The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-04-21 00:00:00

PORTLAND.

THE Estella Vierte. —St. JoAst's : The Rev. H.
Jenour presided. The aocounte of the past year were
read by Mr. G. E. Anlrews, from winch we gather
that £39 3e. XL was expended during the year in the
management expenses of the church, agemst which the
collections amounted to £9l 5. 90., and a further sum
being °binned of £29 12s. 8.1, leaves a balance of
£ll 15.. 261 to be carried forward for the ensuing year,
and which sum it was proposed to give towards the
organ fund as there is still a balance to be cleared off.
Mr. .1. Stone proposed that the &commits be passed,
Mr. R. Comben ascended the proposition, and it was
unanimously cariied. The Rev. H. Jenour said he had
great pleasure in agahi choosing Mr. C. Holland as his
churchwarden.—Mr. C. Holten, proposed that Mr. O.
E. Andrew. should act as the parish churehwarrien.—
Mr. H. CHMs liseoniiihi the proposition and it was
unanimously carrie.l.—Mr. B. Comben called the atten-
tion of the incumbent end churchwarden. to the desir-
ability of letting St. John's Schoolroom for the parish
pummels, after the school hours of the children.
Several gentlemen expressed similar opinions— the
Rev. 11 Jenour then referred to the necessity of enlarg-
ing the church, so an to meet the requirements of the
increased population, and accommodate the soldiers
now the island is made head quarters. He had seen
several influential gentlemen concerning the matter, and
had great hope of receiving aasistanee from the Govern-
ment. He should know more about it at an early date,
when he would inform his congregation. A vote of
thanks being passed to the Cluurman, the meeting
separated.
DILLTH OF THE WORST CONVICT AT PORTLLND.—
On Thoteday afternoon last an investigation took place
at the Convict Establishment, Portland. before Richard
Nicholas Howard, Req., coroner, touching the death of
George Keene, • notorious convict, who hiu been con
victed 33 times for various offences, and at the thee of
his decease wee undergoing seven years' peon! servitude.
George Clifton, Esq., said he was governor of the
Portland prison. Tb• deceased he identified as George
Keene, aged 48, who was convicted and entered the
convict establishment on the 25th of August, 1865. The
deceased was undergoing his sestesss st seven
His official number was 4721, and was admitted into the
infirmary on the 25th of December last, and expired at
twenty minutes past four o'clock on Tette:lay last,
banns been 112 days in hospital. The deceased had
been convicted on 33 occasions for various offences.- -
Edgar Shaw Baker deposed he was the medical officer
of the Portland Convict Establishment, and attended the
deceased from the time cf his admittance into the
Infirmary until his death, whhio occurred at 25 minutes
past four on Tuesday last. When the deemed was first
admitted he was !suffering from bronchitis and congestion
of the left lung, and the cause of death was conbuip.
Con. The deceased was a very peculiar temporal
man, being very violent and obstinate. The
deceased took one doe" of medicine, bat afterwards he
refused all medicine, and the ptincipal thing he could
do was to apply external treatment. The deceased then
refused to allow him to place a poultice on until he was
overeeine, and then he waa obliged to submit, but
refused to take the medicine. He ordered hint in
addition to the medicine, all kinda of strengthening
things, such as brandy, wine, eggs, butter, be.. The
deceased refused to take the brandy. During the part
six weeks deceased took the things he ordered. Ile
was humoured in every way it was possible to humour
• man, but he was the most troublesome person he had
to do with. If deceased had taken the medicine at first
he would have been better. At the time of his death
his lungs were one mass of consumptive disease. He
(=had not the slightest hesitation in saying the
died from consumption. Deceased gave no
reason for refusing his medicine, and was received lab
the infirmary on two prior occasions, once for debility
and themes and boils. —Alexander Smart said he was the
principal warder at the infirmary of the Portland convict
establishment The deceased was a very violent and
obstinate man, and refused to take his medicine, and
at times threw the brandy and wine on the floor. The
brandy was of the beet quality as well as his food. On
several occasions deceased knocked the things out of his
hands. The deceased had a red mark on him knee,
which bad been there ever sines his admittance into the
infirmary. The fury returned a wordlist in astoordeace
with the medical testimony.
LOCAL BOARD or BSALTEL—On Tuesday afternoon
last the usual monthly meeting of the Load Board
of Health was held in the Board-room, under the
presidency of Mr. B. &riven. The members present
were: Mews. Abraham &riven, B. Comben, Flew,
p. posies, W. Gibbs, B. Pearce, B. Stone, W. White,
C. Mitchel, and B. Collins. The Chairman said the
first business they had 'to discuss was the retirement
of six members of the Board from office. He would
suggert that the names of the members of the Board
be placed on Paper and be drawn for. The names of
thaw gentlemen drawn first would retire from office
on the 23rd May, but would he eligible for re-election.
—Mr. E. Peathe contended the matter would be
simplified by writing eighteen numbers on • similar
number of slips of paper. Those members who drew
No. 1 to 6 should be the retiring members for the
ensuing year, and those who drew the following six
numbers should go out of office the next year, and so on
in rotation—Mr. A. &riven argued on the same side, and
it was ultimatelylarranged that the Clerk should write the
name, of the members on paper, which were drawn by
the Chairman. —The following were the retitinE mem-
bers :—Masers. B. &riven (Chairman), B. Collins, E.
Pearce, A. &riven, W. White, and It. B. Scriven.—
On the subject of fresh contract' for the hire of •
horse, cart, and man, Mr. B. Comben said the Board
should be careful how the contract was worded. Several
' complaints had been made during the past year with
regent to • boy being engaged instead of • man The
contract in his opinice should be either for • home,
cart, and man, or a horse, cart, and boy. During the
last contract the man in charge of the cart refused to
Iced the dirt into his cart, but simply looked after his
horse. He contended the man in charge of the horse
and cart ought to theist in loading the sweepings of the
island.—Mr. A. &riven remarked that in all other
towns, men in charge of the cart were supposed
to &mist the scavengers in loading.—The Clerk (Mr.
Howard) suggested the propriety of selecting two
members of the Board to act is a committee, so that
the "object might be thoroughly investigated at their
next Board meeting.—The Chairman could not see how
a man was supposed to do the dutiee at the rate they
were paying, namely, se, per dices—After a lengthy
discussion the Clerk was ordered to prepare • notice
inviting tender, for the hire of a bores, cart, ka, and
also tenders for the supply of gravel and shingle for
repairing the roods for six mouth'. - The Surveyor's
report was than brought up and read by the Clerk.—
Mr. A. Scrim drew the attention of the Board to the
had date of the pariah pump at Bask& For some

years past it had been kept in repair by Yr. Fearer, but
foe the last month it was in a had state and nestle lint"
fur me. He proposed the following resolution "Thet
tenders be received from Portland and Weymouth
for a man ti inspect and give an estimate of the emit of
the repair of the pump. also for a competent person to
keep the pump in good working order fut the km of
twelve mouth.."—Mr. Flew said the pump would
require a fresh seeker, and it would be better for a
person to inspect the pump awl give an estimate of its
cost. There were many tradesmen who would give
an estimate without the trouble of a
Mr. W. W. White seconded Mr. &riven's proposition.—
Mr. Gibbs. after a few remarks, moved aeon amend-
ment, "That Mr. Pearce be requested to still keep the
primp in good working order"—The amendment was
carried bye large msjority.—The Inspector of Nuisances'
report was read and approved of, and the Hoard, after
examining several Wig, which were ordered to be paid,
adjourned.