The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-03-12 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN

I left on the Tuesday following the 19th of February. Mr.
Dove said nothing more about it to me. During the tims I
had been with Mr. DJVC his conduct had been very violent.
He would swear at Mrs. Dove, at d if she said anything that
he did not like, he would strike her. I have heard
him threaten her. Ile said that he would do for both
of us, either one way or the other. He came to
live in Leeds about the 21st of December. He got drunk.
In about a fortnight ho came home one night, between
seven and eight o'clock. He went into the room where
Mrs. Dove was. The bell rang, I went upstairs, and Mrs.
Dove said, " Look, Mr. Dave has come home drunk." He
asked her " Why she had called me upstairs to tell me that
for ?" and she said, "Because, when you was at Normanton
you promised you would not get drunk when you went to
Leeds." He said," Never mind, I'll do your job for you,
Gne way or another." She then said she would go to bed.
He would not let her, and she slept with me that night.
Some time after he got drunk again, and came home about
a quarter to two o'clock. She 'said, Oh, William, you
say you want your dinner at half past twelve, and it is now
a quarter to two." He said, " Never mind ; mind your
own business, else I'll do your job for you." He ordered
me out of the room, and I went and sat on the kitchen I
steps. I hadn't been there long before Mrs. Dove screamed
three times. I went to her assistance, When I got into
the room, I saw Mr. Dove holding one of her arms with his
left hand, and a carving knife in the right hand. He
says, " You are a d—d w—, and was before I
married you." I heard him sharpening the knife on
a steel before I entered the room. I went
up to him and said, "If you dont be quiet l'll knock up
Mrs. `Witham to come in," and took up the poker for that
purpose. He then left go her arm, got his dinner and
went out. He came home between eight and nine in the
evening, and when he came home Mrs. Dove was down in
the kitchen. I went and opened the door to him. He
asked where she was ; I told him, and he came down.
As she "nipped" up to go up the stairs, he struck her on
the side of the head as she was going upstairs. He followed
her, and I too, with a candle, up into the garret, where she
fainted. He got some brandy for her, with which I rubbed
her lips. About six weeks ago, on a S tturday night, he
said he had got £5 from the executors, and on the Sunday
Mrs. Dove said, " William you are not going to take all
that money to chapel with you ;" and he said, " Never
mind ; I have hid it out of your way." On the Monday he
came home drunk. She asked him what he had done with the
£5, and he said he had drunk some of it. She asked him
for some mor ey, and he said he would sooner give it to anybody
else than to her. On the Tuesday he was going out, and
she said, " Don't go out, William ;" and he said " You
hold your tongue, or I'll give you a pill that will do for
you." He was abusive when ho was sober, sometimes, if
anything was said that did not suit him. On the Tuesday
after the Saturday he had the £5 note, she said to me, " If
I die at any time, I should wish my friends to have my
body examined." She has told me that before, and since,
in his presence. She said to me, " Elizabeth, come in here,
I wish to speak to you. Now, if I should die at any time,
and you are away from me, it is my wish for you to tell my
friends to have my body examined." She has repeated that
several times in my presence. On the 19th instant she
missed a book—" The Magazine of Arts"—which belonged
to him. He said he had given it away, but he would not
tell her to whom. She said it could not be anybody of any
good, or he would tell her. He then said, " I wish you was'
dead, and out of the way." She thereupon repeated her
former wish, not in his presence, adding, "I am sure he will
do for me either one way or the other." He told me, in
the presence of Mrs. Dove, that the poison was in the house,
and that it was in the razor box. She did not seem at all
fearful of it, but she said several times she hoped he had put
it out of the war. I could not repeat to you his conduct
towards her. He repeatedly struck hsr. She was in fear
of him, although she appeared not to he when anybody was
in, He was worse when he was drunk.
By Mr. Barret : When he was drunk ho always con-
ducted himself in an excited manner, lie said to his wife,
when we lived at Woodhouse, after he-had- certssfinertse
" Wizard," that he knew Mrs. Dove's days would ha ended
in February, and he told her so. When he was sober iref'
has promised his wife that be would do better. She never
abused him ; she might be cross sometimes. I and Mrs.
Dove have talked about his conduct sometimes. I don't
remember her saying to me, "Mr, Dove is one of the best
husbands when he's perfectly sober ;" but she has said that
Mr: Dove was sometimes very kind when he was sober. He
has threatened her when be was not drunk. This witness
gave her evidence under an excess of emotion.
At this stage of the proceedings the inquiry was adjourned
until Wednesday morning (this day.)

