Blandford, Wimborne and Poole Telegram. — 1879-03-28 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

THEFT BY SOLDIERA. -At the Borough Petty Sessions on Thursday, before Dr. Drew and Mr. J. E. Robens, James Botodesm and George Ambler, two artillerymen, stationed at the Nothe Fort, were charged with stealing a shirt that hut been left out to dry in the Foresters' Arms Inn Yard, the property of Michael Duffield. The prisoners went to the house the previous afternoon, when they had something to drink, and Ambler went out into the back yard. It was offered for sale to Mr. Walter Nathan, outfitter, St. Thomas-street, but Mr. Nathan answered that he could sell him plenty of shirt, and did not want to buy any, when prisoner began to abase him, and called him a " ---- Jew." They would not take the shirt away again, and after using most offensive language they left, and he threw the shirt out on to the pavement, went to the police station and gave information to Mr. Supt. Vickery, and when he returned he found the prisoners had returned and taken the shirt away. —P.C. Barrett apprehended the prisoners the previous afternoon, shortly after four o'clock. Ambler had the shirt, which was still damp, under his arm, and he admitted he had taken it from the Foresters' Arms for a lark ; but on his way to the station Ambler said "The other bloke took the shirt and had got him into that trouble." In answer to the charge Ambler pleaded guilty, but Bowdram not guilty. Ambler said he had been taking too much beer lately. Sergeant Lynn gave him an excellent character. Bowdram had nothing against his character but drunkenness. Seven days hard labour.  ATTEMPTING TO COMMIT Summe.—Rielkard Tiaarri, a short elderly man, a porter, was charged with attempting to commit suicide. Isabel Tizard stated that she was prisoner's daughter, and resided with her parents at 16, Walpole-street, in the Park. That morning about five o'clock she elm her father take a piece of cord from one of his waistc iat pockets, put it round his neck, and then fasten it to the bed-p !ilia slept in the same room as her father and mother, and noticed that he talked a great deal in a rambling manner during the night. He was the worse for drink the night before, but not drunk. When she P aw what he was doing she called to her mother, and she got out of bed and snatched the rope from him. The cord MO fastened round his neck, but he we still lying in bed. The rope was the same that he brought home the previous evening. He was not black in the face, nor did h. say anything to her mother when she witted the cord from the bed post. About ten o'clock that (Thursday) morning he had attempted to hang himself with a strap to the closet doer. —Remanded till Fr dlay morning at eleven o'clock.—On the case being called on Friday morning there was a full Court, and the following mawtrates were on the Bench—Dr. Drew and Messrs R Hopkins, H. Raggett, and J. E. Robens.-1 he wife of the prisoner was asked by Air. Arden if she had any complaint to make against her husband, she replied, " No; only as to his trying to take away his own life. —Dr, Drew intimated that they maid not  - -take the evidence of the wife Siunle she were in danger of her life, and on being asked if this was the case, she replied that she wrs not afraid of her own life. Ito had never threatened her fife, lie had many times threatened to Lke away his own life, and this was generally when he was in drink ; but he had done the same when out of drink.—Ds. Drew asked the prisoner what he had to say, as this was not the first time ?—Prisoner replied in a long rambling statement that his wife told him that if he would put a rope round his neck ehe would drag him anywhere, besides which she had also threatened to put a knife into him. lie had not had a moment's peace for the last nine years. He bad left his home on several occasions, and had not slept in his home for nine weeks together, but under the window of a house in the Park. His wife turned him out of the house last June. On that occasion he met P.C. Harvey (pointing to him) and asked him if he would kindly give him a night's lodging in the police-station; but that officer informed him that "that wan, no lodging-house," and he walked the streets all night long.—Jane Baker, a next-door neighbour to the prisoner, stated she saw him in his house after he had tried to hang himself in the closet; he was quite purple in the face and "all of a twitching." She asked him why he had done such a thing, and he replied " He was tired of his life, and could do as ho liked with his own body." The strap was hanging loosely round his neck, and she took it away from him and ran into her own house with it as prisoner kept on wanting it.—Dr. Drew inquired if these people lived harmoniously together ? Witness replied that this was en, only the prisoner's temper was very trying at times, and that was the cause of the unpleasantness; and he had a comfortable home if he liked to think mo. Witness said prisoner asked her if he should have been taken into the church if ha had destroyed himself, and she told him "Certainly not; they would have to bury him at night."— Prisoner: May I speak I only put the strap, which I wear round me, round my neck while I was in the closet, as there was no nail to hang it on. My wife has taken me by the hair of my head and pulled me round the room, and has thrown hot tea over me.— Mr. Thomas Court deposed that six years ago while prisoner, himself, and four other, were going in a boat from the Harbour to Greenhill, and when about halfway, TizArd jumped overboard, and when the boat could be stopped he was picked up; he bad a very narrow escape, being between two and three feet under water, and he had gone down for the third time. Prisoner was in quor at the time. He jumped overboard again and was again rescued, the witness threatening that he would give him a good thrashing if he did it again.—Prisoner was ordered t4l find a surety for his good behaviour for three months. This was done during the afternoon, and he was liberated.