The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-09-20 00:00:00

POOLE.

ILITRAORDINARY oliliGE OF FORCIBLE
ENTRY INTO THE BOURNEMOUTH
REFRESHMENT ROOMS.

At the Bournemouth Police-wart en Thursday, before
Kr. W. Everett (chairmen). Kr. 1. C. Hyde, Mr. W. W.
Moore, Mr. L. A. Way, and Lieut.-Colonel Veneer, • case
wan heard which has excited the greatest interest among
both the Inhabitants of this borough and of Bournemouth.
Mr. Stiring, the well-known brewer of Poole, with 13 other
defendants, were charged with unlawfully, forcibly, and
violently entering and taking posses•ion of the Queen's
Hotel Refreshment Rooms. Mr. Styring is the owner ef
the premises in question, and in 78 a Mr. Matthew Dent,
who, we believe, wu formerly • schoolmaster, became the
Vomit. As Mr. Dent, however, got in &reser with his
rent, owing something like .4:800, he was served with •
noire to leay... Thie he ref used 'to aocept, and • well-known
personage of Po de. "Captain" Gibbs, was entrusted with
the duty of taking possession. The gallant "Captain"
having been informed that resistance would be offered,
selected about 60 trusty men, and about eight o'clock in
tine evening of September Ist, swarmed down upon the
premises, " cleared out the astonished customers, put the
landlord. Mr. Door, and his family through the window,
then barricaded himself in the place with hi small ',rine
so matters of the situation. Tois was the forcible entry
implslned of, and the following wer, s the 4efendante :
Frederick Styrian (centime:ll. Edwin Smith, Charlet,
Gibbs (autioareer). James Curtis (builder), William Henry
Curtis (solicitor's clerk), Robert Taylor Owasso/el, James
Bale, Willl.llll Lane (newsagent. of Pooh), Mark Maid.
ment (of Perketone, labourer), Robert Crbb (of Bourne•
mouth, hotel manager), awl Henry Cbombes, James
Wilkina, Joseph Cover, and Charles Oormbes ffabourersi
—Mr. 11.11 (Bell and Taylor. Southampton) appeared for
the e ,mplainant, and Mr. Trevanion for the defendaate.
All the defendant. answered to their nano' except James
Curtly, whom Mr. Trevanion stated had gone to the Pools
station that morning with the full tzarina= of avowing,
but had been taken sadiron', ill, an sasetion that, created
some laughter among those from Poole, as it wee known
Mr. Curtia's state that morning whet he would have
started on his journey, was such as to justify the (3JM•
pany's officials in their refusal to alio. him to travel by
their line. Me Bell, however, profeesel himself satisfied
with this explanation. The hearing of this case occupied
eight hours; the complainant was 'bait four and whalf
hours under examination, and Mr. Trersinion's speech for
the defence occupied an hour and a•hal.
In opening the case, Mr. Bell &scribed it as an
" outrage,' and his cleat as • deepl!-Injored man. He
stated an August of last year Kr. Net made over all his
household geode, valued at satnetbine like £2,1100, to Mr.
!hiring, the arrangement being that £843 was to go for
the payment of the rent due from hm, and the balsam '
was to be paid be Mr. Stirring to him That &deuce had
been paid them, end what theycontended was that
, Mr. Styring was imiasiderably indebtedto them. Subsequent 1
matters, however, turned out • tailors, and in June last
he was compelled to file his ood his creditors
I ultimately love him his dircharge. Parlous to this , Mr.
Dent hsd received notice to quit fron Mr. Styring, and on
the day In question the forcible poee4non of which they
complained wee taken by some 3 Of 40 men armed with
slick'', among whom were the debt:ideate, except Mr.
tyring.
"Captain" Gibbs, who was, of wow, the chief defend-
ant next to Alderman Sty ring, here waved his kid glove,
and audibly remarked he lied only II men with him.
Mr. Bell did not know why he should use such panto-
mimic action, hut he would say 14 Übe wished it. At all
*units, looking at the delendante he need scarcely say
that it would strike any one that arrest many of them
would not go to the home for any Mt Peaceable Purpose.
(Laughter.) Wity in the 19th until'', such • proceeding
of brute force should be taken spinet • peaceable old
i map, In the decline of life, be edld not tell- but be
' should ask the Bench to send all de defendants for tie',
far even if Mr. Styring had • tight to take pone, iioo of
the premises, ached no right to tate the forcible pones-
mon of them he bat. He conclude! by drawing attention
to hour written by • man namod Edwin Smith, who
was said to be the new tenant of :be hotel. (Laughter.)
He was described es a violin player and an electioneering
odd ens, 110 doubt • useful and me oddrees
161Pr011etiltsi7 enough, "Sing bo4lttnig•UtO the

