West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser - part 2 11 February 1859 SHIP LAUNCH AT LOOE - On Thursday the 3rd instant, a fine ship, built by Messrs. HENRY SHAPCOTT and SON, of East Looe, was launched from the beach oat Church-end. About four o’clock, large parties of visitors began to pour into the town, and on arriving at the beach the beautiful mould of the ship excited general admiration. It had been arranged that the ceremony of christening should be performed by Mrs. POLE CAREW, whose maiden name the ship was to receive, but other engagements prevented both Mr. and Mrs. Pole Carew from being present. Mr. and Mrs. BULLER, the Rev. J.B. KITSON and Mrs. KITSON, Mr. and Mrs. PEEL, the Rev. P. BUSH and Mrs. BUSH took their places on the platform under the bows of the vessel. The launching ways extended 400 feet down the beach. At half-past five o'clock the shores were knocked away, when Mr. Kitson dashed the bottle at the vessel, exclaiming "May success attend the "Fanny BULLER." The ship glided beautifully into the sea amidst cheers of the ! spectators, and presented a very swan-like appearance as she sat on the smooth water. The weather was all that could be desired, and the spectacle afforded satisfaction to all who were so fortunate as to witness it. A set of Captain MARRYATT's signal flags was presented by Mr. POLE CAREW, and a full length figure-head by Mr. BULLER, of Morval. ............................................................. LAND SLIP - On Sunday last, a mass of rubbish fell into the building yard of Messrs. Butson, at Polruan, by Fowey, causing great damage to the framework of a vessel in course of construction. It is a new and commodious quay, recently occupied. The damage is said to be about GBP 100. .............................................................. SHEEP WORRYING - On Friday night last, and early on Saturday morning, two large dogs committed very considerable damage to many of the farmers of Gunwallow parish, by worrying and killing between thirty and forty sheep belonging to Messrs. EDWARD, JAMES, and THOMAS FREEMAN, of Chyvarloe, Mr. MICHELL of Nanspean, Mr. HARRY, of Winnianton, and Mr. OLIVER, of Pentire. Two large dogs were seen by Mr. Thomas Freeman about three or four o'clock in the morning tearing one of his sheep; but it was too dark to exactly identify either of them; but very strong suspicions are entertained about two dogs belonging to parties living in Mawgan parish. .............................................................. DREADFUL ACCIDENT - An accident of a most frightful character, resulting in the death of one individual - Mr. W. PELLOW, son of Mr. PELLOW, farmer, of Budock, and the serious injury of several other persons, occurred on Sunday night last. It appears that a Mr. and Mrs. CHAPPEL, of Walbrook, London, were returning home at a late hour, in their chaise cart, when the horse took fright, ran against a post, and threw them out. The horse then dashed off at a furious rate, knocked both wheels off, and on turning into Gracechurch-street, knocked down Mr. Pellow, another gentleman, and a respectably dressed woman and child. Mr. Pellow died soon after, before his admission to the hospital. He was about 30 years of age. ............................................................... MINE ACCIDENTS - At Anna Maria mine, on Monday, JAMES JENKINS, of Gunnislake, had the misfortune to fall down several fathoms. He was much injured about the head and face, with various other minor scratches and bruises, but he is doing well. An accident occurred on the same day at Danescombe mine, precipitating a man named AMBROSE DAW, of Harrowbarrow, about ten fathoms; he was much injured about the face and side, but is recovering. JOHN OXENHAM, timber man of the Great Wheal Bussey Mine, received some severe bruises on Thursday last, in consequence of a stone falling on him whilst repairing a shaft, which knocked him down about 5 fathoms. ............................................................. ACCIDENTS - As Mr. JOSEPH MORCOM, who resides at Sedgmoor Villa, St. Austell, was returning home on horseback, his horse, on passing under a lamp in the street, shied, reared, and fell, having Mr. Morcom partially under him, who however, was quickly extricated from his dangerous position, and carried insensible to the Queen's Head Hotel. After remaining there some time, he so far recovered as to be able to be moved to his own house. After having been examined by his medical man, we were glad to learn that he had not fractured any bone, but no doubt he will be for some days confined to his bed on account of very severe bruises. At Pentillion on the 31st ult., Miss CORYTON and Miss LEVESON GOWER were taking a drive and on approaching Bittleford, the horse, a spirited animal, became restive, and the driver, LILLYWHITE, was thrown from his seat and taken up insensible; the horse then went off at full speed, and very quickly ran the wheel up the side of a hedge on the left hand side of the road, upset the carriage, and threw both ladies out. Miss Coryton