TRADE REPORT.-TIIESDAY,

better to leav
inti,neinnf 111,

Mr. CI

FORS

SELECT VESTRY.-YESTERDAY.

The usual meeting of the select vestry was held in the
board, workhouse, at ten o'clock, yesterday. The Rev.
Rector Campbell presided, and among the members pre-
sent were, Messrs. Bradley, Shaw, Owen, Denton, Gard-
ner, Mellor, Crawford, Satchell, Fairhurst, Whitby,
Chesney, Whitty, Woodruff, Ba.irstow, Bold, Clarke, J.
Jones, Wensley, and Braucker.

;s were to

WORKHOUSE COMMITTER

The minutes of this committee were read. It appeared
that the numbers admitted to the vagrant sheds during
the past week were 189 males, 1M females, and 27 chil-
dren, in all 370. The number of sick cases in the house
on the Ist instant was 706, including 38 fever, and 82 itch.
The total number of persons in the house on the sth

instant was 2574.
Mr. Shaw moved the adoption of the proceedings, which
did not contain anything of importance.
Mr. Woodruff objected to the pavement and the level of
the new road within the precincts of the workhouse.
Mr. Shaw said, to have male the road or level suggested
by Mr. Woodruff, would have caused alterations which
would involve a considerable outlay.
After a shor4 conversation the proceedings were
confirmed.

INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS' COMM ITTRE

The proceedings of this committee comprised a resolution
with reference to the remarks recently made by Mr. Fair-
hurst in reference to the conduct of the head master of the
Industrial Schools, in regard to the enlisting of boys from
the Industrial Schools. The resolution declared the
opinion of the committee that, the conduct of the head
master (Rev. Mr. Holmes) was not open to reproach.
Mr. Crawford moved the confirmation of the proceed-
ings.

kr. Fairhurst said—lt will be remembered that at our
I made some observations respeetinz a num-
)t boys who had been permitted to enlist into the
pressed a strong opinion that this board was

doing very wrong to permit it, and gave notice of my in-
tention to resume the subject in committee. Peeling
warmly, as I did, the injustice done to these children by
permitting them to enlist into an occupation of which they
could not possibly!know anything, or he able to form any
idea at so young an age, and that this step once taken,
and permitted by us, fastened them to the consequences,
there being no taking on trial, as in the case of an intend-
ing apprenticeship or a servant, I made some observations
on an officer of the schools—the chaplain—who was an
active agent in the affair. Those observations were to
the effect that he had encouraged the children to volun-
teer, and that by so doing he hail degraded his high and
holy office. The chaplain naturally felt aggrieved, and
addressed a letter to the schools committee, complaining,
and asking for an inquiry into his conduct. This reason-
able request, which was the only official way of rebutting
my observations, was attempted to be refused, but on my
motion was allowed. After examining the pupil teacher
and boys who had called on me, the committee conceded
that the words imputed to the chaplain by me had been
so reported to me by one of the boys, in the hearing of the
pupil teacher (Connor). The chaplain's statement was
then taken. He said—" I took the first and second

their confirmation

divisions into one of the class rooms, in consequence of a
request from the bandmaster to supply him with a list of
names of boys fit to go into the army. I said, Now, a
number of boys are wanted for the army ; they rnust.be
14 years of age, four feet six inches high, and they must
have the consent of their friends. No one will be forced
to go.' One of the boys whom I called said his friends
objected ; I sent him out of the room. Another was too
low; I sent him out of the room. Another, being over
4 feet 6 inches, I kept him in tie room, and all whom I
thought suitable. Some came back, saying they were tall
enough. The list b.howed 11 over 14 years, 5 over 15, 2
over 16, and 2 over 17. Some could play music ; some
could not. Those boys who went to Mr. Fairhurst's were
of the number rejected." Now, taking his own statement
of the facts, it would appear that he invited the boys to
volunteer, and that instead of using the word " encourage,"
I ought to have said "invited," the two words being, in
my estimation, nearly synonymous. At a subsequent
meeting several more of the boys were examined. most of
them agreeing with the chaplain's account, except one,
who stated that the Queen's name had beta used. The
resolution just read was then proposed by Mr. Satchell,
and was met by an amendment from me, in which I gave
the chaplain the benefit of all doubts about the boys'
statements, and exonerated him from all blame in the
fullest manner; but asserting that such functions were
unbecoming the office of chaplain, an ought to be left to
be dealt with by the governor, under the direction of the
committee. This was lost. With regard to the other ex-
pression— that he had degraded his high and holy office—
I freely admit my regret that in a moment of excitement
and warmth of temper, caused by my strong feelings on
the subject, I applied the words personally to him, and I
tender this expression of my regret as publicly as the
charge was made, and from a sense of duty to him as well
as respect to my own character as a man. But, sir, lam
as firmly convinced as ever, that, the exercise of such
functions is, in the words of my resolution, incompatible
with the office of chaplain, and with that feeling I shall

