The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette. — 1862-10-14 (Dorchester, Dorset, England)

SUBSOMPTION.—R. Griffin, req., who has so zealously and nobly exerted himself towards raising a fund for the supeort of the widow and daughters of the late lii. Puckett, *he *as tense time sihce so cruelly murdered, has just issued the &Bowing report. Ladies, my Lords, and Gentlemen,—As treasurer to tub find raised for the benefit of the widow, "Mid sueb members of the (Melly of the late Mr. Adam Stapleton Puckett as the trustees may deem it desirable to assist," I beg to render you an account ol my stewardship. Since the melancholy death of the late Mr. Puckett there has been subscribed £1,016 19s. 6d., which, niinus expenses, I have handed over to the following geetiethen, who )lave, kindly consented to act as trustees, via. :—Colonel Gilpin, M.P., Hocklife Grange, Leighton Blizzard, who for many years has been a kind friend to the family of the deceased ; the Rev. Talbot Hastings 13endall Baker, Vicar of Prestoncum-Sutton Poynts, in which parish the murder was committed ; and the Rev. Edward Headland, rector of Broadway. id which village the deceased resided. A wish has teen expreeSed that I should be one of the trustees, and as the gnaidiatie, who hats stibscribed £5O from the conurion fund and have leditieleally dontributed liberalle, have expreseed a desire that one of their bode; should also be a,irstate, and bete named Mr. Richard Luelchain, uf BroildWae, as their representative, our names have been inserted in the trust deed, but as the bank directors will only allow the names of three trustees to appear on the bank books, the money has been vested in the name of the three first gentlemen, but in all other respects the power of the five trustee's will be equal. /n order 49 obtain as large an annual Memo is podaible the trustees have invested £BlO be. 841. in East India Stock; (a,„fund guaranteed by Parliament), which will bring in £37 per annum; and on November 24th, the anniversary of Mrs. Puckett's birth, they intended to sink with the Norwich Union Life Office, where the deceased had insured his own life, the sum of £l6l 7s. Bd., for which the widow will receive £l5 per annum, thus securing tot her an minuet income of 02. The trustees deem it right te reserve the arrangement for the final diatribution of the fund until .after the death of the widow, fearing that if a vested interest were given in the money, the truitees would hate no power to prevent its anticipation ; they however trust that no cause will arise to prevent its equal distribution aniongst the four children of the deceased, or, in ease of death, their representatives. The press—general, local, and medical—have most liberally thrown open their pages to this appeal. The bankers of this town, Messrs. Eliot and Co., Messrs. Williams, and the Wilts and Dorset Company, together with the proprietors of the public libraries—Archer, Tucker, and Sherren— have most generously rendered us their aid. My cotrustees helve been most isealous in the muse, and through their influence a large amount of Money lies been subscribed. Many of my medical friends have canvassed most energetically for subscriptions, and have been well repaid for their labour by the large collections they have made, and others, unsolioited,have forwarded me donations. At the request of the widow and family, and in the words of one of its members, I beg to return "their deep and heartfelt gratitude for the kind and munificent manner in which they have been supported by the public in their heavy bereavement cud affliction ;" withput this aid Mrs. Puckett would soon have been destitute, 585 after the payment of the debts of the deceased out of the proceedi of the policy of insurance for £2OO, and the sale of the medical effects, his furniture being reserved for the widow. the only balance left is about £25; and even this small surplus arises from the generosity of the creditors, some of whom gave up the whole amount due to them, (Gale, Baker, and Ward, about £10) and most of them riled° a reduction. As a brother medical officer of the deceased, I also beg to thank you all. ,I have the honour to be, Ladies, my lords, and gentlemen, your obedient servant,