him to accompany him thither, which he
refused to do. Defendant then pulled a clamp-knife out
of his pocket, and threatened to "do for him"; he also
took • soldering iron frotn his basket, and said he would
beat complainant'a brains out. About that time a
person named .facob Brooks came up, and, seeing
defendant lit the act of striking the complainant, he took
the weapon from him, which was produced in court. In
ilefence, Greatwood endeavoured to show that be was
the injured party, but, failing in this, the Bench eon-
'vide& him in the fine of 14s. to be paid by the next
meeting of Justices, and in default to be imprisoned for
14 days.—Robert Seeley, summoned George Chant,
eu Oborne, for not leaving his house otter having being
served with a written notice to do so. Defendant's wife
appeared and stated that she had endeavoured to get
another house, but had hitherto failed in getting one to
suit her, as her family was a large one. The notice was
produced, but not being worded as the act directs, •
fresh notice was drawn up, and the defendant was
ordered to quit her house in a fortnight. —Saturday.
—Two men, named Robert Thompson and William
Gill, who described themselves as railway contractors,
were brought up by P.C. Bennett under the following
'circumstances :—About a month since, two men went to
'the Half Moon Inn, and engaged lodgings, and also en-
initial of Mr. Sherwood respecting stabling for their
horses, which they said would arrive in a day or two.
'They had tea at the above Inn, and about be. Bd. worth
of drink, and they went to bed at night, stating that
they would settle for it in the morning. On the fol-
lowing morning they ordered breakfast, and while it
was being prepared they decamped, without paying their
reckoning. On Friday evening they again made their ap-
pearance in the town, and proceeded to the Plume of
Feathers, where they had some tea, beer, and gin, and
left without paying for what they had partaken of; they
were subsequently found in bed at the Alma beer-
house, and were taken into custody by P.C. Bennett
who had bees instructed to watch their proceedings.
Mrs. Jennie" of the Ring's Head," Milborne Port
iwhere the men have recently been lodging) also ap-
peared in court to charge the,n with leaving her in the
name disreputable manner. Mr. Melmotb informed the
Bench that the case was simply one of credit. He was
sorry that the men should have acted so indiscreetly, ,
'especially as they were engaged on an undertaking in
which he was interested—the Central Railway, P.C.
Bennett said he found £2 15e. on Thompson, and Se. 41d. '
on Gill; and they haring pleaded drunkenness as the
cause of their strange conduct, and expressed a willing-
nem that the various demands on them should be
liquidated out of the money found on them, they were
discharged.—Mortokm.—P.C. Bennett charged James
Parsons with assaulting him while in the execution of
his duty, and Mark Bartlett, private of the 2nd bat-
talion of 7th Fusileers with rescuing the above prisoner.
Fined 405., or, in default, 14 days' imprisonment. The
'money was paid. Bartlett was fined £l, and in default
was committed for 14 days. Bartlett was next day
brought up on the charge of obtaining 10s. from J. F. 1
Falwasser, Req., under false pretences. It appeared ,
that on Friday evening the prisoner called upon the '
above-named gentleman, and stated that he had lost his
money oat of the pocket of his tunic, whereby he Was
unable to join his regiment at Aldershot camp at 12
o'clock on the following day, at which time his paw
expired; and the fear of punishment for exceeding the
time allowed in his pass induced him to make the appli-
cation. Mr. Falwasser immediately let him have the
money, and told him that he had no power to advance
him any money, but if he were an honest man he would
repay him; otherwise, he would have some difficulty in
getting it. When (in the previous case) the prisoner
was committed for 14 days, it was discovered that his
pass extended till Thursday, hence the charge of obtain- '
ing the money under false pretences. He WAS fully
committed for trial at the Sessions, unless, in the mean-
time, he is liberated to be dealt with by the military
powers.

THE ECLIPSE.—The eclipse of the sun on Monday
was anticipated with great interest by hundreds
whose hopes were excited by the brightness of the
morning, and whose tempers were soured when a
leaden atmosphere overspread the sky and effectually
shut out all glimppe of Sol as be underwent his
greatest ascuration. At one or two intervals before
one o'clock a faint and momentary view of his
Majesty was caught, but at the moment when he
assumed his annular form he was completely hid
from sight. Just about one a sudden succession of
shadows fell on the earth, and an appearance was
produced resembling a London fog, but the darkness
rolled away quietly. In its retiring path the eclipee
was seen often and with great effect, the sun, or
rather a cresent or gibous form of it, shining out
resplendently.

STALBRIDOE.—On Wednesday, the 10th inst, the
first lecture in connexion with the Mutual Improve-
ment Society was given by W. Colbourne, Esq., of
Starminster, on Astronomy, accompanied by diagrams
and dissolving views, which gave general satisfaction
to a very crowded audience.

