3.--Died, aged 69, Mr. John Oddin Taylor, of Norwich. He was an Alderman
of the city, "and the grand Cattle Market and Prince of Wales Road, for
which we are mainly indebted to him, are monuments of his far-seeing
judgment and untiring zeal." Descended from a long line of Norfolk
yeomen, Mr. Taylor was born at Thuxton, on April 26th, 1805, and in due
course was articled to Mr. T. Bignold and Mr. T. Brightwell. In politics
he was one of the old school of Whigs, and on the passing of the
Municipal Reform Act in 1835 became a member of the Corporation. Mr.
Taylor was one of the Liberals who protested against the displacement of
the old Corporation officials. He served the office of Mayor in 1861-62;
was made a Deputy-Lieutenant of the county in acknowledgment of his
political services as Liberal agent, and was a trustee of the Grammar and
Commercial Schools, and an active member of the Committee of the Norfolk
and Norwich Triennial Musical Festival. Mr. Taylor married the eldest
daughter of Mr. Brewer, of Mile End House, Norwich, and of the marriage
there were two sons and three daughters.
15.--A fire took place on the premises of Mr. Dixon, silversmith and
jeweller, of London Street, Norwich, and did damage to the amount of
2,000.
17.--The annual show of the Norfolk Agricultural Association commenced at
Norwich. It was held upon the grounds of the Sheriff (Mr. A. R.
Chamberlin), on Ipswich Road, and the luncheon was under the presidency
of Mr. J. J. Colman, M.P.
18.--A meeting of the Norfolk and Norwich Provident Building Society was
held at the Bell Hotel, Norwich, under the presidency of Mr. H. S.
Patteson, when it was reported that the secretary, Mr. Josiah Buttifant,
had left the city on the 2nd inst., ostensibly for the purpose of taking
a holiday; but it was afterwards discovered that he had committed
defalcations to the amount of about 5,000. A committee was appointed to
consider the best course to be adopted, and soon afterwards a petition
was presented for the winding-up of the society, and a warrant issued for
the apprehension of Buttifant. On July 6th William Frederick Fish, a
clerk in the employment of Buttifant, was taken into custody, on the
information of Samuel Beckett Hook, a shareholder in the society, on the
charge of cheating and defrauding Agas Goose and others, trustees, of the
sum of 10 7s., and on other days of divers other sums, amounting in the
whole to 10,000. The accused was finally committed for trial on July
20th; and on July 27th Mr. Justice Blackburn granted an application for a
writ of _certiorari_ to remove the trial of Fish to the Central Criminal
Court. On August 14th a telegram was received in Norwich, announcing
that Buttifant had been arrested at Valentia. The arrest was effected on
August 7th, by Detective Williamson, of the Norwich police. Buttifant
and his son Archibald were staying, under the name of Biron, at the Hotel
de Ville Madrid, Valentia. He was brought to England, _via_ Marseilles,
reached Norwich on August 14th, and underwent his preliminary examination
before the magistrates on the 15th, on charges of forgery and
embezzlement. After several remands he was committed for trial at the
Norwich Assizes. At the Central Criminal Court, on November 25th, Fish
was placed upon his trial, on the charge of stealing 39 2s., and of
aiding and assisting Buttifant in the embezzlement, and was sentenced by
Mr. Baron Pollock to sixteen calendar months' imprisonment, with hard
labour. (_See_ March 25th, 1875.)