The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-06-07 00:00:00

SALISHITRY.

THRASHINO A LORD.

The Shirehall was crowded on Tuesday when the
Margate 1 Townsend, Colonel Nepean, and Mr.
F. loci. Ellis were charged on remand with assaulting
L ri Elwerd Thynne. n the 24th May, whilst driving
from ivenitock t Sali4hury.
Every available spac. in the ha'!, the g diary, and
the approaches were crowded, so much so that at 12
.'cl uk orders were giv.it not to allow any further
entri a.
_ .

Just before U the Marquis of Townsend, accom-
panied by Colonel Nepean. entered the court and
took a seat at a table in front of the Bench.
The Marquis is thickly built and of medium height.
He has ir ,u grey curly hair, which he wears rather
ltiiteda moustsche, wicker,, and beard. He was
in a bisck frock coat, and looked eonteerbat
careworn. Colonel Nepean is a tall, fine, and some-
what good looking man He is rather bald. and wears
only a moustache, his appearance being military. Mr.
Ellis is eery stout !Lod has iron grey hair, his face being
cleanly dwell with the except' .n of a moustache.
Lord lidward l'hynne, the contolainant, is an old MAD,
with snow white hair, moustache, an I trirkets, which
contrasted rather oonspicuow-ly with the black suit
in which his lordship was attired. He occupied a seat
•t the back of the magistrates, which one of their
worships handed to him.
powaing pro.scuted Mr. Tatiock, barrister,
defended Lord Townsend; and Mr. Noddsr represented
Colonel Nowt sad My,

Lord Edward Thynne wm called, and .aid: I ream.
at ecity. On the 24th of May I
drivingwan vrt'ekfrom'ear mtha vihonse to Sala bury in a pony
carriage 1)31 wren h df-plet two and three o'clock. My
daughter'e governess; wee in the carriage with me. and
my daughter wars following on a puny. After I had
started I saw•three men standing in the middle of the
road. I was drivilg slowly, as the red wee very
rough and coy. rel with stone.. When I cams up to
them I called out to them to take care, as I was afraid
the carriage might go over them.
Mr. Powning : What happened thin'
WA .eiss : One of them came from the off-side of the
carriage tower& me like a maniac, and struck me
with what I think was a blurisenn.
Mr. Powning : Let toe &geplante stand up.
Mr. l'atlock : That 14 nut nixie' .ry.
Mr. Pownling : Do you k ;ow which of them struck
you?
Wane r : It was the Marquis of Townsend. He
struck me more than once; I siseull think three times.
I was sit• in, in the carriege with the reia, in my hand.
and wa. qi to unprepared fir the assault. Colonel
Nepeai. was the pony's head whil4 the blow. were
bei g stuck, and the oklier defendant was on the near
side, s onewhat near the pony. Before I got out of
the cirri .se arquis of Towneend said "I. that
einiugh fir yon? Is that "trough for your repeating
the words wirli blows. The weapon looked like a
bludgeon, but if it was a whip he used the butt-5i of
It. After the blows luel been struck I got out of the
carriage and went towards the Marquis.
Mr. Powcing : Di 1 he then agato. strike you?
Witness: Yee, several timm with the same weapon.
Mr. Powning : Di I he repeat the same words?
Witness : Each time.
Q. What were the words "I. that enough for
yo•i ?"
Q. What did you say ?—A. I said, "Who are you ?"
Q. What answer did he make to that 7—A. None.
Q Describe the blows; were they given with forest...-
A As herd ash. could.

Q. What were you wearing at the time f—A. The
hat produced, the marks and wilt on which were caused
by the blows.
Q Were the other defendints, standing near you
whilst the assault was goini cirf —A. Yew, both of
th.ln wore there.

Q. In addit oo to the blow. en the bat we you
titosoywnwe else t—A. I wu hilLon the face.
Q. Did it draw blood I— A.. Yes. The blow was
/Deo across the cheek bone.

uQ. Was the .kin broken f—A. Yes, and blood was
running down me face. I spoke to the defendant
Eli. directly after the assault, and asked who they
were, but he refused to tell me. I *eked him to let
me have a large sack he had in his hand, but he would
not do 8 ~

Mr. Powning : Give the exact words his need.
Witness : "No, I won't ; you had better let it
al ..no."

Q. Had you anything in your hand whilst the
ass.at was being committed? —A. No; I was
absolute', pnwerless. The sasault could not have
fasted more than three or four minutes at the outside.
I obtained assistance, mad seat my gardener after the
defendant s.

