PETERSFIELD.
Agent—Miss DUPLOCK.
PETTY SESSIONS.—Tuesday.—Present, Hon. J. J. Carnegie (Chairman), J. Waddington, Esq., and G. Forbes, Esq.
— Ann Mills was brought up in custody under the Criminal Justice Act, charged with stealing one cotton chemise, value 1s. 6d., the property of Henry Pledger.
— Harriet Pledger deposed: I am the wife of Henry Pledger, who keeps the Spread Eagle public-house at Petersfield. On Wednesday, the 29th February, prisoner came to our house about two o’clock in the afternoon and stayed till about seven. She asked for lodgings for the night, but I told her I had none and she had better go to the ‟Jolly Sailor,” where I knew she had been staying for some days. I went into the tap-room, leaving prisoner in the front room; my husband and baby were there; there was a chemise folded up and lying on the baby. I missed the chemise the next morning and informed the police. That now produced is the same.
— Henry Pledger corroborated the foregoing evidence, and added that soon after his wife went into the tap-room he had occasion to go up stairs, and left prisoner alone in the front room with the baby. He was absent about two minlutes. His wife brought prisoner’s bundle from the tap-room, and they prevailed on her to leave the house. As she was doing so he saw something white under her cloak, but he did not know what it was.
— P.C. George Smith deposed: In consequence of some information which he received from Mrs. Pledger, he went to the ‟Jolly Sailor,” and there saw prisoner; she had a bundle and a chemise lying on the table. I asked her if that belonged to her. She said she had got it, and she supposed she must have taken it by mistake, as she was drunk the night before. He then charged her with stealing it, and took her into custody.
— Prisoner elected to be tried by the bench, and pleaded not guilty, alleging that she was intoxicated when she went to the ‟Spread Eagle,” and having had more beer there, she became so drunk that she did not know what she did, and must have taken the chemise by mistake as part of her own things; she added that she sold a pair of half-boots to the land-lady for 6d., and also a dress to some one else.
— Hearing this, the bench recalled Mrs. Pledger, and elicited from her the fact that prisoner was drunk when she came to the house.
— Chairman: And did you supply her with beer when she was in that state? Yes.
— And did you buy a pair of half-boots which the prisoner took from her feet? Yes.
— What did you give her for them? Sixpence.
— And did she leave your house without shoes? No, my husband gave her an old pair of web slippers.
— And did she sell a part of her clothing to some one in your house? Yes, she sold a dress to some woman travelling with earthenware.
— Henry Pledger was re-called, and the Chairman addressed him thus: Henry Pledger, you were entrusted by the magistrates of this bench with a license, under the supposition that you were a fit person to conduct a public-house. Your mis-conduct, and that of your wife in this matter proves that you are wholly unfit for such trust, and this affair will not be forgotten if you should at a future time apply for a renewal of your license, and I shall take care in the meantime that your landlord be made acquainted with your conduct on this occasion.
Then addressing the prisoner, the Chairman said the bench was of opinion that there might be a doubt as to whether she had taken the chemise by mistake in her drunken state, but reminded her that wilful drunkenness was no excuse for such an act, and cautioned her as to her future conduct. In the present case the magistrates would give her the benefit of the doubt.—She was accordingly discharged.
— The two magistrates who were appointed at a former bench to view the road leading from Hawkley Lower Green to Mabbot’s Farm, now reported that such road was not in a proper state of repair, and the Surveyors were fined 1s. and ordered to put it in a fit state within a fortnight.
— Rev. Frederick Hervey Freith, perpetual curate of the parish of Liss, applied, through a solicitor (whose name did not transpire), for a warrant for the removal of Mrs. Budd from the situation of Mistress of the parochial school. It appeared from the statement of the learned gentleman that formal notice had been given to defendant to leave, but she refused to do so. The Chairman enquired if she had also had notice of the present application, and the reply being in the negative, the bench declined to grant the warrant. The application will therefore be renewed on a future occasion.
— James Bone, of the parish of Liss, was summoned by the Overseers for neglecting to maintain his child, George Bone, aged five years, who had, in consequence, become chargeable to the said parish. Defendant alleged that he had been working at Aldershott, and had regularly paid 2s. 6d. a-week to Mr. Charles Vinson, who promised to give it to the Overseers.—Case adjourned for a fortnight, to test the accuracy of defendant’s statement.
— William Tilbury, of Eastmeon, was summoned by the Overseers of the parish of Catherington, to show cause why he should not contribute towards the maintenance of her mother, Jane Tilbury, who had for some time been chargeable to the said Parish. Defendant pleaded inability, and stated that it was only by working almost day and night that he could keep himself off the parish. Mr. Thomas Bulbeck, overseer, deposed that defendant was a grocer and brewer in business on his own account, at Eastmeon; has a horse and cart for carrying out grocery and beer, and also goes every Monday to the parish of Catherington for a cart-load of bread for sale. Witness produced a letter from the assistant overseer of Eastmeon, containing an extract from the rate-book, showing the amount at which the defendant is rated to the poor’s-rate, but the bench declined to receive this as evidence, and adjourned the case for six weeks.
— John Vollar, of the parish of Catherington, was charged on the information of James Webb, with setting a wire for catching hares on the night of Thursday, the 1st of March, on land in the occupation of Mr. Thomas Boys, in the parish of Chalton.
— James Webb deposed: On the 1st of March, about 11 o’clock at night, I was watching a wire which I had found in the evening in a run on a piece of land called Netherby, in the parish of Chalton; the wire was knocked down when I left it. I went up the road 200 or 300 yards, and saw defendant, with a woman and girl, in the road leading from Chalton to Blendworth; this road adjoins the Netherby. Defendant was coming from Chalton in the direction of Blendworth. I saw him leave the woman and girl and go to the hedge; he stooped down, and then went farther on to another run; and stooped down there also. I heard him break a stick from the hedge. He then went back towards Chalton; it might be 30 yards. I was about 16 yards from him; it was very moolight. I went to the place where I last saw him; stooping down, I found a wire there tied to a dry stick; the wire was set; it was not at the place where I had seen a wire before. I heard the woman say ‟John, be careful, or else you will get yourself into trouble.” He then walked down the road to the other wire, which I had seen before. I followed him down, and saw him go to the place where the wire was set; he leaned over the hedge. I went to the place and found the wire was gone. I walked on and overtook him, and told him I wanted the wire he had just taken up from the hedge; he said he had not seen one; I told him I should search him if he did not give me the wire; he refused to let me search him; I attempted to do so; he had a large stick in his hand, and said if I attempted to search him he would knock me down; I took the stick away from him, and threw it over the hedge; we had a little tussle over the stick; I found the wire which I now produce on the road where we had the scuffle, about half an hour after the defendant had left.
— Defendant was convicted, and a former conviction having been proved, he was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment with hard labour, and at the expiration of that time to find two sureties, in 5l. each, not to commit a like offence for one year, or failing such sureties to be imprisoned for a further term of six months.
— Highway rates were signed for the parishes of Clanfield, Empshott, and Hawkley.
Portsmouth Times and Naval Gazette - Saturday 10 March 1860
PETTY SESSIONS, March 6.—TOWN HALL.—Magistrates present.—Hon. J.J. Carnegie, G. Forbes, and J. Waddington, Esqrs.
ASSAULT.—Ivall v. Jolliffe.—This case was adjourned for a fortnight, in consequence of a witness not being able to attend through illness.