The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-10-27 00:00:00

10BBINO • FELLOW LODGE..

William Fool, 32, labourer, was charged with stealing •
half sovereign, the property of Henry Scam:len, at
Eawkehureli. Mr. Templer prosecuted.
Prosecutor and priaouer were labourers working in the
same gang at ballast pita, Hawkchurch, lodging together,
and sleeping in the same bed. On 9th October prosecutor
received his. 3d. wages, lncluitlnfß half-sovereigo. Next
morning_ prisoner was up before him : downstairs he missed
the half-sovereign. Did not say anything about it
then. Mentioned the loos at the works, and
asked prisoner on the way to Sherborno if he had any
money that did not belong to him. He said no. Then he
told him he had asked for it civil," and us he would not
give it up he should go for the police. George White said
prosecutor told him of hio loss and suspicion, and that be
thought of going for the police. Ile said "give the old
man a chance trot," on which prosecutor did auk him for
it, when as he denied all about it, he went to the police.
Witness saw him fumbling about his boot, and taxed him
with having stolen the half sovereign. Prisoner wished
his thumb might be torn off if be had any nioney that was
not his own. From bis boot a half sovereign was taken,
and he admitted the theft. Prisoner was taken to
Axminster station. Toth° Hawchurch policeman he said
he picked the half sovereign off the bed close to prose-
cutor's trousers, and that it slipped through a hole in his
pocket to his boot
Prisoner said be we; not guilty of stealing the half
sovereign—he had worked hard for it.
The jury immediately found prisoner guilty, and he
admitted a previous conviction for two felonies in 185 ii.
The Chairman said there could he no doubt he committed
the robbery. Two Inca lii ing together in that way were
obliged to trust one another to a certain extent, and he
ought rather to have protected the property. He bad been
convicted before, but it was 2U years ago, and they would
not now consider it The sentence was hard labour for
four mouths and police supervision for 12 mouths.

FRAUD AT WELTIIOLTH.
William Somata, 30, 801111A0, pleaded guilty SI obtaining
ii 111. and 2.5. ed. with inteht to cheat Hannah Weet and
Henrietta Illeathinan, of Weymouth ; and ho admitted a
previous conviction for a similar offence in INN. Mr.
Ca4le prooccutoL
Supt. Vickery Rah! prisoner's friends were very
respectable, and ho was a very gal seaman. The Her.
\V. Lewis intended to come, but he could only say the
'auto as witnesa, .

—Friso—nei-sit—iihe was very sorry : at the time he did'ut
know what he was doing. lie hadn't been home long.
Ile threw hi utsels on the mercy o( the court,
. --

The Chairman said his was iitil-tticult mac, for there was
a previous conviction against him. The sentence was
that he be kept to hard labour two months for each
offence, and afterwardi to six months surpervision of the

STEALING A COAT AT DLANDFOILD.

George Headley, an elderly man, wax cluirstal with titaall-
ing • coat the property of Henry Eldrail.4e, at 'Handl...int,
He WU also chiu-ged as a recoiver.—Mr. Castle prose-
cuted.

--
Prosecutor mid on the 9th September. he wa; in Bland-
ford (air field. ' th oonie deep, and Irum a coat on a
hurdle alum. lie went away half-andiour, and when he
returned it
.wan gone. . . . .

ke to seeing larkencr take the coat.
Knew him well befloe..

Ames apprehended primner, and in hi, bedroom
found the coat. lie .61 at lir. lie knew nothing at all
about it, and then that he bought it of a man in the
street, whom he did not know. for -14. 1;1.
Primmer how repestod the tile of buying the coat of
an unknown man.

........ _
The jury found him guilty, and he admitted a previous
conviction in Ihl7. _

The 1. hairinan said there was no doubt of I,i guilt, and
he hat been convicted before, but it wa. seven years Roo,
and they would not notfro th.it. Tho sentence wo4 three
months' hard labour and six ruontloi police supervision.
The Court IWO at &M.

Fllthl* COURT. -Mummy.

(Before Mr. J. FLOYER, Dtputy llairman.)
TRIAL OF THE McDERMOTTS.

The court was early filled with an interested wisembla.te,
of whom three-smartens appeared to be gaily.dres.sed
ladies. The deniity-chaimian, Mr. J. Plover. M.P., was
assieted on the Bench, by Mr. Herbert Williams. Mr. H.
C. Goodden, Mr. B. Littlebales, Rev. C. W. Ifinabain,
Colonel Astell, Rev. J. H. Austen, Mr. C. Churchill. Usk
Swafileld, Dr. Smith, Mr. 11. N. Middleton, and Mr. Buyly.
There were al. Captain Atuyatt Brown, chief constable,
Mr. J. Floyer, jun., Rev. H. I'. Raikes, chaplain of the
Dorset County Prison.
The prisoners made their appearance about a quarter-
past ten, fashionably habite,l in the suits of mourning
which they had obtained from Mr. E V. Williams,
draper.
EUen McDermott, the mother, 67, Catherine Mel)ertnott,
Eksabeth McDermott, 31, Elkn McDermott, the younger,
:E, and Mary MeDerneott,t2 were dearrilul in the calendar
as of "no occupation," and in the column for "degree of
instruction' were each reported "well." Entering the
dock they arranged themselves at the Lew with Catherine
u the central figure, who seemed rather thinner than on
her last public appearance. Mary, the youngest of the
prisoners, appeared as lively and full of esprit as during
the magisterial examination; the mother had a wearied
look, and the rest appeared with downcast eyes before the
ex2rled court. . .