BRIDFORT. —The eclipse was quite visible here at
intervals of a minute or two minutes. At the time
of the greatest obscumtion the clouds dispersed and
the eclipse was quite visible. A small gleam of
light on the south-eastern side was all that was dis-
cernible, and a thick darkness prevailed. A minute
after, and a cloud again appeared over the sun, but
it quickly passed, and then a small portion of the
south-western part of the sun was visible, and the
light was materially increased. The rapid passage of
the moon across the sun's disc could after this be
watched at intervals, but at no time was any portion
of the sun visible during the eclipse for more than
time minutes at a time.

HAWKCHURCH.—Sad A ceident. —A man named
'Clarke, in the employ of Mr. Bond, of Weycroft
Farm, met with an accident on Saturday week, which
is likely to prove fatal. Clarke had been to Axminster
with • load of straw, with two horses and a wagon,
and on reaching Cloakham Lodge, on his way home,
the chain by Which the front horse was fastened to
the wagon let go, and the rattling of the fall caused
the horses to run off at a rapid rate. Clarke at-
tempted to catch the front horse by the head, but
failed to do so; he held fast the harness for a little
time but the horses ran so fast that he could not
keep up with them, and he fell on his back and both
wheels of the wagon passed over his breast in a
slanting direction. Mr. Hallett, surgeon, of Axmin-
ster, was soon in attendance, when it was found that
the lungs were seriously hurt. The poor man has
thrown up a quantity of blood, and we regret to
state that he now lies in a very dangerous state and
no hopes are entertained of his recovery.

LYME RUM& —The Eclipse.--The fact having
become so well known, through Mr. J. R. Hinds'
letter, that the partial eclipse of the sun would be
first visible in England at this place, seems to have
induced a large number of persons to visit this
delightful, but much neglected, watering-place on
Monday week. The weather, which had for many
days been a matter of solicitude, appeared to be
unusually favourable; and the mighty luminary
which was especially the object of attention, rose
with unwonted grandeur over the tine chain of hills
which extends from this town to the Isle of Port-
land. As the time drew nearer, when the first ap•
pearance of an eclipse had been predicted by astro-
nomers, several clouds gathered from the western
horizon, yet frequently through these fleecy masses
gleams of sunshine cast a peculiar light over the sea
and hills. These clouds, however, enabled us, with
the naked eye, to more minutely notice the appear-
ance of the sun's disc, and the development of the
eclipse, and, as on many other occasions, mate-
riaily heightened its effect. The first percep-
tible appearance of the moon was observed at 12.15 ;
and the beet opportunity afforded of witnessing the
effect produced by the eclipse on the sea and land-
scape, was from this time until two•thirds of the
sun's diameter was covered. No position could have
been better selected for making observations than on
the hill called Home Bush, about a mile west of the
town, where, according to Mr. Hinds' prediction,
the eclipse, after ita "long sweep over the Atlantic,
would first be landed on -British ground." At this
point (one of the most romantic entrances into the
county of Devon) the phenomena might have been
witnessed with few interruptions. The expansive
bay, perfectly calm, preserved throughout the day
the same dull leaden colour, occasionally illuminated
with sunbeams. The bold scenery on the east and
west of this point, however, presented an annusual
appearance. Fitful gleams of sunshine playing over
the surface of the dills where the diversified strata
were exposed, produced a variety of beautiful tints,
and—in contrast with the effects of light on the dark
blue lies and yellow sand on the eastern side—the
light on the white chalk cliffs of l'inhay, in an
opposite direction, presented many singular varia-
tions. The large columnar maims, protruding from
the wooden acclivities of Ware cliffs, and concealing
the great land slip which lies beyond them, were
prominent objects in the deep twilight which glad-
tially settled over the face of Nature. The darkness
slowly increased till eight minutes past 1, at which
time a peculiar saffron tinge suffused the sea
.and
meadows surrounding the town, whilst the little
White-wailed marine villas, with their verandahs, so
gracefully grouped on the hill sides, Deemed to have
been immersed in some light yellow liquid. At the
(larked time the light was equivalent to that given
by a full moon, yet the apa., ranee of the landecaPe
was
asaltogether different frmn a nocturnal
During scene.
uring the twilight a forge fire at the Cobb and
'fem.! lights in other potations, were seen to blaze
with unnatural brilliancy, which, as the moon passed
over the obecured orb, vaniahed

HARBOUR hi hROVEMENTS. —The tender of Mr.
Dixon for erecting a parapet wall, and for other im•
procetnenta at the Cobb, haa been accepted by the
Town Council, and as Boon ea the Weather permits the
work will be commenced.