The GLIO Site

PETERSFIELD.

     CHARGE OF OBTAINING A CHEQUE BY FALSE PRETENCES.—At the Magistrates’ Clerk’s Office on Tuesday, Richard Bone was brought up in custody before J. Waddington, Esq., charged with obtaining from Mr. John Adams a cheque for £11 10s., by false pretences.—John Adams deposed: I am a butcher and live at Petersfield. On Wednesday last I bought three pigs in Petersfield market of Thomas Knight, son of Mrs. Knight, of Steep Mill; the price was £11 10s. On Thursday morning prisoner called on me and said he had come for the money for the pigs. I said, ‟What pigs?” He said, ‟The pigs from Steep Mill,” and he asked me how they had turned out, and whether I had killed them yet. I said ‟No,” he said, ‟They'll be sure to turn out well.” I said “That you can know nothing about, we shall see by and bye” I went into another room and drew the cheque now produced by Mr. Blanchard, and handed it to prisoner. I said to him as is usual in the trade,  “Give us a shilling for luck.” He replied, ‟Missus didn’t say anything about that.”

I told him it was a general rule to to have something. He said, “You had better see Tom, he'll give you something, he aint half a bad sort.” I understood him to mean Mrs. Knight’s son, of whom I had bought the pigs. Prisoner then asked where he could get the cheque changed, and I told him at the London and County Bank, but not till after 10 o’clock. When I asked him why the foreman had not called for the money, he said it was late and he forgot it. —William Gilbert Blanchard deposed: I am cashier at the London and County Bank at Petersfield. On Thursday last soon after 10 o’clock prisoner called at the bank and presented the cheque which I now produce. I changed it for him, and gave him £11 in gold, but I am not sure whether the 10s. were in gold or silver, As I was giving him the money, | said, ‟from Mrs. Knight.” Prisoner made no answer. Frances Knight deposed: I live at Steep Mill. On Wednesday last I sent three pigs to market for sale. Prisoner was employed to help to load them into the cart. He is not regularly in my service, but I occasionally employ him as an assistant. I never authorised him to receive the price of the pigs in any way, he has not accounted to me for any money he received from Mr. Adams, he was not employed by me in any way on Thursday the 13th. He has sometimes received money for me, but in all such cases he has had either a written or verbal authority to do so. —Thomas Knight deposed: I am son of the last witness. On Wednesday last I sold three pigs belonging to my mother in Petersfield market to Mr. Adams. The price was £11 10s. Prisoner took the pigs from the market down to Mr. Adams’s. I did not tell him to ask for the money, either on that day or the next, or at any time. He has never paid me any money he received from Mr. Adams. He never gave me the cheque now produced.—Supt. Longland deposed: On Sunday evening last, the 16th, from information I received from Mr. Adams, I went in search of prisoner, and found him at the Railway Hotel about 10 o’clock. I charged him with having obtained a cheque for £11 10s. from Mr. Adams under false pretences. He said, “Yes, and I have got the money in my pocket.” I commenced searching him. He took some money from his pocket and placed it on the table. I counted it and found £9 10s in gold, 8s. 6d. in silver, and 3½d. in copper. I then took him to the station and locked him up —Prisoner declined to ask the witnesses any question, and on receiving the usual caution from the Magistrate, and being asked if he wished to say anything, replied “Nothing,” and was committed for trial at the ensuing Quarter Sessions.

Salisbury and Winchester Journal — Saturday 20 October 1866

HAMPSHIRE QUARTER SESSIONS
16-Oct-1866

     Richard Bone, obtaining money by false pretences at Petersfield — ACQUITTED

West Sussex Gazette — Thursday 25 October 1866

     SERIOUS CHARGE OF FRAUD.—At the Hampshire Sessions last week, Richard Bone was charged with having on the 13th of September last, obtained from John Adams of Petersfield, a cheque for £11 10s., with intent to defraud.—Prosecutor bought three pigs in Petersfield market, of Mr. Knights, son of Mrs. Knights, of Steep mill, the price of which was £11 10s,, and next day, before banking time, prisoner applied to Mr. Adams for the money for them, saying he was sent by Mrs. Knights. He gave Bone the cheque. Mr. Blanchard, cashier of the London and County Bank at Petersfield, proved that prisoner cashed the cheque there about ten minutes after ten. He understood he had been sent by Mrs. Knights, and upon that cashed the cheque. — Mrs. Knights proved that she engaged the prisoner to load the pigs in the cart for market for her son, that he was present at the sale, and was sent with the pigs to Mr. Adams, but neither of them had given him any authority to take or go for the money.—Mr. Knights admitted that he had received a message from prisoner by Henry Barton that he had some money for him —P.C. Oliver Longland was sent to look after the prisoner, and found him on Sunday at the Railway Hotel drinking, and charged him with the offence, when prisoner took out of his pocket nine sovereigns, a half-sovereign, 8s. 6d in silver, and 3½d. in copper, which he placed on the table, and the superintendent took possession of it. —Prisoner, in defence, asserted he did not take the money with intent to steal it or defraud, but intended to hand it over to Mr. Knights, and kept it in his pocket to do so, but broke into it before he saw the owner, though but for a sovereign which he had somehow lost he had not employed more than he could replace.—The Chairman pointed out in prisoner’s favor that there was a doubt as to his intent to defraud at the time he took the money.—The jury found him guilty of obtaining the under false pretences, but not with invent to defraud, and found a verdict of not guilty.