The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette. — 1861-09-24 (Dorchester, Dorset, England)

AVIKAT WITH TUN MILITAILT.—Vre have received the following trine • correepondent : "Sir,-Your report respecting the affray between soldiers and civilians was not quite correct In the first place you say there were on Monday night some privates and a lance-corporal drinking at the "New Inn" by which I presume you mean the "New Hotel," also, it is altogether incorrect ; there were neither lance-corporal or privates drinking at the" New Hotel"on Monday night, but on Monday evening there were some navvies drinkMg at the " New Hotel," and somewhere about seven o'clock • colour-sergeant and a corporal came into the hotel to look for some soldiers, whom lie (the sergeant) said he had stationed on the beach and could not find. One of the men offered the corporal a glass of , beer, which lie refused, and one of the party said be I should not drink it, and !stood up and threatened the one who offered it. The sergeant and corporal stood in the doorway the same time, the corporal with a short staff in his hand like the leg of • chair, being about 16 inches long, and snuffer on one end than the other. 1 With this he struck at one of the men across the arm of the sergeant, but did not touch him. The landlord mine and asked the sergeant to come into another room I in order to prevent a breach of the peace. He sullenly refused, asking whether, after the years he had been in the service, he was going to be frightened by them fellows whom he could do as he liked with theni,or thrash 1 any four of them. He then told "into. host" he kept a disorderly house, and would report him. Suiting the action to the word, hi. sent the corporal to fetch • policeman. During the corporal's absence, the sergeant amused himself by tweeting of his exploits, and said "if it was nut for committing a breach of the peace, lie would go lathe room and do as !milked witlithem,lint lie preferred letting the civil power take it in hand." Soule 1 ten or tuelve minutes elapsed, during which the sergeant, looking daggers, tried to throw the Mime on a , person, who was outside, 'edit in the distance was seen : the gentleman in taus, accompanied by the corporal in I red. As they neared the place all eyes were turned on , those individuals, and great was the euspense, until the 1 stillness was broken by the voice of the son of Marc, who. with body erect and majestic mien, told the civil power that the company had been disorderly, although there were no traces of the disorder then to be seen— bet forgot to say that he had told parties who were outside " Thet some one should suffer for it ; noise one's life should tie taken before it was over." The parties soon afterwards left, and thus ended the Monday even. tog's await.. On Tuesday creuing,about 7 o'clock, • body of soldiers, 15 in number, with whom was the corporal above mentioned, came through the village of Chesil, and were making their way towards the New Hotel apparently, when at souse three or four hundred yards distance they met three or four navvies. They iinmediatcly began • murderous summit, and had not • few more Purtlanders come up in a minute or two, the colour-sergeent's threat might have been fulfilled, and "Souse non's life taken away ;" as it was, more than one suffered for it, as the blood on the ground teritifieil. A very few minutes brought a great many more soldiers,and double the quantity of villagers. I may not be out of place to state that after the races two navvitei and xi: soldiers were coming to Portland together, across the Sinallmouth Sands, when one of them drew hi* bayonet and put it to one of the navvies breast, threatening to stab him ; this was very likely She came of the serious affair.—J.N.S.