Mr. Castle, with Mr. Warner conducted the prosecution,
I instructed by Mr. Howard, of Weymouth :and Mr. Collins
was for the defence, instructed by by Mr. Welsford, of
' Weymouth.
The Clerk of the Peace arraigned the prisoners—the
Indictment contain ii three counts, the lint with " con-
spiring to defraud with one John Holt," and the others
variesl the allegations.
Before they had Umtata plead. Mr. Collins, for prisoner&
said he took objection to the indictment—the first and
third manta were bed in making a general charge of con-
spiracy. It had been held that you most show by what
acts of conspiracy the goods were obtained. In the King
T. pock, reverted in 9 Addp4ite V. 11114, the indictment
was held bad for not showing by what means the prose-
cutor was defrauded, and therefore the present count was
bad on the same grounds. The third count was also bad.
It seemed to have been drawn in the teeth of • rase in
which he hat the honour to appear ,hiruself. It was
drawn under the Fradulent Debtors' Act, and was
altogether more reneral than the cane which was quashed.
His contention was that there limit be a particular
allegation, showing what the prisoners had to meet, and
there must not be a general allegation, which might bring
In things that had happened in India at any time back.
The count was too general, as it did not set out the acts
by which prosecutor was defrauded, nor the names of the
persons defrauded.
Mr. Castle said the indictment had been drawn in
accordance with the common law form which had been
supported in a very old case. It had been held in • more
recent case than that quoted by Mr. Collins, that •
similar form was sufficient It was alleged that the
prisoners came over to Weymouth in order to defraud
tradesmen, and it was unnecessary to set out the names of
the parties they came to defraud, as it would not be known
who would fall into the snare nor was it not necessary to
set out the false pretence& Supposing persons arranged
here to go to London and defraud tradesman, the cons-
piracy would be complete, because they did not know
whom they would defraud, nor the means whereby they
would accomplish the fraud, and he quoted the Queen v.
Gin, in support et his case. Auto the third count, they
hail drawn it according to the specific form provided In,
the schedule of the Ad of Parliament.
. . .

—if-r-.-eo-11.-ii-isCorTteaenligiErh-e—;;;;Is in the count, 'by
divers false pretences, and by divers other frauds," were
wider than those named by the Act of Parliament, and
wider than those in an indictment quashed by Mr.
Montagu Smith. The court had to decide whether it was
too general and likely to embarrae the prisoners, and he
asked the Court to say that this was No.
[Before the legal argument was concluded. the Governor
of the gaol directed that the prilsoners, who had been
standing passive at the bar should be allowed to sit down,
and they occupied the seats at the sides of the dock and a
couple of chairs. With them in the pen were a warder,
the schoolmaster, and a female attendant. The different
physical characteristics of the prisoners were particularly
noticeable. The mother and Ellen having dark hair and
corresponding features, while Mary and Elizabeth had
golden tresses and florid complexions, but Catherine had
somewhat the appearance of a French relige.e. The
mother and t 'atherine wore their hair in flat bands and a
coil at the Lack e to Nad,maa, and the others in light
auburn ringlets behind. AU wore black veils.]
The Court decided to go on with the indictment; but
Mr. Collies, for the prisoners, refused to plead.
The Court therefore pnweeded as if their plea was one
of not guilty.
Mr. Castle said the circumstances would occupy some
time to detail; bit the facts sore simple. The priainers
came to Wet lb with a fixed and firm intention to
obtain goods from tradesmen, and not to pay for them.
They also raise prepanel to spread a general belief that
they were persons of property, holding ,gates iii jr.buid;
awl the third count charged them with obtaining credit by
false pretences. which wasdistinctfrornolitainitlt ,ioods. A
person might obtain credit without obtainingt ; but he
might by that put other persons in an tin air position.
The last was not so great an offence as the other: but
it was an offence createil.b4statue. The offences were
those of—lit, obtaining never intending to pay for
them,-2nd. reckless an careless whether they ever paid
for them, and 3rd of getting credit by false pretences. I
His case MU that these flee persons came to Weymouth I
with a person named Colonel Holt, to defraud trades-
men of their goods never intending to pay • a1,,0
that they came prepared to spread a report that
they were in wealthy circunistaires, and that they i
obtained credit thereby. Previous to their coining
to Weymouth, Mrs. Mel)ennott and her daughters
had been living in Jersey. The governor of the gaol had I
had Mrs. McDermott in custody three times. She and her
daughter Catherine were wanted for a debt lot £31,, but
Catherine made her escape. Mrs. McDermott was arrested
In 1573 and TCllll3illeti till lql. when she ..litained her
release hy swearing that she hail not any property, and
took the benefit of the Art. MN. Iteaucaanp hail a bill
uainst the mother of Catherine also agzinst Ellen, for ,
£f I, and she would protiume hills given by them, for the I
amount. The govenew of the gaol wool.' show that he
bad hail them in gaol.
Mr. I 'ollins iihji,cted : the evidence was only tendered to
preiu•lice the crew ag iio,t the prisoner&
Mr. Castle continued that the governor of the gaol had ,
had detainers against the mother ter DJUO. Mi. Le Barr I
would show that they had debts with her, and that they
borrowed money to the amount of £BOO. They then die- •
Indfrom the island, and were found at Weymouth.
eDermott took a house at Grosvenor-place, and
told Mrs then that her eon -in-law; Colonel Holt, wail