The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-11-26 00:00:00

BRUTAL MURDER OF AN OLD WOILIX

NEAR CARLISLE.

Late on Thursday night, or early on Friday morning,
• barbarous murder and robbery was committed at a
level trussing the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway,
about a mile and a half from Carlisle. The unforhuiste
victim was an old woman, named Jane Entinerson, 72
years of age, who acted as gatekeeper, and lived in a
little cottage a few yards from the line. Deseassers
husband formerly held the situation ; and during • long
illness prior to his death his wife had performed the
duty so carefully and satifactorily, that upon his death
the company retained the widow in their service. Her
only companions were a married daughter and two
children; but in the beginning of the week the daughter
had gone to Liverpool, accompanied by her two children,
the poor old woman being thus left alone in the cottage,
It was her duty every night, after the last train
passed, at half-past ten o'clock, to close the altos acres*
the line and take into the house two lamps which he
on each side of the railway, and between this time aa
four in the morning, when she had to open the gates
for the first train, she had nothing further to do on the
line. At half past six in the morning she was found by
• servant of the company murdered beside the line,
! within a few yards of the cottage porch. Her face wan
covered with blood, one eye had been driven in with •
sharp instilment, the skull was fractured, and there
were several cuts in the face, one of which had appa-
rently being inflicted by • stone. The body was warm,
and both lamps were found near. The garden gate was
open, and in front of the window was found a "hedge
slasher," an instrument with a wooden handl*, and about
four feet long. The blade was covered with blood,
hair, stone dust, and here and there • small piece
of glans. The window had been broken in three phone,
and this appeared to have been done with
the slasher. The door had been burst open by • kick,
and there was also the mark of a pickaxe upon it. •
pickaxe which had been usually kept in the garden WM/
found under a bed in the room. Tbe drawees had been
broken open, and it ii supposed that the old woman's
wealth, 255. for a quarter's rent, and between VS and £lO
saved to defray her own funeral expenses, had been
abstracted. Footmarks of a wan have been traced, and
it is supposed that in the first instance she was felled
with a stone. The old woman was in the habit off
taking the " slasher" out with her as a sort of life pre-
server, and it is supposed that having felled her with a
stone, tho villain completed his murderous work with
the slasher. The county constabulary are wing evert
effort to discover the murderer.

A correspondent of the Glasgow Herald mentions
that in a certain church the other Sunday the singers
might have been beard proclaiming an entomological
pursuit in the following line of a hymn :
" And we'll catch the lice,
And we'll catch the flee,
And we'll catch the gee-ting boar."
INFLICTING PI:411210E: UPON • TIII/LF.—The Western
papers have a story of an attempt made at Callington
to inflict penance upon a thievish labourer, named
Johns, and of the way in which the knave evaded the
substantial part of his punishment. He bad been re-
peatedly sent to gaol; and his master, Mr. Thomas, on
detecting him in the act of stealing exempted him from
further punishment on condition of his standing at a
chapel door on Sunday afternoon, after service, con-
fessing his dishonesty, and giving away Is, worth of
bread. The fellow appeared punctually with two large
bags, and sal through the serviee. He then went out,
stated his offence, and what he had agreed to do, and
then presented the two bags to two boys, sons of neigh-
bours, who were seen to run off with them towards his
own house.

ProroorD Nrw SUNDAY Brin Acr.—An important
public meeting, to petition Parliament to enact that
publichouses and beershops should be closed (except to
lodgers and trsvellers) f roan 11 o'clock on Saturday
nights to 6 o'clock on Monday morninp, was held at
the Corn Exchange, Gloucester, on Toteday night. Mr.
John Burro'', (county under-sheriff) presided, and the
speakers were Alderman Helps, Mr. Samuel Howley,
and the Kers. J. Emeris, T. Waters, and W. Collings.
The gist of the argument was that the promoters were
not animated by a desire to make people religious or
teetotallers by Act of Parliament, but that, simply
with a view to the better observance of the Sabbath,
publicans should be placed under the seine non-trading
restrictions as other people. A revolution in favour of
the movement, and • petition, were tutaaiatottaly
adopted

WHEN YOU AS B FOR
GLENFIELD PATENT STARCH,
Sea tliat you get it, as inferior kiwis are often
aulaatituted.
WOTHEIU3POON dc CO.. GlLLsoow k Loynoir.

Printed and riblished for the Proprietor, ky CRUMBS
WHITBREAD MILLARD, Oi 10111 i HAkt.l, To
Dorchester, Printer, at the Ottioe of The
County Ea-press, Charairstreel, Dairehostar, TN&
day, Novetutau 23,