The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-11-19 00:00:00

ACCIDENTS AND OFFENCES.

SUICIDE DT AN INTENDED BEIDL—A melancholy
case of suicide hy an intended bride is reported from
Cheltenham. The young woman, whose Caine is
Sarah Ashton, was engaged to be married to • young
tradesman in the above town, the bans of marriage be-
tween them having, in fact, been partly published. On
Fridsy afternoon she visited the house other betrothed,
in company with an old fellow-servant, and lied tea,
when she was observed to be in low spirita, and in the
course of the evening she went out for the purpose of
visiting her brother, but stayed there only • few
moments. Not returning each,' promised her intended
became alarmed and commenced a search for her. The
search was continued, and about 10 o'clock the follow'
lag morning her dead body was discovered floating in
the Chelt. About £45 was found on her person, the
savingo of her industry. At the inquest rubric-fluently
held the jury returned a verdict of "Temporary
insanity."

ROMANTIC B4OBIEPIY 11T • Touna WOMAN. —At the
Westminster Polio, Court on Tuesday, an apparently
smart looking youth, wearing a large woollen plaid
wrapper, who turned out to be • young female mas-
querading in man's clothes, was charged with being im-
plicated in a very extensive robbery, committed under
most peculiar and romantic circumstances. Inspector
Humphreys, of the B divivis,, said that on Thursday
night last, from information he received, he went to 29,
Illessborough Gardens, where on entering he found •
poker broken in the hall, with human hair and blood
sticking on it. There was more human hair about the
passage, and • pail, apparently containing blood. A
window leading to the rear of the premises was open
and a pane of glass had been out out; a ;aannel had
been cut out of a room door, and there were marks of
• Derwin having passed through it. Clocks, plate, and
other valuables were wrapped up in blndles. The
whole house had been ransacked, and • vast quantity
of property earned off. There was nothing to explain
these singular circumstances and appearances, and the
result of inquiries only put witnes• in possession of the
fact that a young man had left the house that evening
with Nome box,* and • portmanteau, in a cab, and was
driver, to the Eastern Counties Railway. It was then
ascertained lb .t • similar young man went that night
by the last train to Brentwood. Witness went there
and a,certsined that the party described as the young
man, but whom lie suspected to be the female servant
disguised, bed stopped there for the night. It was
next found th .t the supposed young man had gone to
Yarmouth, and wittieis, returning to town, despatched
police-coustalde Sheen, of the B division, to Yarmouth
Miami John Shawn, police-constable B 272, saW that
he went to Yarmouth agreeahly with the orders he
had received, to apprehend a young woman in the dis-
guise of a man. He woo a long time before he could
hear anything whatever about the prisoner, but he at
last ascertained that similar boxes to those described
bad been removed by • man with • tru-lt to • house
described. Ile went to No. 6, and there saw a big box,
by which the luggage had been mainly traced ; and in-
quired of the landlady of the house whether • young
man had recently come there with • box. The land-
lady replied in the affirmative, and mid he would be at
home 1,0411, having then gone to church. Witness sat
down for about three-quarters of an hour, when the
prisoner came with a rat-tat, and was adrnitt.d in the
mine garb as she now appeared in. Witness then told
her that he knew her to be Mary Newell, and that she
was his prisoner for robbing the house of her muter.
Mr. Barker, 29, Besaisurougli Gardens, lie then told
her that as she was not • man he could not himself
search her, and, therefore requeded her to give up any
property she hail shout her, and she then produced •
purse containing £25u., a few pence mid Turkish gold
coins, gold pen, and gold watch, a pipe, some tobacco,
and fusee& The only thing he ascertained respecting
the charge was an inquiry on the part of the prisoner
whether anybody else had been taken on the charge.
He then brought her to London, with all the property
she had stolen —Mr. Backer proved that the property
produced ill • large caw was his, and had been carried
off Thursday .night. The prisoner was his servant.

