Blandford, Wimborne and Poole Telegram. — 1878-10-18 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

CHARGE.  Mr. Ftorrn in his charge said the number of prisoners for trial was two more thanthe corresponding Tarter of la,t year but from the report of the Cheif Constable the state of mime seemed to he about the same. Ile then called attention to two or three Acts which had been passed last year. The Contagi ms Diseases (Animals) Act he thought a considerable Improvement upon the old laws. Its object was to promote despatch and uniformity in the action of the law. The Act for the amendment of the law relating to Highway's; the Act for the Protection of Fresh Water Fish were each alluded to, and then the Chah man called attention to the case of Emma Levi, charged with rescuing a criminal lunatic ; and suggested to the jury they should find a bill, leaving the question of whether the prisoner was or was not married to the man she rescued to the Court. The fact that there were three cases of attempted suicide was quite a novel feature. He never remembered having ever seen more than t•so before. The Court was not in the habit of deaing hardly with these cases in general, but where, as in all three of these, the persons to he tried hael been indulging in exce,s, and had committed the offences through their own wicked conduct. it certainly could not allow them to be passed over without exemplary punishment. The Grand Jury were then dismissed to their duties.  James Hayward, a iniserableslooking old fellow, of 56, a shoemaker, and ot imperfect education. Was charged with having attempted to drown himself at Melcombe Regis. Mr. Willes was for the prosecution. Oa the 10th of September, about eight in the evening, ilenry Winzar, a sailor, was on the bridge at Weymouth and he heard Prisoner ask a man named fi imtnonds to have glass, but he decllned. and then prisoner said, "I'm going" walking to the middle of the bridge, put his left eg over and held on with his left hand, his hand slipped, and down he went into the we er. lie was drunk at the time. As soon as he fell Winzar sang out a man overheard, and ran for a heat, but before he could obtain one some men hail put off and picked him up. One of these, in reply to the Court, said the prisoner made no effort ti save himself; he believed he was stunned. The tide at the time was running out vary rapidly, and he had a very narrow escape. When in custody he said "No soul saw me jump overboard ; I was watching the opportunity, and when I saw there was no one looking I jumped overboard, and thought I would get out of the way." Prisoner, in hi defence, said he had no intention of taking his life. lie had had a little drop of drink and his hand slipped. Ha was found guilty, but was recommended to mercy In consequence- of his leaving been under the influence of liquor at the time. Prisoner, who from his numerous appearances before magistrates, seems to have been leading a reckless was duly cautioned y the Chairman, and sentenced to one month's hard labour. The Grand Jury returned "No bill" against Frederick Brown for unlawfully attempting to commit suicide at Loders.  The nice voting man," John Peaty, alias Clayton, alias St With, aged 26, and of iinperfect educatien, who described himself as a jeckey bu I o esed athorougblydirty "leg," and Thomas Henry Jeferies (413), drapers' assistant, of good education, were charged with stealing a purse and eight sovereigns, the property of Oatherine O'Connell, at Weymouth. on August 27th. Mr. Lock was for the prosecution; Mr. Castle defended Jefferies. and Mr. Templer Peaty. The prosecutriz, a not bad looking "Oirish" girl, and who gave her evidence with a pretty admixture of the brogue, had come on a visit to a Mrs. Linthwaite, a fellow countrywoman, whose hesband is a sergeant of the cooks mess of the 20th. Cu August 27th she and Mrs. Linthwaite went to the Weymouth Races and fell in with the prisoners. They appeared to have gone to various publichouses, and at one of them the prosecutrix missed her bag containing her purse and the money in question, and the police were communicated with, and the prisoners were ultimately given into custody—The facts of the case had been reported in the Telegram, fully time after time. The line of defence was, on behalf of Jefferies, that he was a perfectly respectable man ; and on behalf of Peaty that the woman's evidence was perfectly unreliable. Mr. Lock admitted that it was a case which prime! facie admitted of very grave doubts. After the summing up the jury returned a verdict of Lot guilty in each case. . _ _  Einma'Leoy (23), hawker of j,!wellery, the young lady who performed the exploit which we have again and again reported, of rescuing Isaac Levy, a criminal lunatic, from the Dorset County Asylum, pleaded guilty to the offence. Upon the recotnmetidation of the learned Chairman, she withdrew her plea, but, after the necessary official evidence had been given, the jury returned a verdict of guilty, and the prisoner was sent:mead to one week's imprisonment