The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-01-19 00:00:00

Somerzetstirt.

YxoviL.—Mr. William Smiles, surveyor of taxes,
has been promoted from Yeovil to Salisbury. We
also understand that Mr. Bowles, who has been the
Superintendant of the Yeovil and Durston Branch
Railway since its opening in ISM, has been ap-
pointed to the same situation on the Somerset
Central Railway (Burnham to Wells). A pier is
building at the former place, which is expected to
be ready for opening a communication witea
South Wales in march. Mr. Bowles will be sue-
ceeded at Yeovil by Mr. Forster, from Wellington.
Both Mr. Smiles and Mr. Bowles in their different
departments discharged their duties courteously
whilst they resided in this town. Mr. Richard Ken-
nedy, surveyor of taxes at Melton Mowbray, has
been made surveyor of taxes for Yeovil.

WracazrroN.—On Saturday night week a burglary
warn committed at the house of an old woman named
Thick, at Bayford, near this place. An entrance
was effected by forcing the back door. After ran-
sacking the house the thieves went off, taking with
them three sovereigns and two silver tea spoons.
Superintendent Davies on being made acquainted
with the case, went early on Sunday morning to the
spot, and finding foot marks about the back of the
house, traced them with Mr. Arthur and others in
the direction of Wincanton, the tracing continued to
the house of a man named Coombe, in whose house a
pair of boots belonging to him were found, which
exactly corresponded with the marks about the
house. Coombs was apprehended and taken before
the old woman, who identified him. A noted thief
named Cannon was afterwards apprehended, and the
old woman identified him also. On Monday they
were taken before R. Phelips, Esq., and remanded
until yesterday (Monday).

_
MONTHLY PITTY Smunoss.—ißefore C. Barton, H.
Hobhouse, W. S. Wood, R. l'helipe, Esqrs., and Sir H.
A. Hoare, Bart.)—Alfred Goodland, of Horsington, was
summoned by Superintendent Davies for leaving a
wagon and two horses on the Wincanton turnpike road.
without any one in charge of the same. Fined 6d. and
As. 6d. aorta—Henry Richmond, of Shepton
summoned by P.C. Cole for riding asleep at night in a
wagon, was fined 2a. 6d. and re. 64. oosts,—Mary
SmitlintayElisabeth White, EEL Barber, Elisabeth
Clarke, Ann Farthing, Suzan Clarke, and Jane
Gould, all o South Bruham, were summoned for damag-
ing underwood in Cogley Wood. Defendants pleaded
guilty, and were fined li. each.—James Humphries,
Ann Sag, and Elizabeth Humphries, of Wineanton,
were summoned by Mr. George Dyke for damaging un-
derwood. Fined 10s. ineluding oosts.—John Galli-
ford, of South Bruham, wasi summoned for an offence
against the Turnpike Act, viz., obstructing the free
passage of her Majesty's subjects by furiously driving •
cart and horse in Wincanton, Mr. Jillard prosecuted
and Mr. Cooper defended. The use occupied a consi-
derable time, and ended in defendant's being fined ES,
and Se. 64. costa—W. Morgan. and Hole, of
Bruton, were summoned by Mr. Mmifie, of that place,
for maliciously damaging a shutter, his property. Mr.
Cooper prosecuted and Mr. Jillard defended. It was
alleged that the two young men were out for • "spree,"
and had attacked the shutters of the defendant, pulling
down one and carrying it some distance. Evidence wee
brought forward to prove Morgan was known by his
voice to be one of the delinquents. For the defence it
was proved by unmistakeable evidence that he was not
at the place at the time the offence was committed.
Case dismissed.—Ann King, 16 years of age, was
brought up in custody charged with stealing the monies
of her master, Mr. Samuel Clifford, of Shepton Monta-
gue Mr. Clifford had on several occasions since the
prisoner had been in his service, missed money from his
pockets; and in consequence marked a few pieces of
silver, which on being left were found missing; and on
Sergeant Storey, of the constabulary, being called in
they were found in her possession. She appeared peni-
tent for her offence, and Mr. Gifford recommended her
to mercy. She was in consequence sentenced under the
Juvenile Offenders' Act, to pay a fine of £l.—Mary
arrni;edste. of Bnekhora Weston, was brought up and
with stealing 251 be. of beef, the property of Mr.
Benalfield, Wincanton, butcher. The prisoner in •
mod impudent manner walked up to the shop window,
took a rump of beef by the tail, and WAS quietly walking
off with it, but she then wee seen by a boy named Vidlia
with it, she dropped it and made off, but was immedi-
ately apprehended. Pleaded guilty, and sentenced to 2
months' hard labour.
WELL& Sir Cromwell Cromwell hae appointed
Mr. James John Roche to the office of registrar of
the probate court at Wells. The act specifies Bath
as the probate court of East Somerset.
SOUTH Pirrnairrox.—On Friday week a fire broke
out, at Compton Durvell, near this town, in a clover
hay rick, the property of Mr. Peren. It was first
discovered about two o'clock in the afternoon, when
it was intended to obtain an engine, but so rapidly
did the flinnes spread that it was at once found it
would be of little avail. The fire continued to burn
until two o'clock on Saturday morning, by which
time the greater part was a heap of ashee. We
believe the property was insured.