move the following resolution as an amendment :--" That
so much of the proceedings as refer to the resolution on
Mr. Holmes's conduct be omitted, and the following
inserted :—Resolved, That this board fully exonerates the
Rev. Mr. Holmes from all blame as to the manner in
which he performed this duty, believing that he had no
other object in view but relieving the seho.-,ls of a number
of boys, who were desirous of volunteering ilto the army,
and for whom there appeared to him to be no more eligible
mode of disposing of them ; but this board is of opinion
that the exercise of such functions is incompatible with
s office of chaplain, and that for the future it will he
dealt with by the super-

such matters tc

he direction of t
!conded the resolution

i defended the co ~luct of the committee in
objecting at first to any inquiry, as he said they consi-
dered the charge a trumpery affair altogether, and felt
they could anticipate the result of it. They were of
opinion that even if the Rev. Mr. Holmes had uttered the
words he was charged with, it was still so paltry a case
that it did not deserve inquiry. Ile could understand
such opposition from a member of the peace society, but
the doctrines of that society were not recognised in the
industrial schools. The selection of children for the army
from these schools was not a new thing, and it was the
opinion of the majority of the committee that if the chap-
lain had not had something to do with the affair they
should never have heard a word of complaint. It was
singular that since the chaplain had been there, not a
single measure took place which did not meet with oppo-
sition from some parties, (Hear, hear.) He felt called
upon to make these remarks because he thought the com-
mittee was justified in not going into an investigation on
such a charge. He contended that the effect must be
most injurious and pernicious to the children of the
schools, to have them brought from time to time into
collision with the officers with the view of getting the
committee to censure the latter. He believed the boys
were desirous of going into the army themselves, and
denied that any attempt. was ever made to smuggle them
into it. He declared that he had no sympathy with the
morbid sentimentalism displayed by Mr. Fairhurst.
Mr. Satchell declared that a fixed determination was
evinced by some members of the vestry to throw every
possible obstacle in the way of the chaplain.
Mr. Whitby said he saw nothing of the kind, but quite
the reverse. The chaplain had been very fairly dealt
with.

Mr. Gardner said there was not the slightest impedi-
ment ever thrown in Mr. Holme's way. He agreed with
Mr. Fairhurst, that it was no part of the clergyman's
duty to canvass for the army.
Mr. Satchell: We placed him there as chaplain and
head master, and this is an attempt to remove from him
part of his duties.
Mr. Chesney: One which I should think he would be
very glad to be relieved from.
Mr. Whitty repudiated the accusation which was made
against Mr. Fairhurst, and by insinuation against hinasel,
as he had taken part with that gentleman. They would
desire something worthier as an object in discharging
their duties, than to attack the chaplain simply because
he was chaplain. If Mr. Fairhurst and he were to be de-
terred, because of a difference of religion between them
and the chaplain, from expressing an opinion on any pub-
lic act of the chaplain, or any officer of the institution,
he for one, would not wish to hold his seat at that board
for a day; Mr. Satchell had made an insinuation against
them.

LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 18‘62

at once come forward and say so. (Hear, hear.) He
thought it was quite incompatible with the position Mr.

he should superintend the multifarious

duties of which Mr. Whitty had spoken. i It was an ex•
posure of incompetency upon the part of the committee
to manage their affairs, if that
~was the way in which

proper person to hold the office he did, then he was the
only person to whom application ought to be made, espe-
cially in a secular point of view, and not Mr. Holmes.
The latter gentleman was appointed expressly to be
bead master of the teaching department and no more.
Mr. Bradley : And the industrial department as
Well.

