Weekly News. — 1891-03-26 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

THE TRAGEDY AT NEWBCRY.  In the Queen's Bench Division Oil Monday, Mr. Justice Cave and Mr. Justice Grantham had before them the case,the Queen v. C,oatson.—The Attorney. General said this was a summons nierle returnable in Court by Mr. Justice Denman at Chambers, calling upon the coroner of Newbury, Berkshire, to attend the Court on the hearing of an application by the director of Public Prosecutions that another has quest should be held as to the deaths of Sidney George Heath and Annie Maria Chamberlain, on the ground that there had not been suffered sufficient inquiry. The coroner, the learned coensel said, was complainant, and in his affidavit submitted himself to the direction of the Court . A new inquiry was required, more especially in regard to the death of the woman, but Mr. Justice Denman thought as the circumstances were connected that an inquiry ought to be instituted as to both deaths. The woman Chamberlain was the wife of John Chamberlain, a farmer, and they lived upon friendly terms. Sidney George Heath was Mrs. Chamberlain'e brother, and he was married, and tI.. re appearrel to have been some evidence that Mrs. Chamberlain was not on good terms with her sister-in-law. On the evening when the deaths occurred, Heath appeared to have been sitting at the pia.eo. and was either singing or playing when be was apparently shot by Mrs. Chamberlain with a double-barrelled gumwith which her husband was accustomed to shoot rabbits. He was killed instantly, and fell forward on the piano. So far as appeared at the inquest, the husband of the deceased came into the room on hearing the shot, and saw his wife with the muzzle of the gun held in her hand arid pointing towards her 'ewe.. He seemed to have spoken to her, and, according to the statement made by himself and others, to have struggled with her to prevent her doing herself harm. Then a second shot was heard, and upon the evidence, apparently three or four minutes afterwards the woman was found outside the room sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall. She was shot in the back, between the shoulder-blades or a little lower, the wound pointing downwards. The doctor expressed the opinion that it was impossible for the wound to have been self-inflicted. There was no post-mortem, although the coroner ordered one, hut the jury did not think an adjournment necessary to have one made. The jury found that Heath was shot by his sister while suffering from temporary derangement, and that Mrs. Chamberlain VMS accidentally shot while her husband was attempting to prevent her committing suicide. The Home Secretary directed the body to be exhumed, and it was examined by Dr. Bond in the presence of Dr. Clarke, who knew the woman. Dr. Bond said there were no bruises or marks of violenee on the hands or arms, and the wound Oil the back passed kerliquely downwards, and could not have 10 .sibly bin self-inflicted. He thought the muzzle must have been a foot from the woman, and that at the time the gun went off she could not have been touching it. He was not prepared to say that it was impossible that the woman could have !seen shut by accident, but he was quite unable to Sc'.- how a woman could place herself in such a pesitioe that a sudden jerk would place the gun in he position in which it exploded. There was, after the event, found on the table a letter in the handwriting of the woman, addressed to her mother, but probably intended for her sisterin-law, containing the expression: You have made our lives a misery to us all, and stating that she had taken the action she had in order to be released from it. The learned counsel said he wished to express no opinion as to what would be the result of a fresh inquiry, but only submitted that a fresh one should take place.—Mr. Daeckwerts, in shewing cause against the summons on behalt of the coroner, said that the hueband's esedanation was that the gun went off ae,cidentaliy, and that in the struggle the woman twisted rseet. lie made one desperate effort to get the ges .• ':.and by some means it exploded.--Mr. Jes .:1,1 not think it had been satisfactorily 111:1, • ' :t the inquiry was not sufficient, and he saw e which would justify another jury incoming t• eiderent conclusion to that arrived at by the tlisr one.'—Mr. Justice Grantham concurred.—The appletation for a fresh inquiry was therefore refused.  A pig-jobber of Winterton, na, anoa,ter, naa been Stied £2O and coats at the tenEdhall Policecourt for sending the carcass of a diseased pig to 'IA, Central Meat Market, intending it for r human food.  The Treasury have resolved to abolish the system of remuneration of income-tax collectors by way of poundage. :They will hereafter receive a fixed sr.lary on the basis of poundage earned by them in the financial-year now closing. Consul Cusack-Smith reports favourably upon the agrielltural prospects of Samoa. Cotton of fine quality is being grown on the German plantations; the coffee plants bear good crops of excellent flavour, and are not affected with disease; cattle thrive wonderfully upon the rich pastures; prise° tobacco, which might be profitably exported if properly treated, is grown all over the islands for native consumption; and fruit is produced in abundance, bananas and citrons being exported, as well as copra from the cocoanuts. which Zro grown el.tenaivelv. n Annie Boouncuse, of Camden Town, furl her examined at Bow-street Polieec-ort on a eharge of trafficking in infants, and were in remanded. Mr. Avory said that the prosecubad at present the case: of 20 infants in hand. The British Columbil fleet is actively '•,.:•e!fd In preparing for it- coming season's work. 1: •-• arblitional v. ssels have arrived at Victoria r Nova Scotia to engage in sealier enerations. T. • 'anadian fleet will probably .• :0 vessels. rf them propose not to vi-Fit t!,-• , •ig Sea, o conteat themselves with seal- !z the coast al British Columbia.