Carlisle Patriot, 24 Sep 1825 - Local News (2)

[petra.mi...@doctors.org.uk]

Saturday 24 Sep 1825   (p. 2, col. 5-6 and p. 3, col. 2-4 + 6)     [continued]

 

Committed to Carlisle Gaol, on Wednesday last, by John HEYSHAM, Esq., James CLARK, charged with having stolen from the dwelling-house of James WALLACE, of Caldewgate, one silver watch and one pair of trowsers, his property.

 

A pleasing and numerously-attended ball was held at BRIGGS's room, Maryport, on Thursday, on the conclusion of Mr. HOWARD's summer lessons to his pupils. The room was tastefully ornamented by Mr. GREEN, of Ambleside, artist. Nothing could exceed the talent displayed by the children, whether in quadrilles, waltzes, or pas-de-deux: and young and old were highly delighted with the treat which Mr. HOWARD prepared for them.

 

W. ARMSTRONG, a youth not 18 years of age, apprentice to W. ARMSTRONG, joiner, Colt Park, Holme Cultram, lately cut one acre and one rood of oats in nine hours and a half, (56 stooks): the ground was afterwards measured.

 

On the 15th inst. a seizure of tobacco was made by Mr. WALES, tide-surveyor, at Whitehaven, and the officers under his command, on board the brig Henderson, STEEL, from Quebec, then lying off that harbour, and bound to Annan. The contraband article, we understand, belonged to a passenger, and was discovered very ingeniously concealed in a large chest with a false bottom.

 

An extraordinary gormandizing feat was performed in Whitehaven on Monday week. A sail-cloth weaver named George JACKSON, (but much better known as Cowrumps, or Gwordy Bothero), undertook to eat a leg of mutton, 10lbs. weight, in an hour. Accordingly, one weighing upwards of 9lbs. (the largest that could be got) was procured, boiled, and Gwordy commenced operations, like a practiced tactitian, at a house in Marlborough-street, in the presence of 30 or 40 spectators. A carver was employed to deal out the slices; and so well did Mr. Cowrumps relish the mutton, that the whole of it, and two large rolls of bread, were stowed away in his graceless carcase fifteen minutes within the stipulated period. His appetite appeared to be quite as keen at the conclusion as at the commencement; though the work he had to do was evidently no easy matter, as the sweat ran down his face in streams, and the blood vessels of the head were distended to the size of a man's finger. He, however, afterwards drank ten glasses of spirit and water, and offered, for a wager, to eat two shillings' worth of penny pies, but no one chose to hazard money on so complete a taker. The poor brute was highly pleased with his feat, and boasts of it as an honourable achievement—an accomplishment in every sense of the word! It is not more than ten days ago that Cowrumps undertook to drink a gallon of ale in five minutes, which he performed in little more than half of the allotted time!—Cumb. Pacquet.

 

Mr. SAUL, druggist, of Whitehaven, and his family, had a narrow escape from death on Friday night last. They had been to Cockermouth in a gig, and on their return, Mr. SAUL set down Mrs. S. and their daughter at his own door, and took up his apprentice, but had not proceeded many yards on his way to the Black Lion Inn, whence he had hired the gig, before one of the wheels flew off, and Mr. S. was thrown out. The horse took fright, and set off up Strand-street at full gallop, dragging the gig after it, and presenting a most alarming appearance; for the apprentice lad was still clinging to the forepart of the gig, with every probability of his being instantly dashed to pieces. The horse reached Duke-street before it could be stopped; and the lad was taken out uninjured, though insensible for a few minutes. Mr. SAUL had his hand bruised, but not seriously. The screw by which the wheel is fastened was found next day, near Moresby, about two miles from the town; so that the escape of the family from injury, if not from death, may be considered as most miraculous.—Whitehaven Gazette.

 

Mr. Robert THOMAS, son and traveller of Mr. Lewis THOMAS, manufacturer, Sheffield, was drowned at Tynemouth, near Newcastle, on Friday morning, while bathing.

 

A comet has made its appearance in the Eastern part of the Heavens, about 12 degrees above the horizon: it is in the constellation Taurus.

 

DUMFRIES CIRCUIT COURT.—The Lord Justice Clerk and Lord Pitmilly arrived at Dumfries on Saturday last. Samuel RUTHERFORD of Lockerbie, shoemaker, was charged with having on the 30th April last, assaulted Catherine the daughter of Robert PROVAN, of Lockerbie, by striking her several blows on the head and breasts, whereby she was knocked to the ground, and when lying there, of seizing her by the hair of the head, and dragging her along the street which passes the house, and dashing her head against the ground, and repeatedly striking her with his clenched fist, and kicking her with his feet, whereby she had one of her ribs broken, was seriously injured in her head and neck, had part of the hair torn off her head, and her hands and knees injured; and when her mother, Janet JARDINE, came to her assistance, of having assaulted the said Janet JARDINE, and struck her several severe blows on the head and breasts with his clenched fist, whereby she was knocked down and rendered insensible; and was only prevented from doing any farther injury to them by the interference of by-standers. Five witnesses, including the prosecutrix and a medical man were called, and they completely proved the case. The cause of the outrage was simply, that PROVAN had ordered a common passage to be levelled with a pick in order to lead dung to her garden. The Jury found RUTHERFORD guilty, without hesitation, and Lord Pitmilly passed sentence upon him immediately. The injuries inflicted on the prosecutrix, observed his Lordship, were not attended with danger to her life, yet in every other respect they were very severe, and the offence was of a most atrocious kind. It appeared that the conduct of this man was so lawless, and the intimidation his neighbours were under so great, that not a man could be found who would venture to rescue a defenseless female from his violence. Nor was it limited to Catherine the daughter, for he had also attacked her mother, an old woman, of not less than 70 years of age, and seriously abused her. A more atrocious and cruel case he had never seen. He had therefore no difficulty in proposing that the punishment of the pannel should be imprisonment—not a short imprisonment, but imprisonment for such a length of time as should have some chance of effecting a change in this man's temper and conduct; his only doubt was whether the period he was about to name might not be considered too lenient for the offence. He then proposed that the pannel be imprisoned in the jail of Dumfries for nine calendar months, and thereafter until he find caution to keep the peace to all his Majesty's lieges, for the space of five years, under a penalty of £40 sterling. The Lord Justice Clerk entirely concurred with Lord Pitmilly as to the punishment proposed, and informed the prisoner that if the lives of these two females had been put in danger by his unmanly and brutal conduct, the Court would have considered it their duty to have given him a tasting of some of the pain which he had caused to them, by ordering him to be publicly whipped; and should he again, instead of taking warning from this judgment, inflict any bodily injury on his Majesty's subjects, the Court should find themselves called on to send him where crimes of this or of any other description are very speedily suppressed. Sentence as proposed by Lord Pitmilly was then pronounced, and the prisoner conveyed to jail. The diet in the case of James HENSY or HENSEY was deserted pro loco et tempore, on account of the absence of the two most material witnesses, who it appeared had left home before they were summoned. There was no other criminal business before the Court. The Lord Justice Clerk, in addressing the Sheriffs, congratulated them on the evident improvement in the moral conduct of the people, as evinced by the state of the criminal calendar. He had an opportunity of making the same remark elsewhere in the present circuit. This happy state of things he attributed in a great measure to the vigilance and activity of the local magistracy.

 

 

[to be continued]