Towyn-on-Sea and Merioneth County Times

0 COUNTY LICENSING COMMITTEE. A meeting of the County Licensing Committee was held at Bala on Tuesday, when there were present: Mrs R. J. LI. Price, Chas Williams and Dr Edward Jones. An application was made by Mr R. O. Jones, solicitor, Festiniog, on behalf of Mr John Jones, King's Head Arms, Festinieg, to con- firm the licence enabling him to sell intoxicating liquors. The licence had been granted at the last Penrhyndeudraeth Licensing Sessions. This house was previously carried on as a club. There was no opposition to the application, and the licence was confirmed.

• — — AGRICULTURE. AUTUMN WORK. The character of the weather underwent gradual deterioration in the course of last week, a falling barometer being associated with a rising thermo- meter. The fine bright weather at the beginning of the week was followed by two or three grey autumnal days, which in turn were succeeded by rain over considerable areas of the country. After the spell of dry weather with which we have been favoured this rain was in many districts not un- welcome, for the land had become almost too dry for wheat sowing, and rooks had been causing much trouble by the ease with which they stole the grain out of dusty seed beds. The mangel harvest was at its height last week, and well filled wagons were continuously employed in carting to the clamps the shapely roots which, in many cases, will remain sealed up till the early days of next summer. Far- mers who took time by the forelock had got this valuable crop stored before the weather broke, but in the absence of excessive rain there should be no difficulty experienced in completing the lifting. It is years since farmers have enjoyed a finer autumn for cleaning the land, and accordingly vast quantities of couch have been burnt. The killing of couch is more certain where one huge pile is built than where the rubbish is fired in numerous little heaps. In the former case the practice is sometimes adopted of putting a covering of thatch over the ash heap, whereby the material is kept dry till the spring or early summer, when it is used in the ash drill. Sheep food is very abundant, mus- tard, cabbage, and turnips being at present avail- able for hurdled flocks, whilst variety is provided in the scavenging of the mangel fields. There is still plenty of pasture for dairy cows, but the fall of the leaf is producing its usual effect on the flavour of farmhouse butter. Acorns and beech mast are locally plentiful, though the former will hardly pay for gathering this autumn as they do in seasons of dearth. The crop of cider fruit is nowhere very heavy, most of it has now gone through the press, but the season's make of cider will not be large. The face of the country is wonderfully bright and green for the latter half of October, and a con- tinuauce of mild weather will be appreciated by stock feeders, to whom it means a welcome fore- shortening of winter. INFECTIOUS DISEASES. The outbreaks of swine fever in Great Britain in the week ended October 9 numbered 27, as against 20 in the preceding week and 70 in the correspond. ing week of 1896. In the week under notice nine outbreaks of anthrax were reported, nineteen out- breaks of glanders, and three cases of rabies in dogs. AN EARLY LAMB. At Rhydygarnedd, a farm a little distance from Towyn, an unusual occurrence has taken place. On the 7th of October, a year-old ewe belonging to Mr Robert Roberts, gave birth to a lamb. This is ex- ceptionally early. It would be interesting to know if such a thing has ever happened before in the his- tory of the district.

--+-- BRYNCRUG. HARVEST THANKSGIVING SERVICES were held at the above district church on Tuesday, when the preachers were the Ven. Archdeacon Williams, and the Rev T, Davies, Garthle. The services were well attended.

LLWYNGWRIL. HARVEST THANKSGIVING SERVICES were held here on Monday, and the day was recognised as a general holiday. In the morning an united prayer meeting was held in the Wesleyan Chapel, and in the evening in the Methodist Chapel.

ABERDOVEY. ALL INTERESTED in style and fashion should not fail to inspect the grand assortment of suitings and overcoatings now on view at R. O. Richards's. Undoubtedly they are the finest selection in the county. [Advt.

■—+ The Dipl6me d' Honneur, which is one grade higher than the Gold Medal, has been awarded to Vinolia Soap for Toilet purposes at the Inter- national Exhibition at Brussels. It will be recol- lected that it was to Vinolia Soap that the Sanitary Institute awarded their medal, which is probably the highest scientific award in the world ever given td Soaps.

