The Weymouth, Portland and Dorchester Telegram. — 1878-03-29 (Weymouth, Dorset, England)

THE RED-HOT POKER ASSAULT.  Richard Barter, an inoffensive looking man, was brought UP in custody, on remand. charged with a murderous assault upon William J .ha Stayner. —[The previous hearing of the case will be found reported in another column."] Thesevidence taken at the previ nis examin ttiou Wl.B read over. The prisoner, in his statement, said on Friday night last, about quarter to ten he was in bed at his house in Fordington, and he beard cries of fire and murder. He got up and looked out of his window, ant asked some women who were present what was the matter, and in consequence of what they said he got up and came down, when he got down he found Barter coining out. of his house, which was situate a couple of doors off. Prisoner then went up and deliberately struck a Mrs. Garrett with his fist. He went to protect her and pushed him into his lodgings. Whilst doing so the prisoner kicked him severely, causing a great loss of blood. After he had got him in the house he remained with him about twenty minutes, and then as he got up and was going home the prisoner took the poker out of the fire and struck him a blow across the upper part of his head. P.C. Gould then came and sent hitu to the hospital, where his head was dressed, and be afterwards returned home. The poker was rd-hot/ and the blood after he was struck ran down his head and clothes. After prisoner hit him he knocked him down. In the previous row he did not strike him at all, but he struggled with him to get him in-doors. Prisoner had been drinking. The prisoner hail no questions to ask the prosecutor. Mrs. Elizabeth Derrick said she lived at Fordington, and Barter lodged in her house. Lost Friday she saw him take a poker and strike the prisoner over the head. He caused a wound which bled very much. The poker was red-hot. When she came home that evening she found Barter by the fire, and she compla ned to him that he had too much fire, as she was afraid he would set the place on fire. Someone outside called out fire. She did not know who. Mrs. Garrett came down, and in consequence of what she said, told B trrett he had too much fire, and he then went out and struck her. Stayner took her part and struck Barrett. They returned to her house and remained talking some little time, and Stayner tri-id to persuade him to go to bed. After about twenty minutes, when Stityner was leaving, and had his hand on the handle of the door, Barter took the poker and struck him. There had been no quarreling between them previously. Called upon for his defence, the prisoner Barter said he had nothing to say. The Mayor told him it was a most violent assault, and might have cost the prosecutor his life Tne blow itself was quite sufficient to have c tused serious injury, without the fact of the poker being red-hot., and consequently there had been a remand to see if erysipelas set in. He could not be let off without. a heavy punishment; drunkenness was no excuse for such a murderous assault. The punishment the Bench were about to inflict would be severe, but not more severe than he deserved, and they trusted it would be a warning to him. He would be imprisoned in the County Gaol for two months with hard labour.  That appropriately named quarter, Mill-street, Fordington—for there are more fisty-cuff quarrels there than in any other part of Dorchester, of course, had a case. Miss Amelia Buq—it ought to be Bailey—was summoned by Mary L •gg and Caroline Mitchell for using obscene language. The case had been settled out of court. [lt is a pity magistrates allow this sort of procedure. We believe we are not overstating it when we say the language heard in our streets would disgrace the Seven Dials ] John Lamb, of Sherborne, was charged before Mr. M. Deveuish and Mr. Gregory, with being a deserter from the D irset Militia since the 8h of June. 1874. He gave himself up. The Bench discharged him.