The properiy. consisted of wearing apparel, linen,
jewellery, and miscellaneous articles. There was also
• great quantity of property of the same deacription,
belonging to a visitor at the house, which had been re.
moved.— Prisoner, who hung down her head, heard
the whole of the above evidence without making any
remark.—Mr. Ilumphreys aaked for a remand, and
stated that he had an object in so doing.—r. Paynter
accordingly remanded the prisoner for a week.
THE LATE ALDER/MOTT TRAGETIT.—John Nicholas,
the private soldier who shot his sergeant at Aldeniliott
on the 6th instant, was examined at Odillam on Tuesday
last. It appears that the ball passed completely through
the unfortunate man's body, and that lie now lies in an
extremely dangerous state. A witness who SAW the
occurrence having given evidence, the prisoner was com-
mitted for trial. Some alarm &mean to have been
caused by the discovery of another loaded rifle. It has
been again and again pointed out that these tragedies,
and thy apprehensions to which they naturally give rise,
can only be effectually checked by depriving tile soldiers
of their ammunition.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF MURDHR iii nu SURREY
CANAL.—On Wednesday, at Greenwich police.court,
George Inkpen, a young man twenty years of age,
described as • liaminersuan. of 37, Amelia-terrace, Dept-
ford, was placed in the dock on • charge, AA described in
the police sheet, of attempting to commit suicide by
throwing himself into the Surrey Canal, in company
with Margaret Heverls, who was drowned. In-
apeetur Ellis. ft division, said, from information re-
ceived, lie went, at half-peat ten on Monday night, to a
house in Amelia-terrace, Deptford, where be saw the
prisoner. With° took him out, and on proceeding up
the street, questioned him concerning the deceased
being in the canal, and asked if he could point out the
spot where it occurred, when the prisoner said he would
tell him ell about it. The prisoner then sail he Lad
been to a race or running snatch in London that day,
and had got out at the railway station, High-ervet,
Deptfoid, that evening, and that after going to Ben-
nett's, • barber, he proceeded to the Lord Duncan
public-house, New.criee.road, and had something to
drink. While there, the ilecsaaed, who lived in the
neighbourhood as domestic servant, entered for the
family's eupper, when he spoke to her, and they went
out together. She then wished him to drink some of
the beer, whiels he dhl, and she drank some also, and
then they finished the whole of it. Having done this,
the prisoner remarked that the deceased said, " It is no
um living, my friends are always nagging me," adding,
" Will you follow mire ?" He replied "Yes ; wherever
you go I will go," and that they then turned down the
Mornington-rowl, and went together to the Surrey.
canal, where the deceased asked him if he had got •
handkerchief; that lie replied lie had a handkerchief,
but she said it would not be long enough to go round
them both, and that he then taid he had got some boot-
laces, which he hwl bought in London, and that on her
saying they would (11, they tied theniselses together.
Previous to entering the water the deceased said, "I do
not think I shall 'Mak." When he asked her why she
said so, she replied. "Because of my crinoline." The
prisoner then said they both got into the canal, and
rolled over; that she soon turned, but did not for some
time sink, but that the boot-laces breaking, he got out
on the opposite side, and tried to save her, but not
being able to do so, he got into the canal again, swam
&cram, and returned home. Witness and the prisoner
then proceeded towards the canal bank, and, cn asking
the prisoner if he felt himself better, he replied. "
was very bad, and she had to hold cue up; but I am all
right now,and if I had been as well awhile ago, I should
not have done this." Wituessasked him if be had been
drinking, and be said he bad been drinking freely. The
prisoner then pointed out the spot where they entered
the water, and the deep having been procured, the
body' of deceased was found and brought ashore. The
prisoner said her name was Margaret Edwards, and that
he had been keeping company with her three years.
Prisoner appeared anxious to see the body of deceased,
and OR allowing him to do he said it had made a great
alteration in her features. Witness then took the pri-
soner hi the police-station; and the charge having been
taken, the prisoner raid be would give him his word that
what he had told him was the truth. Witness assisted
ía takosg the body of deceased to the dsed-houm,
exam Ming it to wee if there were any boot-laces or hand-
kerchief tied about it, but could find neither. There
was • bruise on the left temple. On going to the pri-
mmer'n house, witness saw some wet clothes in the room.
—This being the whole of the evidence, a friend of the
prisoner's inquired the nature of the charge against
biro P—Mr. Trail said it walk, resolve Itself into •
charge of murder opiate the primmer, who warn then
remanded.