July accused travelled by the 8.40 a.m. train from Paddington to Dolgelley, and arrived there on the afternoon of that date. She left the station and made no complaint of losing her boxes, and nothing was heard from her until the 28th of July when she saw the booking-clerk, Diggory, to whom she complained of losing her three boxes. The accused saw Diggory ou another date and made the same complaint to him. On the 3rd of August the was given a form to fill up, in which she was to state what the luggage consisted of and how it had come to the Company's hands. According to the statement of the accused the luggage was last seen at Paddington. The total value of the goods lost accused estimated at JE41, and she claimed JE50. He desired to submit that the accused contradicted her own statements in some respects. In regard to her journey from Croydon to Paddington there were many discrepancies, and evidence on that point would be given by the several witnesses. The list of articles in the boxes varied considerably from her statement; there were in the boxes things that were not mentioned, and many of the things mentioned were found not to be there. The third box, which was, according to the form, to contain one and a half dozen aprons, Victoria cuffs, and other things was found in the Creche at Croydon lying with nothing in it. She had seen the station- master at Dolgelley on several ocasions about her luggage, and on the 7th of August that gentleman particularly asked from what address she had started the luggage. He got the address, and he then cautioned her to be very careful about her statements as they could easily find out whether the boxes had been left there or not. Before that conversation was finished she turned from the stationmaster and departed. On the 4th of August she wrote a letter in which she withdrew the claim, and on that same day she wrote to the person in charge of the Creche at Croydon asking her to send her luggage to an address in London. Detective Kellaway had seen her, and she had re- peated her statements to him, and said she had received a note from London that the luggage had been found. On being asked to see it, she said it was telegram, and that she had destroyed it. The luggage was found in the Creche at Croydon, from where they had not been removed.—The first witness called was William Charles Diggory, booking clerk in the service of the 119 Great Western Railway Company at Dolgelley, who said he first saw the defendant on the 28th of July at the station. She complained that she had travelled on the 24th of July from London, and had lost her luggage. He asked her why she did not complain before that time, and she said the same thing had happened before and the boxes had turned up. They bore the Company's labels. She came again, and saw the stationmaster. On August the 2nd he saw he again, and she asked what was being done, and he replied that everything possible was being done. Telegrams, &c., were sent.— Cross-examined by Mr E. J. Griffith: He saw defendant on three occasions, and they were the only three times. He could not explain why the stationmaster said he saw her for the first time on the 27th. The second time he saw her was on the 29th, and the depositions from the magistrates' court in which he stated that he saw her two days afterwards was a mistake. He received many complaints from time to time from passengers, and there was nothing uncommon in that. Not a word was mentioned to him about the JE30, and she did not claim anything from the Company then,—Mr J. H. Richards, stationmaster of the Great Western Railway Company at Dolgelly, was the next witness. He saw the defendant on the 29th of July he be- lieved. He had some previous notification from Diggory about the loss of the luggage. Accused told him she had lost three boxes which she described—one was a black wooden box, another a yellow tin box, and an ordinary packing case. He asked what they contained, when she said wearing apparel and a number of valuable books then, he, replied, your luggage was very heavy. He asked if she had paid excess for them and she said nobody had asked her. Then, be replied, they must be at Paddington waiting for the excess money. She told him she would pay if he (the stationmaster) could get them for her. She said she had travelled with the 9 30 a.m. train from London. He saw her again, he believed on the 31st of July, and on that occasion she said she felt very uneasy about her luggage as it was very valuable. He sent her a form to fill up with the particulars of the missing luggage. The form produced was the one he re- ceived. She said that the things she lost cost £ 41 3s 4d and she claimed R30 as their value when she lost them. She did not tell him from where she came, but told him she had been staying for few days at Croydon. He cautioned her to be careful of her statements as they could easily find out whether she had left the luggage as stated. He also referred to discrepancies in her statements. He told her that she told him the luggage was addressed to Crosby House, Dolgelley, but that she had put it down in the form that she had them labelled "passenger to Dolgelley," She acknowledged to him that she ought to have made the complaint to him on the date of her arrival at Dolgelley. He also questioned her why she said in the form she made complaints to him on that date. She then turned round and departed. On the 9tb of August she told him the luggage had been found, and sub- sequently gave him a letter as follows :—"Sir,—I hereby beg to withdraw any incorrect statement I have made against any of the staff of the Great Western Railway Company at Dolgelley. I believe the stationmaster has done his best in the matter, and I am also glad to staia that my luggage is found, so that I have no further claim on the Company." On that afternoon she left Dolgelley in the direction of London.—Cross-examined He did not know she was leaving until it was pointed out to him as the train departed. He did not suspect her until a letter was recieved from London claiming the sum of J650 for her luggage. He suspected her for the first time on the 3rd of Aueust, when he received a wire from London, and although he suspected her he gave her the form to fill up. It was on the 7th that he first cautioned her. She had said that she made a complaint to him on a date she had not. He had seen her as stated by the solicitor for the prosecution, and she had told him she was staying at Croydon for only a few days. She led him to understand that sLe had been at Croydon as a nurse and had left her luggage at the cloakroom. Ht saw KF-llaway the detective, on the 9th on his arrival. They had a conversation. On the 9th she told him that the luggage had been found, and be tuld her to give him a written state. meat. She returned back in about an hour with a letter withdrawing the claim.