FATAL ACCIDENT. —A melancholy accident hap-
pened at West Lambrook, near this town, on Friday
week, to a little boy named Russ, aged 12 years. He was standing near a thrashing machine whilst at
work, when in consequence of going too near, his
sinockfrock got entangled, which drew him into the
machine and both legs were cut almost off. The
poor boy lingered but a few hours, when death put
an end to his existence.
MELANCHOLY DRATH.—Chi Monday afternoon an
inquest was held at the King's Arms in, Durcllaam-
down, Bristol, on the body of Mr. Frederick Wil-
liam Howard. The deceased was a partner in the
firm of Henderson and Howard, who carry on an
extensive business as solicitors at Bristol. He was
32 years of age, married, and had three children.
Monday morning he breakfasted as usual with his
wife, and then, as was his custom, retired to his
dressing-room to complete his attire. A few
minutes afterwards the report of a gun was heard,
and on Mrs. Howard and a servant rushing to the
room, they found the deceased lying on the floor on
his back, with a gun a few paces from him. A
gentleman residing next door ran for a surgeon, and
Mr. Rossiter was soon in attendance; but upon his
arrival he found the unfortunate man was quite dead.
On examining the corpse it appeared that death had
been occasioned by a charge of small shot which
entered the body just below the ribs on the left side,
and thence sseil upwards into the heart. Death
must evidently have been instantaneous. The evi-
dence aelducej at the inquest all went to show that
the dreadful occurrence had been the result of acci-
dent. The deceased had appeared in his usual health
and spirits up to the morning of his death, and no
possible reason could be assigned why he should
have meditated self-destruction. He was well known
to be an active and enthusiustie sportsman, and was
in the habit of keeping a double-barrelled gun in his
room. From the position in which the body and
gun were found, the inference is that the deceased
had been in the act of drawing the charge out of one
barrel, when, from some unknown cause, it exploded.
This assamption is strengthened by the fact that
the lock of the gun was a peculiarly weak one, and
that the lock of the barrel which had not been dis-
charged was found on full cock. Further than this
the hands of the deceased were found to be dirtied
with gunpowder, as if from having handled the end
of the ramrod. The coroner having pointed out to the
jury the reasons for believing that death had been
accidental, a unanimous verdict of "Accidental
Death" was returned, The life of deceased was in-
sured in the Minerva office on whose behalf Mr. A.
Brittan watched the proceedings of the inquest.

MELANCHOLY SUDDEN DEATH.—AII awful in.
stance of the uncertainty of human life occurred at
Clifton on Friday week. Mrs. Gibbons, wife of the
Rev. W. W. Gibbons, minor canon of Bristol
Cathedral, and one of the curates of Clifton parish,
gave birth to a son on the 26th tilt.; she was ap-
parently gaining her wmal health, and on the after-
noon in question the nurse who was in attendance on
her brought her some refreshment Mrs. Gibbons
expressed ah inclination to sleep, and the nurse left
the room, returning in about an hour. On knocking
at the door she received no answer, and on entering
the apartment, she was horror-struck to find Mrs.
Gibbons lying dead on the sofa. She was subject to
disease of the heart, of which she appears to have
had an attack, which terminated fatally. Some medi-
cal men were immediately called in, but she was be-
yond all human aid.