refreshments on that evening was Hanger bill, Pool*.
(Lion laughter.) In this letter Smith said, " I beg to
Laurin you that se you have neglected and refused to
remove your goods and affects from this establishment, I
have caused the same to be removed to Peace's furn.ture
depository, where it remains at your risk and expense." If
ever Insult were added to injury, he (Mr. Bill) thought
that letter did it If be made out a Prima tune au*. be
"nieud'id ii would be the duty a the Balch to send all
these men for trial, and to have • jury to decide it. He
then called the complainant
Kr. Matthew Dent, an old genUeman, with a venerable
white beard._ gave his evidence in • somewhat excited
manner. In his orose-examination several times, he cm•
ducted himself, and answered to. nuisances in • way that,
in a stricter Court, would have been severely reprimanded,
more especially when Kr. Trevenion put ioterrogatortes
that were slightly awkward. Having narrated the occasion
of his making over his furniture to Yr. S.yring„ an I his
giving up the hotel and taking the refreshment bar at •
"'it'd 01 £2OO • year, he then spoke of the demands made
uP3o him, and to wash he refused to accede to give UP
pareamion. On the Let of September, abort eight in the
eremite, a man MON running in, and said there were 40
rooghe coming.
Hr. Trevanion objected to the term.
Dent: Well, I say 40 roughs.
Yr. Trevanion: Now, I will not have it, and if you (111. r.
Bell) can't restrain your client I shalt
Mr. B :I am afraid Kr. Trevanion partakes of wine
01 the sacitability M my client. (To witness): Well,
what happened—did these men come in
Dent: Well, it was • strange coincidence, but they did-
-40 of them. ("Oh, on," from the defendants.) They
carried thick stoke, whien they held up at Kim.
Mr. Tremolos said he must ask the witness to be
ca (oh.

Wittier : You weren't far o 5; YOU IMO airing IblinK'

Dent was then askei to identify the defendants.
Mr. 801 l pointing them out serethis genUeumat who has
been • soldier, and this gentleman with the piaster on his
nose, do. He looked at tbem, he gild. with .IUIaSMIOni,
which was a little "temporiud" by what he had heard
before. The drat thing they did was to make demands
for boor and brandy, but he refuted t 3 serve thew. they
were such a tumultuous lot. Upon that. Gibbs seid " Weil,
if you wont serve tut we will serve ounaelvu' and taking
Posuesion of the bear-engine, said " Help yourseivet, lads,
we veil soon esti if we can't have what we mica," and
they proceeded to do so—they were very o.redlent. Ho
protested, and Gibbs ptuhei him hod said if he we.
troublesome he would have throe or four of his strong
nien—(lerighter)—and put him out.
Mr. Tr OVllitioll cautioned tee witness, who then began
to get excited, and said they wanted him to say what he
(114_00 MAUL.

—iirbru,tc (matistratss' dark) : You itoodu't listen to
Kr,.Trivani?o.

Witaae:N'o, 11l treat him as ons of the mob. It is
quite bed should% what I hare suffered without being
tantalised in this wsy. He continued, seeing the fearful
odds he gave way. The polio. were seat tor, but they did
nothing. The defendants got • cask of beer Irocu the hotel,
end Globs. who said he couldn't drink such stuff, asked
tor a bottle of sherry. (Laughter.) They afterivula
nailed up the doors and window., and then (Gibbs eleered
out the customers. At eleven o'clock Gibbs eaked him if
he was going out; he refused, and Chen he wee 1111.4 over
tits counter, one leg was first put 001 01 the window, then
the other, and Gibbs gave him a farewell push. He
subsequently mew the defendant Gibbs at his son's hones,
and he than told him he had had 90 fisherman and a
break and four ready at Poole, and If there had been ay
difficulty he should hare sent a message through Mr.
Trevanion's telephone, and they have been over in half-
suihour, and then they would hare formed two squares,
and he would have dolled the devil to torn them out.
(Laughter.) All the defendant. took part except Styring,
and there wag also a men there whom they railed the
"doctor "—a sort of 'whereat fellow, whom Gibbs said
they had brought to drabs their wounds. (Much laughter.)
He did not leave the premises of his own voluntary
agency, but because be feared there would be lawful
bloodshed. (Laughter.) He might Icy dist he had
numerous offers to help turn them out. Witness we,
then cross-examined, but waded a lot of time by the way
in which he fenced the question* Be complained that
Its Trevanion med. him angry, en 4 that h.
" smarted." On one occasion be lumped from his
seat and rushed excitedly toward the learned gentle-
man, who amid the laughter of the court pre.
tended ti beat a retreat as if frightened. Be
said he adhered to every word of his statement. He
admitted signing an agreement that if he became bank.
nun. Mr. Stymie should have the power to enter the
hotel, and turn him out. He went into liquidation for
Ll,BOO. He declared the furniture was his, but admitted
at the game time that he yield a monthly rent of 95s for
it. His memory was bad. Ile was served with a notice
to quit, but he did not know that it was on the let of
February,lL
Mr. Trevanion : Now you know.

