The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-10-09 00:00:00

PRESTON.

Susi/morn Asecter.—OnTueeday last • wheat rick
belonging to Mr. Gale, of Wyke Oliver farm, Preston,
was set on fire by an incendiary. It appear' that Mr.
Sketehley, of Weymouth, had a steam threshing
machine at week on the farm, about a quarter of • mile
from Mr. Gale's homestead, esset that eirmenstanc •
occurred which at first threw suspicion of guilt on two
innocent men. Mr. Sketobley had on the previous
evening told one of the Weymouth wheel chairmen that
if ho saw anyone emoting a job to send them on to
Preston to help with his threshing machine, and being
informed that two had been pent on, he, on Tuesday
morning on proceeding to Wyke Oliver to see how
things were getting on, overtook them on the road and
pee them • lift in his cart. On arriving at the farm,
Mr. tketchley sent the men on to where the machine
was at work while he took his horse out of the shafts
and gave It acme bay. After this, be primes:del also
towards the threshing machine when be saw the two
men coming beak, saying that their services were not
required. As they appeared somewhat disappointed,
Mr. Sketchley told them to go to the farmhouse and
get some refreshment. The men Lad but just had some
bread ant cheese and beer set before them when an
alarm of fire was mind, and Mr. Sketehley, kneeing
that the two men he had brought over must have passed
the ricks but • minute or two before, naturally suspected
them 01 committing the ace Miss Gale, however,
completely exonerated them. After netting tome
bread and cheese and beer before the two men,
she went out near the ricks for soma sticks to I.:urn
when she saw a tramp with a Incifer match boo and a
pipe in his hand, almost dose to the rich, She felt some-
what alarmed at his ape...ranee went in, and returning
Main for more sticks about a minute afterwards found
the rick was on fire. An alarm was immediately raised,
and Mr. fiketchley placed his horse in the iihaPa and
staged immediately for Wej month for a fire•engine.
On his way, he met a man named Drew, servant to the
Hon. It. Talbot, when be sent him on for a fire engine,
while he himself returned back to render amsistanee.
On returning, he called at the Coastguard Station,
when the chief officer and men immediately proceeded
to the scene of devastation with bucket., and
rendered very valuable assistance. Plenty of water
was near at hand, and the men on the farm,
the Coast-guardsmen and some of the neighbours who
proceeded thither, worked with • hearty grace. Great
, praise was due to Mr. Sketchley, as but for the great
promptitude he displayed in procuring assistance, other
, stacks and also the farm buildings must have been
burnt to the ground. The supposed ihcendiary
hoeing been ascertained • description of him mu
telegraphed to Dorchester and all the stations up the
line, and • few hours afterward,, the man, in company
with two others, was apprehended by the police at
Winfrith. Fortunately Mr. Gale's ices is covered by
insurance—On Wednesday the three men were
brought up at the Shin-hell before E. Pearce, Esq.,
charged on suspicion of having set the rick on fire.
They gave their names as Joseph Warren, Robert
and William Platte. They rosined MI villainous-looking
a trio of tramps as could well be met with. Sept.
Underwood asked for • remand to Thureday, which was
granted. On that day they were again placed before
the same magistrate, James Andrews, • young man in
Mr. Gale's employ, was the first witness. On his being
sworn, Warren desired that he should be asked if he
knew the nature of an oath, "he was big enough, but he
didn't believe be did." Andrews having replied satis-
(*.gorily, proceeded to sey that on Tuesday morning,
about ten o'clock he saw William Pletta looking over a
wall about 400 yards from the wheat rick. Platte looked
"terribly sly." There was another man there but he
meld hot identify him as either of theprimeers. About
half-an-hour after there was a cry that the rick was on
fire. He ran towards it, and from information he re-
ceived he rode along the road and overtook the prisoners
at Winfrith, who were in oompany with a woman
and three children. [William Pfetts said they were
his mother and three yowl/seers.] He informed P.O.
James, and the men were apprehended.—Miss Harriet
Gale, prosecutor's daughter, said: About half-past ten
on Tuesday morning I went to the rick barton and
saw a man just inside the barton gate, three or four
yards from me. This was about ten minutes before
the rick was on Ore. He had a match box and a pipe in
his band. I cannot identify either of the prisoners as
the man. I ran in and told my sister I was vszy
I frightened, and that I was sure he w-s about no go.
I went out by the front door, and saw the rick all in
a blase. I looked toward, the gate of the field the
rick barton is in, and saw the same man running from
the ticks to the higher gate, where another man and
woman and three children were standing. When he
reached the ph., the two men ran of together along
the lane leading to the turnpike road, and the woman
and three children walked behind. I cannot identify
either of the prisoners as these men.—As Supt. Under.
wood could not hold out any hope of getting evidence
to connect the prisoners closer with the deed, the magi*.
trate discharged them.