The Weymouth, Portland and Dorchester Telegram. — 1878-10-18 (Weymouth, Dorset, England)

CHARGE.  Mr. FLOTER in his --CI;;;;:g—e Raid the number of prisoners for trial was two more thanthe corresponding quarter of last year but from the report of the Cheif Constable the state of crime seemed to be about the same. He then called attention to two or three Acts which had been passed last year. The Contagi ,us Diseases (Animals) Act he thought a considerable improvement upon the old laws. Its object was to promote desnateh 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 Chairman 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 two before. The Court was not in the habit of dealing hardly with these cases in general, but where, as in all three of these, the persons to be tried had been indulging in excess, 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 miserable-looking old fellow, of 56, a shoemAer, and of imperfect education, was charged with having attempted to drown himself at Melcombe Regis. Mr. Wines was for the.prose!mtion.  On the 10th of September, about eight in the evening, Henry Winzar, a sailor, was on the bridge at Weymouth and he heard prisoner ask a man named imtuonds to have a glass, but he declined, and then prisoner said, "I'm going, and, walking to the middle of the hrithe, putt his left leg over and held on with his left hand, his hand slipped, and down he went into the wa er. He was drunk at the time. As soon as he fell Winzar sang out a man overboard, and ran for a boat, but before he could obtain one some men had put off and picked him up. One of thee, in reply to the Court, said the prisoner made no effort to save himself; he believed he WGIS stunned. The tide at the time was running out very 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 his defence, said he had no intention of taking his life. He had had a little drop of drink and his hand slipped. He was found guilty, but was recommended to mercy in consequence of his having been under the influence of liquor at the time. Pri.zoner, who from his numerous appearances before magistrates, seems to have been leading a reckless life, was duly cautioned ny 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 Loder.  "The nice young man," John Peaty, alias Clayton, alias Smith, aged 26, and of imperfect education, who described himself as a jockey hut looked a thoroughly dirty "leg," and Thomas !Teary Jeferies (46), drapers' assistant, of good education, were charged with stealing a purse and eight sovereigns, the pronPrty of Catherine O'Connell, at Weymouth. on. August 27th. . _  Mr. Lock was for the prosecution; Mr. Castle defended Jefferies, and Mr. Templer Peaty. The prosecutrix, a not bad looking " Oirish" girl, and who gave her evidence with a pretty adonxture of the brogue, had come on a visit to a Mrs. Linthwaite, a fellow countrywoman, whose husband is a sergeant of the cooks mess of the 20th. On 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. Lack admitted that it was a case which prima. facie admitted of very grave doullts. After the summing up the jury returned a verdict of not guilty in each case. .  Emrna Leroy (23), hawker of jewellery, 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 recommendation 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 sentenced to one week's imprisonment.