Mr. Tatlock : Now I am pained to asked you some:
questions. In 1872 you were on friendly teems with
the Marquis?—A. : Yes.
Q.: And risikd at bli house?
Mr. Powning objected to the question.
Mr. Swain: You want to put this question in
aggravation of the assault?
r. Tatlock : No, in mi
Mr. Swain: This assault was committed in hot
blood

Mr. Tatlock : They had not come face to face until
the assault was committed.

Mr. Powning : With.ut any disrespect to the
Bench I shall advice my client not to &rumor the
que. t ion
Mr. l'atlnck : Then I shall ask the Bench to compel
him to fle Jee.
%Ir. Pr‘mning : No question of Lord Edward
Thy,ne's morality has anything to d with this
assault.
Mr. Swain allnd. d to the case of the Queen a. Orton,
which cl-cid d arch a question. It was absurd to think
such fitie-ti ns wet, in mitigation of the assault, II he
con.idered 'her sagraestrd it.

Mr. 'ratio, k paid the Marquis of Townsend had
been ilj for ye wt., rad had not seen the complainant
until tha wa•ult was coil mitt d.

Tne Loch told Mr. Tetlock to proceed with his
que.tions.
Mr. l'attock : You weree visitor at bit lipase. and
ultimately you eloped with his wits : Wha
occurred is well Ito ,wu.

Mr. Tstl ,ck : Is that a fact, Lord Thyons?-11.. :
Yes.

Q: And have you ever met Lord Townsend since?
A: No.

Q : You were once beaten by Lord Mac Duff on
account of this affairl—A.: I wet assaulted by Lord
Mac Doff.
Q. You did not take any proceedings against Will
—A. : No ; I was abroad at the time.
Miss Chervet said: I am governess to Lord Edward
Thyone'e d mghter, and reside at Laverstock. I was
coming t • S disbury with hia lordship and his daughter,
on the 24.1) of May. and when near the iron bridge I
saw three men in trout walking close together in • line.
Lord :riward was driving very slowly, homage the
road was being mended. When we got up to them one
of them. th 'tiarquis of Townsend, turned round and
looked at the carriage. When we got up t . them
Lord Edward dither pulled up the carriage ail they
were in the way. They were a little on the left side
of the cspriage, and the Marqoi. of Townsend came
round to the right side and struck Lord Edward very
vielently with • stick or something he had in his head,
but I cannot say positively what it was.
Edward Manning said : I am • medical Pructid_ 'oar
and and reside at Laveretock. On the 24th of May Lord
Edward Tas one called upon me about three o'clock.
He was very ,nuch agitated, his face wai bruised and
bleeding, his hand bruised, and his appeared to be
battered about. I anked him what had happened to
him, and he told me. In consequence of what he said
I accomp tined him on the road towards Porton. We
overt tek three defendants.
Mr. Powning : What occurred thenl—A. One of
them, I believe the Mtrquis of Townsend, came up to
the pony curiage, and I think he said, "If we
promised to go quietly to dalisoury may we do se
without being handled." They all three came to SUL.
bury, and I foll .wed them.
Mr Powning (lo .king :Atha hat): Were the blows
heavy ? —A. Yes, very, I should say.
Mr. Nolder objected as the wit nese was a hatter.
Mr. Pownlng : Did you se* blood on the check?
—A.. Yes.

Q. NisTat light or memo blow?—A. A hairy
blow.

Tatlook : The skin was slightly &brand ?—A.
Yee.

_
Q. Not cut T—A. No, it most have boon &heavy
blow.

- .
Q When you came up to the defendants were there
any men there f—A.. There were some holding a con-
versation with the defendants.
Ms. Tatlock asked their worships if they had
decided to send the can for trial or not, for if they
had, he would not waste their time by addressing
them.

The magistrates retired to consider this question, and
on their return into court the Chairman said: We
have mach up our minds ta send the Cabe for trial at
the Quer ter Sessions.
The defendants were then charged in the tumid way,
pad Mr. Talbot and Mr. Nivider sal I they rviier.ed
their defence. trif being taken defends:l s £l6O each
and two sureties £lOO each, or one •llretY "f £2OO.
[The Marchionesiof Townsend is tit • indent .lau:htvr
of the sth Earl of Fife and sister to Lord Mac Duff.
She way born in 1847, and at the time @heel iped with
Lord E beard Therm. way only 25 years of age, whilst
his li..rdelalp was 65 years]