The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1870-03-04 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

SUIC IDE AT BRENTWOOD. On Monday, about four o'clock in the afternoon, a soldier belonging to the 9th Regiment murdered his wife at Brentwood, and afterwards committed suicide. The regiment is stationed at Warley Barracks, but the man had lately been on detachment in the Isle of Grain, his wife, meantime, oecuping a room in Essex-street, Brentwood. lie returned to Brentwood on Saturday, and, not finding his wife at her lodgings, went in search of her, and was greatly exasperated to discover her at a beerhouse drinking with some soldiers, one of whom he challenged to fight. The couple went home, and the husband seems to have controlled his pa'don till till Monday, when he first attempted to kill his wife in the bedroom by cutting her throat. He had inflicted one gash when the woman managed to rush out into the street. He pursued her, pulled her back into the house, and then cut her throat the second time, whereon she fell to the floor. The soldier thereupon inflicted a frightful wound in his own throat, and stood over his victim till he himself fell from loss of blood. Both were picked up dead. All this took place in the lower room of the cottage; and, strange to say, was done in the presence of several men, not one of whom had the common humanity to interfere. One of them coolly advised the soldier not to cut his own throat after he had murdered his wife.  ALLEGED LIFE ASSURANCE FRAUDS On Tuesday last, at the Knutsford petty sessions, William Shipton and William Mabbott, of Manchester, were charged on remand, with obtaining money by false pretences from Mr. Ditchfield, at Lymm. The prisoners were at one time agents for the London and Manchester Assurance Company, mid on that company being wound up they and several other agents formed a new association, called the Lancashire and Cheshire Assurance Society. The business of the old association was transferred to the London and Manchester Industrial Society. The case for the prosecution was as follows :—On the 6th December the prisoners called upon Mrs. Ditchfield, who had insured her husband, two sons, and a daughter in the London and Manchester Society, for her fortnightly contribution, and received 11d. They gave her a new card belonging to the Lancashire and Cheshire Society, and told her that her old book would be of no use. They did not tell her that they had formed a new society, and she paid her money, believing that it was for the old company. On Dec. 24 Shipton called again, and received another lid. for December 20. On the 19th December Joseph Ditchfield, one of the insured, was drowned at Lymm ; and on the 24th of December, when Shipton called on his parents, there was some conversation about the death. Shipton gave the fath,..r a form of claim on the London and Manchester Company, got him to have it filled up, and then sent it to London. The company declined to pay the claim, as they had not been receiving the contributions. Shipton left the service of the old company on the 3rd December, and Mabbott on the 29th of November. The new company was not in existence when the moneys were received, as it was only registered on Friday week.—The defence was there was no false pretence whatever. The rules of the new Society had, it was stated, been sent to be registered, but in consequence of Mr. Tidd Pratt's illness there was much delay. Letters were put in to show this. In the meantime business had been commenced by the company in anticipation of their getting the rules certified; and they not only received subscriptions, but also paid some claims. Mrs. Ditchfield was told when she was given tho new card that the old society was being wound up. She was not out of benefit with the London and Manchester Society; and the prisoners, thinking that as the old society had received contributions, they ought to pay the claim made, told the Ditchfields to make their claim on the old society; but they promised that, if the latter would not pay it, they (the prisoners) would. To show that the new society was a bona-fide one, it was stated that3,ooo policies had been issued.—Mr. Gouldthorpe, for the prisoners, imputed the prosecution to ill-feeling on the part of the London and Manchester Industrial Assurance Society, because they found that the business of the old society was being taken by the Lancashire and Cheshire Society.—The Magistrates committed the prisoners for trial, bail being accepted.—The prisoners were committed for trial last week, at Altrincham. on a similar charge.  The Cambridgshire Chamber of Agriculture has resolved to petition Parliament against the rating clauses of the Education Bill. Mr. Fletcher has appeared in New York in" the Duke's Motto," and has won a much larger share of public favour than was at first accorded him.  Mr. Gilbert Scott, R.A., states that the restoration of the choir of Salisbury Cathedral, as a memorial to the late Bishop Harailton, will cost X 5,500.  A supplement to the London Gazette, pnbliFhed on Saturday, gives a copy of bankers' returns, made in pursuance of the Act 7th and Bth cap. 32. - •• -  A folio atlas, containing eighty figures of tho Trichina, has been brought out by M. Collin, which completes his work on " Les Trichines et In Trichinose."  The depots of cavalry :regiments will in future consist of two officers, a captain and a lieutenant, sixty-three non-commissioned officers and men, and thirty horses. • •