Mr. Denton said the other day they had the governor
of the institution apparently considered an unfit person
even to judge of cups and saucers. All this he contended
was an undermining, a two-faced sort of way of dealing
with an old servant who had served them faithfully, and
who deserved thanks for the manner in which he had con-
ducted the schools. It would be better for the committee
to come forward and deal with the question honestly, and
if Mr. Coates was no longer a fit and proper person to
hold the office, not to spend the public money in paying
him for it. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Woodruff did not at all object to the first part of
Mr. Fairhurst's resolution, but he did object to the last
part, because it asked the board to take away from the
committee the power of making such regulations as they
thought fit for the government of the schools. It was not
usual for the board to attempt any interference with the
principles laid down by the committee; and at any rate,
he thought, every means should be exhausted before such
a step was taken. (Hear, hear.):
The board then divided, when there appeared eight for
the amendment, and ten against it. The amendment was
therefore lost, and the proceedings were confirmed.

MEDICAL RELIEF COMMITTEE

From the proceedings of this committee it appeared that
light and airy wards had been constructed for the recep-
tion of harmless lunatic c ises, which it was proposed to
transfer for the future to that house, a medical officer
being placed specially in charge of them. The minutes
also stated that the chairman of the committee having
complained of neglect upon the part of Mr. Leather, to
attend a violent case of lunacy under his charge, by which
neglect very serious consequences had well-nigh occurred,
Mr. Leather was called before the committee, and heard
by them in explanation of the circumstances complained
of, and it was resolved that the redivision of the medical
and surgical cases among the medical officers of the house
be reserved for consideration at the next meeting. It was
also resolved that Francis Evrton be appointed medical
officer, instead of assistant, his salary to be raised from
£75 to £lOO a year for additional duties.

Mr. Bradley proposed the adopt
ceedings, reserving, however, th

)n of the general pro-
special recommends.
of a motion for

tions, in reference to which he gave not

Mr. Woodruff said it was intended to get the narrow
end of the wedge in fur retaining within the walls'of the
house cases of violent lunatics who should at once be
removed under proper regulations to proper treatment,
then, whatever the saving might be, he trusted that
neither that board, nor the lunacy commissioners, would
sanction such a proceeding for a moment. The first effort
of that board should be to take every means in their
power, irres+ ective of cost to restore reason, and under
no circumstances would he be a party to anything which
would depart from that course. He had heard already of
one case which, if the facts were as stated to him, would
be a subject of investigation for the board hereafter, but
to which he would not make any furthur allusion at

present.
11r, Bradley said there was no intention whatever upon
the part of the medical committee to retain a single case
of violence in the house, but on the contrary to pass them
off as frequently as they found! it judicious to do so. He
could assure the board that there was not the slightest
intention in that respect to deviate from the course always
pursued.
Finally the general proceedings were confirmed.

COMMITTEE

The-minutes of this committee contained a statement in
reply to an article which appeared in the Liverpool Mer-
cury of the 27th of February, and which charged the
vestry with having during the past year expended
£70,000 as the cost of distributing £50,000 worth of relief,
being 235. expense of distribution to every 20s. of relief
given. -

Mr. Woodruff, in moving the confirmation of the pro-,
ceedings, briefly alluded to a subject which he stated was
not quite ripe, as yet, for fuller discussion—the propriety
of sending destitute vagrant boys to the reformatory in
place of bringing them into that house, at the discretion
of the magistrates before whom they were brought, and
who now had to send them either to prison or into the
workhouse—the parish to pay something fur their sup-
port until they were provided with means of earning their
livelihood. Fie then referred to the reply of the com-
mittee to the article in the Mercury, and remarked that
although it was not al ways desirable to take up anony-
mous charges, yet iu that inst ante, as the charge appeared
to have an editorial sanction, it was considered right to
reply to it. He expressed a full approval of newspaper
surveillance over public boards, and exposure of improper
management, but in that case he thought more care should
be exercised in putting forward statements, which, if they
were not replied to, must reflect upon the conduct of the
men who devoted their time to the duties of that board.
He had been told, but of course he could not say how
truly, that the statement in the Mercury had been supplied,
either directly or indirectly, by a member of the vestry.
He hoped there was no member of that vestry who knew
so little of his duties, as to put forward such incorrect
statements. He did hope that if there was any truth
whatever in the statement, that it had come directly or
indirectly from a member, that member would get up at
once and say whether he did so, and whether he knew
anything at all about it.
Mr. Whitty : Name, name.

