Blandford, Wimborne and Poole Telegram. — 1877-11-09 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

LOCAL TRIALS AT THE WINTER ASSIZE FOR  WILTS, HANTS, AND DORSET.  The Commission for holding a Winter Assize for Wilts, Hants, and Dorset, was opened at the Castle. Winchester, on Saturday evening, by Sir H. C. Lopes, Knt., who was received with the usual formalities by the High Sheriff of the county, Mr. F. G. Dalgety, and other officials. At the time of the opening of the Commission, the calendar contained the names of 45 prisoners, seine 4 them charged with heavy offences, as the following summary will show: —Burglary, 12: causing bodily harm, 7; child murder, 1 ; gross offence, 3; wilful murder, 3; attempt to murder, 1 • arson, 3 ; robbery with violence, 1; embezzlement. 1 ; concealment of birth, 2 : abduction, 1; forgery, 3; violent assaults on females, 4; manslaughter, 1; perjury, 1. Of these, 17 were from the Hants county gaol, 3 from Dorset, S from Wilts, 11 from Portsmouth borough, and 5 from Southampton. On Sunday morning the learned Judge went in state to the Cathedral, where Divine service was celelorated. Monday the Court opened at 11 o'clock and the usual formalities having been observed, The learned Judge proceeded to charge the Grand Jury. In the course of his charge he said a man named Henry Lock stood charged with the wilful mur•ler of a police. constable named Bishop, at Here Regis, in Dorsetshire. The facts of the case might be very shortly stated. it appeared that Lock was making considerable noise at a public-house, and that Bishop felt it his duty to put him out, with the view of inducing him to go home. A struggle ensued, and the evidence went to show that the constable used his staff. Eventually he succeeded in getting the prisoner near to his father's house, where Lock picked up a stone and threw it with great violence at Lfishop. It struck him on the head, and he fell to the ground insensible, and he thought it would be found that while lying in that state Lock struck him repeatedly with his fist. He renewed his violence even after the deceased had been lifted from the ground: and looking at the facts as stated, the grand jury would probably feel that the case was one that ought to be investigated by a petty jury. —A man named John Hollyoak was charged with the manslaughter of Arthur Hollyoak, his own child, in Dorsetshire. He had been committed on the coroner's inquisition and there did not appear to have been any enquiry before the magistrates. The case for the prusecution was that the prisoner negleoted the child, and if that neglect were reckless and criminal, no doubt he would be responsible, and there would he a prima facie case of manslaughter. In this case, ton, the medical evidence was of importance. in one part of it the witne,s said he could form no opinion as to the cause of death ; but he stated subsequently that there must have been considerable exhaustion before death, caused either by diarrhosa or dysentery. If they  _ thought there was a prima ftwis ease of neglect, it would he their duty to return a hill ; if not, of course they would throw it out. —There was a ,oineu hat peculiar ease—the last to which he should call their attention—in which • woman named Sarah Mitchell was charges with the abduction et two girls, 11 and 15 years old, at S. hampton. It would rather appear that she sought to induce the girls to lease their homes for the purpose of prostitution. At all events, they were taken to London, and he begged to r. mind the grand jury that the law made it an offence feu any person to take or CiillSe to he taketi any girl under the age of Ili, out of the possession of, :Lgaitest his or her will a father or a mother. Nor Was it ilecessary that force should he used for the purpose, or that the girl sli‘itild be absolutely talun from the house of the parents. If she bad left the house merely for a temporary purpose, and was then induced to go away, it wuti quite sufficient to satisfy the statute —With these .dosersathns he would request them to retire to their room, and return ~,,, of the shortest bills as soon as possible, s• that the leisine.s of the Assize might he proceeded v.ith. (The jury retired accordingly)  IF•P