Witness: There you Mle going to irritate in. again, ant
I won't be irritated by a man like you. You want ta
tighten me I
A document was then put in by which the complainant
lied agreed to give up poseession on the 8 ii of August,
1881. Hs admitted he signed it, but he said he did not

Mr.-irevenion advised him to be &voila
Warms retorted be wasn't going to make him do what
he.wanted. He couldn't.

—hir7-14;viZon- ":-1.-aui- -.1 make ro4 answer questions
boneetly I sT.e.frea4...

—ATV—it-ties; ..-16;:tiat is an imputation.
Mr. Trevsnion said be wits th.ut tho most troJblesome
witness be had ever hal to des! with.

-Wes• said he was glad he admitted It. (Ltughtar.)
Asked whether 2Si. 61. was not paid for the liquor con-I
sinned by Captain Gibbs sad life corps, he replied "Oh
by Jingo, what a fabrication r Subsequently no almitted
he did take awns money. He never invited any of to-im
"bandit." to supper. It was • cock and bull soy % He
did not tell Gibbs that he bad behaved like a gentleman.
Goodness gracious it the witness, advancing to Gibbs.
could • man like that behave like • gentleman I IL tag la ter.)
I should not be such a fool. Among the Ocher defen-
dants there was Lane, the newspaper man, as hussy as a
beetle, with • hammer on his saouldisr.
Edith Dent, daughter of the 144 witness, gave cor-
roborative evidence, ea did Clan Stone, a servant, who
gave her testimony in a very sharp manner. she demo.]
that anything was paid for that which Gibbs and "all his
tribe had. Tney did not help her out of the how, she
didn't went their assistance and wool I not eh,e them the
change She called Gibbs Captain Gibbs, and malted by
Mr. Bell why, said it was • nick-name he had in Paulo,
but why she did not know.
John Dinneriao, musician, was present, and bore out the
grad part of these st•temeota, ea did John Gillingham, a
groom.
Yr. Curtis, jun., of the firm of Curtis and Su, proved
servings notice on the complainant demanding possession.
lie. 'regression then addressed Me Court for tee defence,
and characterised these proceedings as a growl, impudent
attempt by means of setting the law in motion to give
palm ant annoyance for mere spleen when tare was an
rumple civil remedy. It was nothing but an attempt to
traduce Kr. Styring's goof name. He thee quoted •
number of oases, and 000 tended that Mr. Dent nein( in
unlawful possession, and no public breach ci! the peace
haring been created in ejecting him, the sktment was
Ise( al. and the case fell to the ground.
The Bench, after • short consultation, said they thought
there had been some irregularity, but not such as t
justify them in minding It for trial, so It would be dis-
missed.

---
SWINI FITIB has broken out at Called Magna,
amongst some pigs belonging to Mr. W. (Ile ; and the
usual neceesary orders have been made by thi local com-
mittee appointed for the Wimborne divon under the
Contagious I )iseases (Animals) Act.
THB MINSTER LIBILIEY.—A writer it Naas anal
Queries says :—I have reoenily received a letter, in
which my correspondent tells me that he was deeply
horrified by the present scandalous condition of the
library of Wimborne Minster, and the cuter neglect
from which the books are suffering. lie specially
points to a Castell's Heptagl.a, with handy two leaves
together. I bed fondly hoped that s cetairgue, printed
in 1863, would have s ) fez invited the attent;on of the
authorities to their old library as to save it from further
neglect or destruction; but this does root appear to have
been the case. Whether its care devolves on the Cot-
poration of Governors or the Priest Vicar, I know not;
but I believe that the latter dike is at this moment
practically in abeyance, and I trust that whoever may
be chosen to fill it will not be indifferent to this vary
interesting relic of antiquity.
Ten 13••••28.—The total amount raised by the
bazaars held a fortnight 'go in aid of the Colehill
Church endowment fund was about £250, after pay-
ing expenses; but, we understand that the amount
realised by this week's Lamar in aid of Hinton Martel
Church organ fund was under • £lOO.
PRIHOTTATIONB 'to THI RBI. B. F. TROTBLAN.—The
children and teachers of the Girls' Sunday School
have presented the Rev. E. F. Trotian, the late vicar,
with a handsomely bound set of books; and the rev.
gentleman has also been presented with a glass cream
jug and sugar basin in silver stand by several of the
po,r of the parish.
Csicurr.—A match played last week between Mr.
Chapman's eleven and a Junior Town eleven resulted
in a victory f 4. the former by 25 runs on the first
innings, the Junior Town men having made only 50 to
their opponents, 75 runs.