received only a slight contusion in the eye, but Miss Gower was very severely cut and bruised about the face and head; Mr. KEMPTHORNE, of Callington, was sent for, and we are glad to learn that the patients are doing very well. The ladies conducted themselves with great fortitude and presence of mind. A man named CHRISTIAN, employed on the Saltash Bridge works, was killed, on Thursday last, by the falling of a crane. He has left a wife and a large family unprovided for. As CHARLES WARREN, a lad of 15, in the employ of Mr. HILL, was unloading corn at Kea Moor, on Thursday, he fell back over the cart and broke his left thigh. The bone was set by Mr. F. BOASE, of Penzance, and the lad is progressing. A little boy five years of age, son of Mr. NICHOLAS WHITE, of Boscrowan, near Penzance, fell off a cart on Tuesday afternoon and broke his leg. On Wednesday morning the 2nd instant, an old woman of 70, named ELIZABETH HALL, in attempting to cross the Green-market, at Penzance, was knocked down, and run over. She was a little deaf and had imperfect sight, and in endeavouring to escape an omnibus, she ran against an empty timber waggon, when she fell, and one of the hind wheels went over her, cutting her basket in two. She was picked up and taken in. Mr. HARVEY was sent for, and found her enjoying a cup of tea. She did not then complain of any injury, but on Friday she began to suffer from sickness, and pain in the bowels. She took some medicine and seemed better, but on Sunday grew worse and died on Monday afternoon from a contusion of the bowels. An inquest was held and a verdict of "accidental death" returned. We are glad to learn that the steward of Mr. RASHLEIGH, of Menabilly, Mr. W. GEACH, of Sebastopol Cottage, near Fowey, (who it may be remembered had his collar-bone broken by a fall from his horse about a fort-night since) is, under the skilful treatment of Mr. TAYLER, of Tywardreath, rapidly recovering from the injury he sustained. On the morning of Monday, as a man was proceeding up the Caradon Railway with a loaded carriage drawn by three horses, the property of Mr. JOHN WEST, of Lamellion, at a short distance from the terminus a frightful collision with a carriage laden with copper ore took place, which killed two of the horses on the spot, and the other has died since. ...................................................... EMGIRATION TO NEW ZEALAND - We observe that Mr. WILCOCKS, of Plymouth, acting on behalf of the Provincial Government of Canterbury, New Zealand, is authorized to grant assisted passages to farm labourers and rough country mechanics to that province. A very fine first class ship has been chartered to convey the persons who may obtain such assisted passages on the 1st March next. ..................................................... AUSTRALIAN LAND AND EMIGRATION COMPANY - A prospectus appears in our advertising column for the formation of a new company, under the above title. The object of this undertaking is the purchase and resale of land in the Australian colonies, chiefly, we conclude, in Victoria, with the view of also promoting emigration, by affording emigrants facilities of obtaining land upon which they can settle immediately on arrival. The present appears to be a very favourable time for the company to commence operations. .................................................... THE ALLEGED ASSAULT ON POLICE CONSTABLE SCREECH AT ZELAH In our notice of the Petty Sessions held at Truro on Thursday, the 3rd inst., we briefly referred to the case of HENRY GILL, JOHN GILL, his son, and EDWARD COLMAN, farmers, residing in the parish of St. Allen, who were charged, the first with being drunk and disorderly, and assaulting Police-constable Screech, and the latter with obstructing that officer in the execution of his duty. As the occurrence has evidently excited considerable interest in the locality, the defendants occupying respectable positions in society, we proceed to give a more extended notice than we were able to do last week. . The magistrates present were Sir. S. T. SPRY (chairman), Capt. KEMPE, Rev. T. PHILLPOTTS, Mr. W. MICHELL, and Mr. W.T. CHAPPEL. The case was partly gone into at the previous sitting of the Bench, but owing to the absence of a material witness, it was adjourned. Mr. STOKES then, and on Thursday last, appeared for the defendants; the complainant in the first instance was not supported by an advocate, but at the adjourned hearing, Mr. HOCKIN conducted his case. . The statement of the complainant was as follows: I belong to the county constabulary force, and about two o'clock on the afternoon of the 9th of December, I was on duty at Zelah. I saw Mr. HENRY GILL there, who said that I was the very man he wanted to see. I said why do you want to see me so very particularly, and he replied that he would tell me if I would go into LANYON's public-house. I said, "tell me in the road, for I shall not go into Lanyon's." I did not go into the public-house, and Mr. Gillthen came upon the road and said "I want to tell you something particular, but I do not wish to