PETERSFIELD.
IGNITING RICKS.—BOYS AND LUCIFER MATCHES AGAIN.—On Wednesday afternoon a fire took place at Chalton, about six miles from this town, near the Down, upon property in the occupation of Mr. Thomas Boys, belonging to the Idsworth Estate, which consumed one hay rick, and two seed ricks. It appears that two boys, one of the name of GEO. CARPENTER and MARK WELLS, of about 10 and 11 tears of age, were near the ricks, when one asked the other if he had ever seen a rick on fire and put out again. A lucifer match was then applied, and one of the ricks ignited. The boys were taken into custody, and brought up on Thursday, at the magistrates’ clerk’s office, before J. Waddington, Esq., and remanded till Tuesday, at the petty sessions.
Hampshire Telegraph — Saturday 24 November 1866
JUVENILE RICKBURNERS.—Two little boys, named George Carpenter and Mark Wells, each 10 years of age, were again brought up before the justices on Tuesday charged with setting fire to a rick of hay, whereby that and two others which were standing near were entirely consumed. The value of the ricks was 200l. The case occurred at Chalton on Wednesday, the 14th inst. The ricks were the property of Mr. Thomas Boys. The evidence was substantially as follows:—William Utley, a shepherd, in the employ of Mr. Boys, saw the ricks safe about half past two in the afternoon, when he cut two trusses from one of them, which he carried some 180 yards to a sheep cage, and as he was going along he saw the two boys in the field and spoke to them. Soon after he saw smoke issuing from the ricks, and immediately went and found them on fire. While he was endeavouring to beat the fire out Carpenter came to him and made some remark, to which Utley replied that he suspected he knew something about it, but the boy denied it. He did not see Wells at that time. There is a road leading past the field in which the ricks were standing, but there was no one seen passing at the time.—Police-constable John Smith deposed to taking carpenter to Mr. Boys’ house in the evening, and finding Wells there his having brought him down, but the boys at first denied all knowledge of the matter, but afterwards Wells said he and Carpenter went to the rick together, that they each struck a lucifer match, and thrust them into one of the ricks about a foot from the ground, and as soon as the fire blazed up they both ran away. On being asked who first planned setting the ricks on fire Wells said Carpenter proposed doing it about twelve o’clock, and about three they did it. Carpenter also confessed to the act, and said ‟I stood at one end of the rick while Mark Wells lit the match. He asked me for my hat to strike it on and I gave it to him.” The boys were committed for trial at the ensuing assizes. The chairman remarked that the magistrates would have been very glad if they could have dealt with the case summarily by ordering the boys to be whipped, but as it was a felony which could only be tried at the assizes, they had no alternative but to commit them. Bail was taken, each boy’s father being bound in the sum of 10l. for their appearance.