BATH. —Trial of Mrs. Mary Weeton M'Ghie for
Forgery.—On Saturday the Court of Quarter Ses-
sions re-assembled at Bath at half-past nine o'clock,
when the hall was crowded by an audience of a
more respectable character than is usual at the ses-
sions. Mary Weston M'Ghie, 30, was indicted for
having unlawfully, and by false and fraudulent pre-
tences, obtained from George Charles Wigena the
sum of £3O, with intent to cheat and defraud him
of the Brune, at Bath, on the 3rd day of November,
1857. Another count in the indictment charged the
prisoner with having unlawfully, wilfully, and know-
ingly obtained, by false pretences, a valuable Secu-
rity, namely, a banker's cheque for £250 from the
same prosecutor, on the 7th of November. Mr.
Cole instructed by Mr. E. F. Slack, solicitor, con-
ducted the prosecution • and Mr. T. W. Saunders
and Mr. Murch, instructed by Mr. Mansford, solici-
tor, appeared for the prisoner. The prisoner pleaded
"Not guilty" to both counts. The witnesses on both
sides were ordered out of court. After the case
had been heard at length, the Recorder having stated
his opinion that the case had been ably and properly
conducted on each side, and that there was no room
for the strictures of the learned counsel for the pri-
soner upon the way in which Mr. Coles had opened
the case, then summed up with much care, explain-
ing the nature of the charges, and going through the
evidence, bearing upon each count at some length.
The points for the consideration of the jury were
these—were the representations alleged to have been
made in order to obtain these sums of money made
to the prosecutor by the prisoner; if they were,
were they false; and if they were false, were they
made with the intent to defraud? The Recorder
considered that if the jury believed the witnesses
there could be no doubt of the offence charged hay- '
ing been committed. The jury almost immediately
returned a verdict of "Guilty." The prisoner hay- I
ing been asked in the naval way if she had anything '
to say why sentence should not be passed upon her,
made no reply. The Recorder, ads...g the pri-
soner, said it was matter of great pain to him to
have to pass sentence upon a person in her position.
She was connected with persons in Bath, whom he
had himself known, and whose name was associated
with nothing that was not honourable, just, and
true. She had disgraced that name. Of all the
cases he had ever heard of the kind, he did not
think he had met with one worse than this. The
offences of poor creatures who went to a baker's or
any other shop, and committed acts which rendered
them subject to the punishment of the law, were
not to be compared with hers. She had evidently
designed and premeditated the offence, she had also
imputed forgery to her niece for the purpose of get-
ting up money to support some extravagance of her
own; and altogether it was as bad a case of obtain-
ing money under false pretences as he had ever
known. He would say no more, as he did not wish
either to exaggerate the offence, or increase her pain.
The sentence he should pass upon her was, that she
be committed to the Bath Gaol and kept to hard
labour for the term of eight calendar months. The
prisoner, who sat during the trial, but who evinced
no particular emotion, though she drew her veil
over her face immediately after the sentence was
passed, was then removed from the dock. This
closed the burliness of the sessions.

Somitn.sar Poisca. —The following communication
from the Secretary of State, relative to the efficiency
of this force under the command of V. Goold, Esq.,
the chief constable, has been received :—" 14th of
December, 1857. Sir,—l am directed by Secretary
Sir George Grey, to inform you that he has considered
the Inspector's report upon the state of the police of
your county, duruig the year ended 29th September
last; and that he has had the satisfaction of certify-
ing to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury that
your police has been maintained in a state of effi-
ciency, in point of numbers and discipline, during
the whole year, in the terms of the 16th section of
the statute 19 and 20 Vic., cap. 69. Lam, Sir, your
obedient servant, (signed) W. Massey. To the
Chairman of the County Sessions of Somerset."