let people see me talking with you; if you will go into Mr. JOSE's, I will tell you." I then went into Jose's, and Mr. Gill called for two glasses of gin and water. I said I did not want any gin and water, and then Mr. Gill called for a glass of rum and water. The rum and water was accordingly brought, and I drank it. I then asked Mr. Gill what he wanted me for, and he said that I shou! ld go on my knees to Mr. LANYON for what I had done to him. I asked him whether he wanted me for anything, and he said not; and I went away and left him there. I paid for the rum and water myself. . About four o'clock, I returned to that art of the road, and I saw Mr. Gill shaking an old man. I told him not to hurt the man, as he was very old, and he said it is you I want. I advised him to go home two or three times; but he refused, and said that it was me he wanted. He was intoxicated and rambling about. He then went into Lanyon's, but soon after came out and said "I'm d....d if I do not run you through with this gimlet." He had a gimlet in his hand with which he ran towards me. I took my staff and struck it out of his hand. . I then collared him, took him into custody, and took him past the blacksmith's shop on the road to Truro. COLMAN ran up to us and jumped between us, saying let go Mr. Gill. The latter then kicked me, and I knocked his arm down with my staff. Gill said he would give any person a sovereign if they would strike me, and Colman then turned up his apron and shirt sleeves, and said that he would strike me if I struck Gill again. He did not strike me. Just after that, JOHN GILL, son of the former, ran between us and requested me to let his father go, and on my saying that I should not, he put his leg between mine, and tried to throw me down. I was severely kicked about the legs, and have been lame ever since. I had three or four marks on my legs which I showed to one of the police. I handcuffed Mr. Gill, but I should not have done so had not Colman and young Gill tried to take him away. . There were 100 persons present, and I asked several of them to come to my assistance, but they refused. My staff was taken from me by some person in the mob. . In his cross-examination, the complainant stated that no discussion took place between him and Gill as to who should pay for the rum and water. Did not use such words as - Revenge is sweet - I will make Gill pay for more than two glasses of grog before I have done with him. Did not see Gill and the old man go into the public house after he came up the second time. Would swear that he did not go up to Mr. Gill, seize him by the collar, and threaten to take him into custody for being drunk, before the gimlet was shown. Was not striking Mr. Gill about the head with his staff when Colman interfered - might have struck him three or four times. Mr. Gill did not say when on the road, that he was crippled in his feet, and could not possibly walk to Truro. Would swear that when Mr. Gill sat down in the road, he did not strike him with his staff and make him get up. After Mr. RICHARD GILL came up and said he would be answerable for his brother's appearance, he let the latter go, and t! hen came to Truro for assistance. The same night he proceeded to Mr. Gill's house to apprehend him, when Mr. PETER, a county magistrate, came and said it was no use apprehending him, as he should immediately admit him to bail. But for that he should certainly have taken him into custody. By the Rev. T. HILLPOTTS - I paid for my grog before I found Mr. Gills shaking the old man. By Mr. STOKES - I am quite sure of that. I went and got the money, and paid for it. For the reason stated above, the case was then adjourned till Thursday last. , Mr. HOCKIN proposed to recall Screech for the purpose of asking him a few questions, but to this Mr. STOKES objected upon principle, contending that when a witness had been examined and cross-examined, and had concluded his evidence, it was contrary to the usual practice for an advocate to be allowed to recall him. . Mr. HOCKIN said that at the last sitting of the magistrates Screech had made a mistake with regard to the time when he paid for the rum and water, and he wished now to correct it. Mr. STOKES - No doubt he does. He finds where the shoe pinches, and he wants to correct a most glaring falsehood, which shows that his evidence is not to be depended upon; but I shall object to his being recalled, as I have witnesses here who will contradict him in this and other particulars. . The magistrates decided that they should put the question to Screech, and in answer to the Rev. T. Phillpotts, he said that his statement as to the time when he paid for the grog was a mistake; that when he came to consider the matter he found that he did not pay for it till half-past ten o'clock at night. . Mrs. HANNAH LANYON was then called in support of the charge. She deposed that she saw Mr. Gill immediately before he was taken into custody by Screech, and although he had been drinking, he was not drunk or in liquor, but was able to walk steadily. . Mr. STOKES urged that