The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-09-20 00:00:00

FLOGGING IN NEWGATE.

In London, on Saturday morning, George Pittard,
24 years of age, a bricklayer, who wag convicted at the
last sessions of the Central Criminal Court of a high-
way robbery with brutal violence, and sentenced by Mr.
Commissioner Kerr to 15 years' penal servitude and to
40 lashes with the "cat" to be administered on two
occasions during the first sir months of his Imprison-
ment, was flogged in the gaol of Newgate.
It was proved at the trial that the prisoner and
another man named Ives met Edward Smith, a tram
conductor, in llillrop road, Kentish-town, about
midnight on the 12th of July. They first of all
passed him, but immediately returned, and Pillar'
then seized his watch-chain with one hand, and
with the other struck him a tremendous blow behind
the ear with a bade t walking stick, felling him
to the ground. Both men tried to get his watch,
but he called out loudly for assistance, and they
at length gave up the attempt and ran away.
They then jumped over a paling and hid behind a
garden wall, where they were subsequently arrested.
In the mean time they had thrown the stick away, but
It was afterwards recovered. On the way to the police-
station l'illard made a violent effort to escape, but
without success, Both were convicted ; and several
previous sentences, including one of penal servitude,
were brought up against Pillard. The other man,
Ives, was not known to the pollee, and h. as ...uurd•
ingly aemtenced to only two years' hard labour: with
the same number of lashes, wlrloh will be administered
In one of the Houses of Correction.
_

The punishment on Saturday was inflicted in the
presence of Mr. Under• Sheriff Hewitt' Mr. Jonas (the
Governor of Newgate), and of other authorbies of the
gaol. The prisoner bore the flogging with great courage
an firmness, and at the end he coolly naked to have
the remaining twenty lashes given him then and there.
According to the terms of hie sentence this, however,
could not be allowed, and he was taken back to his
.0441,

MURDER IN SUSSEX BY A LUNATIC.
The Chichester Petty Sess.ons for the county and
the Coroner for West Sussex were engaged on Satur-
day last in investigating the foots of a somewhat re-
markable case. A married labourer named William
Disr, residing near Portadown, but latterly employed
by Mr. Bone Hatch, a farmer, of Thorney Island,
about seven miles from Chlcheeter, has been lately
attending the services of • local sect called "Ranter,,"
and this, with natural causes," has affected his brain.
Although unable to read, he was in the habit of carry-
ing a Bible at out with him, and at times his manner
has been most singular. On Thursday morning, about
one o'clock, he went to the house of a neighbour
with a lighted bengaline lamp and • stick in his
hand, and, as he was not let in by the front door, he
burst in the back door. The man in the house,
seeing he looked very wild, dashed past him and went
for assistance, and was followed by Dorey. As three
men came up, however, he dashed behind a rick, and
when he was pursued he hi Dymot, one of the pursuers,
with his stick, in the eye, calming a fearful wound,
which made Dymot drop, and blood poured from his
nose and ears, his eye wan lying on his cheek when
the men came up. Medical aid Was called hi, but the
poor fellow only lingered a few hour.. The prisener is
under the delusion that he is specially guided by the
Almighty, and In answer to the charts said, "I did
not strike a blow; if any one struck a blow, it was my
Father in heaven." He also sad, holding up his stick,
"1 had this rod from God thin morning ; I am your
master." Prisoner warn remanded, in order to obtain
medical evidence as to his condition.

A Connecticut editor often to vikeeinate, free of
charge, 111 new prspaylng nubsoriben to he paper.