-Supt Thomas Jones said the defendant called upon him on the 29th or the 30th of July, and said she wanted to speak to him and have his advice. She said she was coming from Paddington to Dolgelley with the boxes, and that they were lost between the two places. He told her the best thing was to lodge a complaint with the Railway Company. Accused said she had done so, and they had done their best. He asked her if she had anything to show she had three boxes: Oh, she said, they were very heavy, and I had to weigh them and pay extra. Witness said that was very fortunate. She also mentioned books as being in the boxes, and witness advised her to make out a list of the lost property. He told her also that no doubt the Railway Company would put the matter into the hands of their detective staff. Then defendant said Do you think they will pay without much bother ? Witness replied that there would be minute investigation, no doubt, as the claim was very big, and if the Company found it was a bona fide one they would be sure to pay. Defendant, answering, said I don't think zC50 would repay me for what I had in the boxes. I have been coaching myself up for an examination I in theological subjects.—Caroline Thompson, acting matron at the Creche, Wilford road, Croydon, recog- nised the boxes. The defendant had arrived there on the 1st of May, and she had received the follow- ing letter from the defendant on the 9th of August:—"Crosby House, Dolgelley, North Wales. Madam,—I am writing to ask you if you will kindly give my luggage to Carter, Patersons, and put the enclosed labels on. I am very sorry to troublo you so much, but I had told carriers to call and bring them to Paddington, and I expect they have for- gotten all about it, and I cannot very well fetch them myself. I have taken those people to be reli- able and have found them always so till now. I shall feel very grateful if you will do this for me. Ask them to take them.—I remain, yours, &c., JANETTE R. OWEN." She did not send the boxes as requested. She identified other letters as being in the handwriting of the defendant. Shortly after receiving the letter Detective Kellaway called and it was in consequence of that that the boxes were not sent.—Cross-examined It was on the 11th that she first heard from Detective Kellaway. She understood from the letter of the defendant that she had previously given orders to Carter, Pater- sons to take her luggage to Paddington, and it was in consequence of that that she asked the matron to send them.—Joseph White, caretaker at the Lighthouse Mission, Wilford Road, Croydon, said the boxes were in his charge from the morning of the 24th of July. He took charge of them as he was the caretaker. He knew nothing of a Mrs Conway at Croydon.—Detective Kellaway, of the Great Western Railway Company, said he received instructions on the 9th of August and on that date he went to DolgeJley. He saw defendant in the house of her aunt at Crosby House, Dolgelley, and informed her he had come there in regard to the missing luggage. In reply to the questicn whether the list was a correct one of the missing articles she replied Yes." He asked, By what train did you start from Croydon ?" She replied, By the workman's train at six o'clock for Victoria. I then took a cab from Victoria to Paddington, and there I gave a porter a Is to label the boxes to Dolgelley." Previous to the 24th her boxes had been in West Croydon Station cloak- room for some days in the name of Owen, and she had asked Carter, Paterson to call and take them to Paddingon. As they did not call she booked third-class to Dolgelley, taking the luggage with her, but upon her arrival she missed her luggage. The reason she did not complain immediately was because she had had a previous experience of a similar kind, when her luggage did arrive. He asked to see the excess payment note, and she said she had mislaid it. Asked for the return half of her tourist ticket she said she had lost it. She also said, "Yon needn't bother any further; I have received a note this morning from a friend of mine with whom I have been communicating, who has found my luggage." Asked to see the note she said: "It is not a note—a telegram." This she said she had destroyed. Witness inquired from whom she had received the telegram, and her reply was that she had received it from a personal friend, whose name she gave as the Rev. William Jones, 88, Fieegrove Road, N., to whom she was soon to be married, and who was going round North Wales on a preaching tour. That man, she said, was not likely to state an untruth. On making inquiries he found no such name at the address given. When he saw defendant again she told him she was going to a rescue home at Charing Cross. Witness went to West Croydon Station, but failed to find that the luggage described had been left there. He also went to 31, Wilford road, and saw the wit ness Thompson, who showed him the boxes. On Friday August 20th witness obtained a warrant for the arrest of the defendant. Cross examined It was on the same day as the stationmaster at Dol- gelley received the withdrawal that he saw the defendant. The stationmaster did not tell him that the defendant had sent him a written with- drawal. He (the stationmaster) told him that she was willing to withdraw her claim. He did not know at the time she had withdrawn the claim, but he knew after seeing accused when the note was shown him—Detective-Sergeant W. Mee, Scotland yard, was the next witness. In consequence of instructions received he arrested the defendant. -Mr E. J. Griffith, in summing up, said there was one thing plain, and that was that the luggage never left the Creche. How then was the form filled ? The plain truth was the poor girl in the box had told an untruth after an untruth. In this country that was not a crime yet, or else the box would be full at every ccurt. It was plain that the girl had entrusted to Carter Paterson to take her luggage to the station. And why did not the prosecution bring Carter Paterson there as evidence ? That proved something. They went to 88, Freegrove Road, N., and found no such person as the Rev William Jones. He strongly commented on the conversation between the detec- tive and the stationmaster at Dolgelley Station. There the stationmaster and the dectective acted to- gether, the stationmaster having the accused's letter in his pocket and yet told the detective that the accused desired to withdraw the claim, when he had the withdrawal in his pocket.—The Chairman summed up at engtb, and after some consideration the jury returned with a verdict of guilty with a recommendation for mercy. The Chairman said the verdict of ihe Court was to send the accused for four calendar months' imprisonment. The prisoner again fainted in the