Blandford, Wimborne and Poole Telegram. — 1877-04-06 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

BIDWELL, THE FORGER.  A paragraph which recently appeared in a Plymouth contemporary, and has since been extensively copied into other newspapers, gave an account of George Bidwell, the great bank forger, having feigned paralysis in Dartmoor, where he is serving his time. In that paragraph it was stated that when the new governor came to Dartmoor, he suspected Bidwell was shamming, and thereupon ordered him to be taken down into another cell, and that some clothes being carried with him, he shortly afterwards dressed himself, although he had previously protested his inability to do so. It was also stated that under the ' convict's arms were found a rat and a mouse which be had tamed, and which were taken from him. The paragraph referred to, while not wholly correct, is possessed of sufficient truth to justify its being described as an in- , accurate version of a true story. When Bidwell Wll,l received into Dartmoor he was suffering from the effects of an injury to his knee, which injury was sustained in his endeavour to escape at Edinburgh. Bidwell has been well enough in bodily health in the prison, but has done all he could to prevent any remedies being applied to the injured knee, so that he has become permanently disabled. The doctor who attended him considered he was very well, and (the doctor, not the governor) ordered him to be removed from the infirmary. As he declined to go, the doctor ordered his removal to the cell he originally occupied. This was done. Bidwell wearing at the time only the garments which he wore in the infirmary bed. Ills clothes were, however, placed near him, and pribably feeling the effeas if the cold, he put on his original habits. It is true that Bidwell had tamed a rat and a mouse, and when he knew that he had to be removed from the infirmary, he was so anxious to keep these pets that he held the iaouse tightly in his hand and the rat under his arm, hut so closely that both the animals were suffocated. It is not an unused thing for convicts to tame the rats and mice that may happen to enter their cells, mid they are very pleased to have any living thing for which they can form a friendship.  A Tichhorne procession in London marched Monday from Trafalgar-square to Hyde-park, where Dr. Kenealy, I M.P.. delivered an address. The crowd numbered about 15,1t00 persons. The man Henry Leigh, who is in prison on the charge of robbing and murdering a little girl named Mary Anne Halton, at Macclesfield, has attempted to cominitt sucicde. The constable on night duty, on entering prisnners's cell, found him lying helpless. His silk handkerchiettied tightly round his neck, was cut off and a doctor was summoned. The neck was much discoloured, and for some time afterwards prisoner Was unable to speak, The rumours lately current as to the failing health of the Pope are by no means borne out by the latest news from Rome. A telegram received from Rome on Saturday, from an Ecclesiatic of High rank, was read yesterday by the Rev. Dr. McCarten to his congregation at Warlsall, with reference to the Pope. It is as follows :—" The l'ope suffers trom sciatica, but his general health is excellent. I was present to-day (Saturday) at a large assembly which he addressed, with a very strong voice."