The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-12-27 00:00:00

ecncral nips.

A GIIONT STORV.— For three weeks or a month the
family of Mr. Martin, Ashford•road, had been disturbed
by mysterious ringings of the door hell, vaolcut sh.tkang
lif the doors, and divers other annoyances, the
tors of which no vigilance could detect, and to which no
clue could be obtained. The family consisted of Mr.
and Mrs. Martin, their son, a young Mali of about 20
years, another sun (an iiivalid) sonic years younger, aiiil
ion, female servant, lire servant was a stab', demure
sort of person, not given to going out over much ;tube
had no followers, hail two years' character front lier
last place, and was so touch trusted anil respected by her
mistress that in the cOrn irrer, When the (tinily went to
the seaside, she had sole charge of the house. The
family were of regular habits, and kept curly hours,
and the whole thing was inexplicable. The effect, how-
ever, on the health of Mrs. Martin and lii•r invalid son
began to be serious, and the aid of the police was edited
in. For twine time a policeman was almost constantly
in the house, but although the disturbance did not take
place while he wao there, he had never left many
minutes before the bells were again rung, and the doors
again ahaken as violently as evil.. At length, Sunday
eve g week, Mr. Maloney placed Sergeant Feather-
stone and a cordon if police all round the house. Tire
policemen on the premises left about nine o'clock. In
20 minutes after the back door was shaken violently ;
there was urr, one Within the cordon, and it was at once
Ironed that the ghost was within firehouse. The police
quietly departed, and Featherstone, haring instituted
inquiries, found that the servant girl, meter a steady
and even a religious character, had long carried on a
most flagrant and profligate- career. eni being charged
with the perpetration of these abominable tricks, she,
after Wine hesitation confessed her guilt, aid! that some
of the fellows who visited her having come at such bourn
of the evening as rendered it likely that a discovery
would bin made, she had invented these noises and pre-
tended alarms from robbers in order to prevent suer icion
falling upon herself. Footmarks in the garden which
had secured to odnfirin her taleo bad been Made, unob-
served, by herself ; and the boldness, Coolnesa, mid dex-
terity, with which she lioiz deceived everyl,by was cer-
tainly remarkable. her mistress, indeed, Up to the
very moment of the diascovvry we, so convinxd of her
innocence as to be almost unwilling to test it. The girl,
whose Hanle is Harriet King, WAS being
doubtful a liether any charge ugainst her could IA: cutter'
tained by the magistrates—and her wages paid to her
relatives here on condition that she was at once scot'
home to her parents, who, We hear, are eery respect-
able labouring people at Tent.rden.—.lhiiiisimic Jour-
nal.

Y./ISONOUH BATH tics. A case occurred at Clifton
lon Friday week which 'night have bsen attended with
I fatal consequences had not prompt inessures been taken
to counteract the effect of some poisonous matter used
in the composition of Bath buns, anti which nearly cost
the lives of six young gentlemen, pupils in one of the
first boarding-chords in the place. The circumstances of
the ca e were as follow :—Three of the youths had been
walking at Itedland, and purchased urine hurts at the
shop of a confectioner named Farr. lii the course of the
, afternoon three other lads from the selscsd went to the
same place and bought some more buns. In the evening
all six were seized with violent sickness, and presented
the symptoms of having partaken of rome poisonous
substance. Mr. Cross, surgeon of t'lifton, was called in,
and prescribed the necessary remedies, but the patients
continued so ill during the night that two of them were
not expected to survive. Fortunately, however, but
after great suffering, they all recovered. Some of the
buns which had not been consumed were subjected to
analysis, when it was found that each of them con-
tained seven grains of chromate of lead, which was used
as a cheap substitute for eggs, for the purpose of colour.
mg the buns. Farr, on being sent for, admitted having
used this preparation for some time, without being
aware of its injurious effects, and the supposition is that
a larger dose than usual wax, through carelessness,
placed in the butts in this case.