Screech had been led from feelings of revenge to act in a most unjustifiable and illegal manner towards Mr. Gill, senior, because the latter had refused to pay for the glass of rum and water for him. That was the secret of the whole affair. . So far from Mr. Gill shaking the old man, whose name was CLEMMO, he (Clemmo) had attended on the last examination to show that Mr. Gill had merely placed his hand upon his shoulder in a friendly manner and asked him to have a glass of ale; he would have been there to depose to the fact that day, but he has been on his death bed. . He should also contradict the complainant's evidence as to Mr. Gill's being drunk, and in other important particulars, and should show that he struck and acted towards him in a most unjustifiable and illegal manner. . Mr. P. CLARK, farmer at Perranzabuloe, said that he was at Mr. Lanyon's when Mr. Gill and the old man Clemmo came in, before the policeman took the former into custody. Mr. Gill was a little merry, as he had seen him many other times, but nothing like drunk, and he was quite capable of transacting business. . THOMAS HOSKIN, a farmer's labourer, living at Zelah, deposed that as he was going home about ten minutes past two o’clock, when near Mr. Lanyon's house, he heard Screech say "It is good to be revenged - revenge is sweet - I will make him (Gill) pay for more than two glasses of grog." Shortly after Mr. Gill came out of the public house, and Screech ran to him and seized him by the collar. Mr. Gill was not drunk, and Screech, without any provocation, struck him several times with his staff. Witness requested the policeman not to strike him in that way. Screech then dragged him a distance of 200 yards, striking him on the way. Mr. Gill at length sat down on the side of the road, and Screech attempted to hand-cuff him, but as he would not be hand-cuffed, Screech beat him with the staff on the arms and shoulders, and at length hand-cuffed him. Was present when young Mr. Gill came up, but did not see him attempt to trip Screech up, but only to save his father from the blows which ! the officer made at him with his staff. . Mrs. ELIZABETH ARCHER, of Zelah, who witnessed the whole occurrence, stated that when the policeman desired Mr. Gill not to ill-use the old man Clemmo, Mr. Gill said that he was not going to ill-use him, but to take him in and give him something to drink; and Clemmo said he was not afraid of Mr. Gill. Screech then continued to walk up and down in front of Lanyon's house, and when Mr. Gill afterwards came out, Screech ordered him to move on. Mr. Gill replied that the highway was as free to him as to the other. Mr. Gill then re-entered the house, and on subsequently coming out again, in three quarters of an hour, Screech went up to him and seized him by the collar. Mr. Gill had not said anything to Screech before the latter seized him. The policeman then dragged him up the street, at the same time beating him on the head and shoulders with his staff. When Mr. Gill said he would go no further with the officer, the latter hand-cuffed him, and again struck him several times with ! his staff. . Then Colman came up, and said if there was any more striking by the officer with his staff, he would strike too. Several of the people who had collected begged Screech to let Mr. Gill go, but he refused, and said that he would take him to Truro. When young Mr. Gill came up, he requested Screech to let his father go, but the officer refused, and at the same time struck him again. Young Gill said "do not strike him, if he has done anything wrong, bring him up for it, but do not beat him in that way." The policeman beat Mr. Gill on the arms, shoulders, and head, and the latter held up his arm to save himself. . Mrs. AMELIA HARRIS corroborated the evidence of the last witness, and added that Mr. Gill had been drinking a little, but he was nothing like drunk. When she saw the policeman striking Mr. Gill, she asked him if he knew who he was ill-using; but the only reply Screech deigned was to order the people who had collected to stand back. He again struck Mr. Gill several times with his staff, and she called upon him to recollect he was beating a man and not a dog - that Mr. Gill was a respectable man who had never misconducted himself in any way. Screech said that he would let Mr. Gill see if he could get him to Truro; and he dragged him further up the road, and handcuffed him. Neither Colman nor young Gill attempted to strike or push Screech, nor did any one else. . JANE SYMONS, WILLIAM BATTEN, and THOMAS LETCHER, also deposed to Mr. Gill being far from drunk when apprehended, and to the officer having beaten him in a cruel and unjustifiable manner. . At the conclusion of their evidence, Sir SAMUEL SPRY said that the Bench, after hearing the case, had come to the determination to dismiss the charge. - The End - Julia M.   West Briton Transcriptions, 1836-1856 at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~wbritonad St. Austell Area History and Genealogy at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~staustell