The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-07-26 00:00:00

B RID P OAT.

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THE WEATHER AND CROPS.—The prevailing hot
weather, although severely trying to many constitu-
tions, hells, the promise ..f a rich and abundant harvest
In this neighlxmrho.sl, iii cou...ion with all districts in
the county. Cereals never looked better, and the
yield promises to cover even the most hopeful expecta-
tions. An outcry hem ben rai.ed to the effect that
disease has manifested it•ielf in the potatoes, but from
existing appearances, there is but little cause for
alarm. The heat his been, for the last few days,
literally tropical, the bannneter having on ous
neeseion pointed to 113 degrees in the sun, and 92 in
the shade.

AD-STCLT OX A Wire.—A young man, of Loden.
named Marwood Hansford, was charged at the
County Police Court, on Monday, before Mr. S. W.
Whetham, with assaulting and beating his wife, ataxy
Ann, OD tho 3rd inst. The parties reside at Upton
Farm, in the parish of loaders. The wife did not
appear, and it wa, stated she was too weak to attend
In consequence of the treatment by defendant. Mr.
Laver, father if prosecutrix, asked for an adjourn-
ment, and defendant himself wished tic, cage ad.
burned to instruct Mr. Ho ward for his defence. rho
case was adjourned till Monday next.
SCXMTRORIL—The first case of ounstroke occuring
In this locality, happened on Saturday ~,,, ming, when
Mr. J. P. Cornick, South.street, was rendered in.
seasible whilst transacting his business He was
conveyed home and medical aid procured. Several
alarming fits followed each other closely during the
day, but he has since improved, and will, in all pro-
bability, recover. Mr. Cornick was similarly attacic.d
in India many years since.
Hoe omit PITT! SKS/DONA, Tuesday.—Before C.
Edmunds, Esq. (Mayor), Mr. T. Edmunds, a d Dr.
Hay.—Genrze Cwimbs, dealer, Southwtreet, was
charged at the instance • f a your.... named John
Cha he's Strong, a neighbour, for assaulting him m the
2 d Nantes appeared for prosecutor, and
Mr. Manley for defendant. —The pmseuitor s. ii he
was walking down South-street on the evening of the
2nd, when Coombs catne out toEim, and held out his
hands to his face, and asked him if he " saw " them.
Prosecutor to d him that he did see them. Defendant
then spat in his face several limes, and told him to get
from tie pavement. He told defendant he should not
di so, and that tie had an equal right there with him.
Coombe then got a brush and commenced to sweep
him off, striking him in the stomach with the brush.—
In answer to Mr. Nlanley, prosecutor denied having
called Combs "ten-claws.'—Alice Tr-vett, and
others gave evidence in support of the ah ive, when
the ev dence for the defence went to show that Strong
had given Coombs provocation; a witness for the
defence, declared that he saw Stro,g spitting, whilst
another said it wis only Coombs who spat, and yet
another declared there wee no spitting at all.— l'he
Mayor said there was great discrepancy in the
()violence, but the balance of evidence lay
with complainant. He considered the assault was
proved and would order defendant to pay a fine of
sa. and 184). costs, and if the parties appeared again
they would be hound over each to keep the peace.--
Mr. W. H.tßeadon, inspector, under the Victory Act,
appeared to prosecute in two cases.—The first sum.
mons was against Silvester Dunn' a twine manufac-
turer, of South-street and .tllinjrton, for allowing
Thomas Eveleigh, not yet 13 years of age to be
employed without conforniity to the provisions stated
in the Act. The lad Eveleigh had had little or no
education. The employer, or occupier of works had
to get the age of the child before being employed, and
past experience hat proved how necessary it waste get
the age of a child by certificate of birth, or some either
reliable way.—The second charge war prefered
against Dorcas Powell, who did not appear, but was
represented by her sister.—Mr. Beadon said this lady
was on a pleasure tour in and about London, a very
pleasant thing to do at this time of the year. The
defendant had rep atedly made solemn promises, and
as solemnly broken them. The child employed—
Helen Hitt—had been sent io school as half-timer, but
had been sent for under pretences and put to work.—
Dunn warn fined 10s. and 12s. 6d. costs, and
Miss Powell 10s. fine and lls. costs.--
James Hunt, Thomas Coombs, Thomas Dunham,
Edward Way, and Edward Hallett, lads of the town.
ranging from 12 to 14 years of age, were charged with
assaulting and beating E eine Chard, a girl about 13
years of age. Coombs and Dunham pleaded guilty,
and the rest not guilty.—The complainant said that on
the 7th July she was returning irom a field near tte
Hsrbou -road late in the evening, a school tea having
been held there during th-i afternoon, when just as she
left the field she saw defendants who threw her down
and interfered with her clothes. They all crowded in
an indecent manner and she was nearly suffocat d.
The defendant Hunt asked one of the others for a
knife. She did not see a knife at all, they pulled
her dress and tore it. (Dress prodoced). She called
out, but nobody came. When defendants saws po'ice-
man they ran off. Three girls ;awe evidence in support
of the above. —Superintendent Mac. Hale said that
complaints had been received against all the defen-
dants ex -opting Dunham, and some of them had been
previously before the Bench. He would ask that they
should be sent to an Industrial school, or be whipped
with the birch.—After a consultation the Mayor said
it was the most serious came he had had brought bef re
him, but he was unwilling to send them to gaol. The
law, they found in this case would not allow them to
be s at to an Industrial School or to have them
whipped. They rich y deserved imprisonment, but
they would be fined—Hunt 2s. 6d. and 34. 6d. costs;
Coombs 28. 6d. and 2. 6d. coats; Dunham la. and
2s. 6d. costs; Way 28. 6d. and 3a. 3d. costs; and
Hallett 24. 6cl. and 3e. 3cL onto.