MIDHURST.
PETTY SESSIONS.—THURSDAY
HASLER HOLLIST, Esq., and Colonel SANDHAM.
This was also a special session for the transferring licenses.
STEALING A CALICO SHIRT.—JAMES SHANLEY, a soldier of the 62nd Regiment, was charged by James Voller, with stealing the above, value 2s. 6d.
E. Voller, sworn—On Friday last, about 10 o’clock in the morning, I had a calico shirt out to dry in the garden, and a little before 11 o’clock it was gone.
Fanny Boniface—I live with Mrs. Voller, in the same house. On Friday last, I saw this man passing by the premises a little before 11 o’clock. He was within 50 yards of the garden, and was going towards Liphook. Have no doubt but that he is the person.
Lucy Stone—I know the prisoner. I bought a calico shirt of him on Friday last, about one o’clock. He came to my house, and asked me to let him dry a shirt. I consented. He then offered it for sale, and said as he had got nothing to go on the road with, he would let me have it for 2s. I gave him the money, and just upon his leaving the house Police-constable Batt came in. I then gave him the shirt. Had no suspicion at all before.
Police constable Batt, Hants Constabulary, deposed—In consequence of information received, I followed prisoner to last witness’s house on Friday last, about ten minutes to one. I saw prisoner there and told him I wanted to see into his bundle. He said, ‟There it is.” There was nothing in this one I wanted. I asked him where the other bundle was I saw him have when he came through the street. He said he had not another. Mrs. Stone then said, ‟Perhaps this is it (producing the shirt) what he sold me. I bought it for 2s.” He told me his landlady had washed it and had not time to dry it. I took the shirt and showed it to prosecutor, who identified it. Prisoner was present. I took him into custody, and on our way to Petersfield he told me two different tales of how he became possessed of it —that he brought it with him from Aldershot and that his comrades could prove it, and then, after a time, stated he bought it at Guildford, and that the woman where he lodged could prove that, as he got robbed of his money, he was obliged to leave before the shirt got dry.
Prisoner, who pleaded not guilty, said he was perfectly innocent of the charge, that he bought the shirt at Guildford and was robbed of it at Portsmouth. and on his road he bought the shirt in question of another soldier who was going from Petersfield to Portsmouth.
The Magistrates said, there was not the least doubt in their minds but that the prisoner was guilty, and his telling three or four different tales about the shirt, strengthened their belief. They were sorry to see a man with a good conduct stripe on his coat, and one who had been nineteen years in the service, so disgrace himself.—Two calendar months imprisonment with hard labour.
Highway rates were signed for the parishes of Heyshott and Woolbeding.