The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette. — 1862-07-15 (Dorchester, Dorset, England)

AND SHOCKING MUTILATION OR THE BODY.  ,44wlif  I The inhabitants of Weymouth, Dorchester, and intervening villages were on Tuesday evening thrown into a state of great excitement, in oonsequence of the (Areal/dim, of a report that Dr. Puckett, a medical man who has for many years resided at Broadway, had been murdered by a mailman at Preston, and that the body had bcon mutilated inri most shocking manner. The report unfortunately turned out to be too true. It appears that 'notorious poacher named John Om, residing with his father and mother at Preeton, about three miles from Weymouth, was about a fortnight ago seized with a fit, and that it required four powerful men to prevent' his doing injury to himself. Since that time he has had the bmin fever, aud during the last few days has manifested unmistakable signs of insanity. Dr. Puckett, who attended him' was told by Oox on Sunday when ha visited him, that if he ever came there again he would murder him, a threat which the darter took little or no notice oL On Tuesday morning cox became exceedingly violent, threatening to kill his aged father and mother, who became so alarmed that they quitted the house, and sent for the deceased to make arrangements for their sen's admission to Forston Lunatic Asylum. Accordingly in the afternoon Dr. Puckett, and Mr. White, relieving oilicer, walked over to Preston. On arriving there they saw the parents of the madman, and from the statements they made, it was deemed advisable' to remove bids Won& to the Union, previous to the neieessai Merl being taken for his removal to an asyliia • Mr. theiefore proceeded ho theInn to procure a conveyance, while Dr. Pickett, against the solicitations of the father, won't Wide to the house 'where the maaman re. What took place between them after the Adder entered the house is not known, but some women and children outside soon saw him rush out with a pair of tongs, which he bad evidently seized in selt i defence, n one hand, while with the other he held the door to prevent the madmart following' him. Cox was then seen to dash at the window, but was prevented getting out on account of the iron bars which were fixed in the window frame. The madman then rushed up-stairs, seized the, leg of a bedstead and • handsaw, forced the door open, and struck the doctor a violent blow over the right temple as he was endeavouring to escape, and broke in his skull. Just as this was done the madman's father opened the garden gate, when the son told him if he did not "hook it" he would serve him in a similar manner. The madman then immediately sawed off the doctor's head, which .be threw with such force over the garden wall into the middle of the road that it oiled into the opposite ditch He then sawed off the right hand, which he also threw into the road, and next sawed off the right foot close to the top of the buttoned boot the doctor wore. Having completed his work of savage butchery, the madman took his clothes, which he put Oil ea he passed through the street, and the leg of the bedstead with which he knocked the doctor  • down, and pr xteeded alert.* e road. By this time the whole village was in a oomplete uproar, and several, parties agmlbuostrimit of him. Be had, itopeeer, getme fieatiVirEletigh Inn, at Osmington, . before he was overtakitn.,„ At this plane a wedding p*ty. happened to tome slang in a oart, when a -sailor, who • formed' ono—Mt thlrbuinher, seeing ,that Got had the leg of a ,bedollosd in his hand onVored. with blood, and that several ivere in hot,pursiiit, jumped out of the cart inittloroceeded to stop him. The madman aimed a kcovere plow at the sailor's head, which however he ospipaty rushing at him And !Piling him at onoo. Ho wasliecordingly handed overlie) the police who,-instelul coriveseteg%ini to the, Union Workhouse as had been intended, had him conveyed to theeiXtrololliter County. Shoe Station for the night. As the policeman drove otirttll" him, the madman en dea vou redto raiee a cheer from tho bystander, by singing out "hip; hip, hip, hurrah !" —en attempt we needseareelyaarWalub successful. When apprehended, cox told the icon, stable' that there were two..looft he wanted to murder, and he would be sa4aoed ; those wore his old another, and the blaokemith residing in the village.  - On Widoeixlai John Cox was charged before H. Williams, Esq., with ilia wilful murder of Dr. Puckett, on the previous day at Preston. He was remanded.