The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-09-14 00:00:00

STEALING A PURSE.

At the Borough Police Court on Wednesday, before Dr.
Aldridge and G. J. 0. Gregory, Eq.,
George Dmonport from London. a travelling banjo-player,
was brought up charged with stealing • press from • lady
who had come by train from Aldershot —Miss Alice
Georgina Selby arrived in Dorchester yeaterday by the
train at LF when she wa.s at the cation die had her
purse, and gave her half-ticket to the clerk, and walked
straight up to Mr. Burnett's, and directly on her arrival at
his reddence she missed her purse, 11114 fouod her pocket
wee unsewn and • large bole there. It contained £2 10s.
in gold, fit in silver, shouts shilling's. worth of stamp', and
three half•ticketa —Thomas Churchill, • boy of Fording.
too, was at the South. Western elation about dinnertime
that previous day, and saw prisoner st,op and pick up
something between the gates of the OiStioll al he was
going towards the Junction. This was near the cottafes
where the trucks were. Jut below Mr. VelleY's he took
puree out of his pocket, looked at what was in it, and put
it in again be then went towards the Great Western
station, and witness went up South street. Did not tell
anyone then what he had seen, but told the crier yesterday
afternoon, about three o'clock. At the time the purse
WU picked up he saw three young ladia and Mr.
Burnett —P.C. James Collins having h, sod of the lola and
the description of the prisoner, went and found him at
the Mariner's public-boos., where ho admitted having
tired up the purse, spent the money, and throwing away
On being charged he answered "You
ese IPulf:a made good use of it," pointing to a new
suit of clothes. When he was searched at the station, lilt
yd, wee found on him. At the station he said—" I have
burnt the puree and the tickets and 14t my clothes at
my lodgings, the Greyhound." But witness found be had
not lodged there, but only came out of prison that morning,
and in the afternoon had bought a new suit of clothes at
Mr. Steslies.—Dr. Aldridge told the prisoner he ought to
have gone to the police at once with the purse—R.-mended
till Monday.

TUE PROPOSED MEMORIAL TO REV. 11. SIOULE
A coffee tavern for Fordington is proposal by the Revs,
C. W. Bingham and Reginald Smith. who rather deprecate
the ids' of founding any mission hall, believing that, es
Mr. Bingham says—" A dhision of objects must inevit
ably cripple both." It seems certainly a pity that the
coffee tavern scheme was not more widely announced, and
ag an earlier date; even now it has not been brought '
before some of the friends of the temperate., cause, or
even of the resides:lM of Fordington ; but we republish the
arguments of the Rev. Regina.! Smith, oit of sincere
respect for the late Vicar and his cc-workers.
It was the conviction of Mr. M 'ale. founded upon
long experience, that hi. if re for the „atepoi„n ofor
Lord's Kingdom and for the moral welfare of hiv
Loners were continually thwarted bv th- great ten ytittoris
to intemperanixi which beset theta on every aide.
11l am not mistaken they-, are nt least 30 publichouwit
and beershope in Dorcha t.r and Fordington. This
means the co-operation id at least that number of
families who have a strong p.cuniary intervit in promot-
ing drinking habits among the people. Even when the
publican is a respectable man, who does what be can to
awnings scion drunkenness his house is of necessity a
of temptation. When its is KO unprincipled Man
erhOtla• is • curse to the neighbourhood. In Dorchester
there EL by the exertions of Mrs. Bingham, an excellent
coffee tavern. In Fordington there is to plum to which
young labouring men can go for bodily refreshment and
recreation, except thoe which sell intoxicating drink&
ocarecoentir Many of them form intemperate habits.
When they marry they become bad husbands and bed
fathers: they corrupt the rising generation by their
us example. This is • deplorable state of things.,
ftesr:ol°tho very foundations of morality and of national
tr. In the proponwl coffee tavern working men
Pw
tr saved from these terrible temptat.ona and will
Obtain the refreshment they need in the 'cup which
cheers but not inebriates.' "
- • -

It is hoped that sufficient funds may be raised to pro-
vide under the same roof a good sized room for reading
and harmless gaines without the vice of gambling; and
fiKalitiMag, with the consent of that* who frequent the
room. It might be used for lectures. nue to some
edge; the suggedion of your correspondent might be
combined with- the promotion of temperance. It is my
conviction that if coffee taverns were multiplied much
more than hitherto would be done to nave England from
the reproach of being the roost drunken nati di on the
flee of the earth. When men are no loom stop fitel,
degraded, and brutalised by excessive drink they will at
least be in a condition to avail thenteelvee of tle public
maiu ofEwe, which are probably suffici or for the
"iti of the population in Dorchester and Fordington.
At env rata a 'My greet hioiranoe would be removed.
Enigma of dozing out the precious hours of the L,rd's
guy in trying to sleep off the drunken debauch of
oterday eight men would be setting NI 0111031710 of
• orrecy and seitoontrol before their children, and would
!Mabel of braking the Marts of their wives."