Mr. Woodruff said Mr. Whitty's name was given.
(Hear, hear.) He had no authority for it, more than
mere hearsay. When members of a public board did
their duty, let the public give them credit for it ; when
they neglected that duty, .let the public be
aware of it, and censure them ; and let the
press on every occasion. give full publicity to all
matters upon which the public ought to be info+•med, but
let there be equal care taken how the characters of gentle-
men were compromised whose characters ought to be
treated with at least just consideration. (lhar, hear.)

Mr. Whitty said he was not the author of that state-
ment, nor did he know anything of it until it appeared in
print. He would have hesitated and paused before
putting forward such a statement as that. lie suppose",
however, ho was at liberty to express his opinion in con-
versation with any gentleman who asked his opinion upon
such matters. tie did not know anything about the
article, but he remembered having a conversation with a
gentleman in reference to the expenditure, from which it
was not at all impossible the article came. It was simply
an expression of opinion upon his part, and he did not
think it was at all intended for the press, or that any
public charge would be manufactured out of it. He should
himself be jealous of the public character of a body like
that to which he belonged. He did not believe the vestry
was incompetent to discharge its duties, or that any
member of it was, intentionally or knowingly, given to
jobbery or corruption, nor did he think the board would
be rectified by any entirely new infusion. At the same
time, the facts in the newspaper appeared to him to be in
some measure correct. He asked, on one occasion, the
weekly expense of each pauper, and he was told by the
clerk about 2s 10d, and the same statement was made by
Mr. Farnall at the board. He contended that when
asked his opinion he had a full right to give it, and should
not for doing so be pointed at as the author of the article
in question, of which he knew nothing, and which he
never supposed would have appeared, until he saw it.
The subject then dropped, and the proceedings were
confirmed.
Mr. Shaw moved that Mr. James Ireland be appointed
assistant overseer, which was agreed to.
The usual advertisements were ordered to be issued for
contracts. _ .

............_
After transacting several matters of no public import-
ance, the board adjourned.

THE BURNOPFIELD MURDER

Respecting the Burnopfield murder the Gateshead
a gentleman in Scotland, he said it was not thehoc
Observer says:—The case of lancets having been shown
a 8
ea;d
and
nr addressed s ehde ta
inno
not the
the letterc waseev ehtreo
had presented to the deceased. Subsequently,
Stirling'sha
db rhoetahredr,
th ea at Ke ier,aksi
en
tilled', he said the lancets were, he believed, Ale same, but
d
speak of a case given to him by another gentleman.
«'e find the following in the Timesg :—" reference
to this case we have to place on record a circumstance
of a very. remarkable and even affecting nature, which,
however it may be accounted for, or disbelieved, is
nevertheless perfectly true. Mr. Stirling's parents,
who, it will be remembered, reside near Dumbarton, on
the Clyde, having been in Durham during the assizes,
attending the Court for the purpose of hearing the trial
of the alleged murderers of their son, the state-
oddi\eldr.thathe
ment which we subjoin is from Mr. Stirling himself.
On the night of the Ist of November, the day on which the
murder was committed, Mrs. Stirling had a remarkable, and
what she termed a fearful dream. She dreamt that some
persons were about the house, intending to break into it. In
a short time, a man, with a dark complexion and black
dress, looked in upon her at the window, presented a gun,
and discharged it at her. At this juncture, she awoke in
great alarm and trepidation ; and since then, the dream—
most strongly impressed upon her mind, by the fact of her
son's murder, intelligence of which would not reach her
until six or seven days later than the dream—has ever been
vivid in her recollection Mrs. Stirling accompanied her
husband to Durham, for the purpose, as we have said, of
being present at the trial. She expressed a great desire to
see the two men accused of the murder ; and, for that pur-
pose, visited the prison on Wednesday. Several menwere walking in the yard at the time, including
Cain, Rayne, a turnkey, and three or four
others. Immediately on perceiving Rayne, with-
out being told the names of any of the men, she
recognised in him the features of the man whom she saw
in her dream fire through the window at her, pointed him
out, and burst into tears. Mrs. Stirling still expresses
her positive conviction with respect to Rayne. The
circumstances we have mentioned may appear strange, but,
we may repeat, they are perfectly correct. The bring
vividly to light the Red Barn murder, in which Corder, the
murderer, was brought to justice through a remarkable
dream of the mother of the murdered young woman. Ia
the present case, the dream is no lets remarkable, though it
cannot have a similar effect."