PETERSFIELD.
PETTY SESSIONS, Tuesday. —Present J. Bonham Carter, Esq., M.P., and John Waddington, Esq.
— POACHING.—Levi Vollar appeared upon summons charged with taking a rabbit from a wire in the Mill-field, in the parish of Chalton, on the night of the 23rd of December last. The same evidence as adduced by Benjamin Wells and James Webb, and which appeared in these columns of the last bench report, when his brother George Vollar was convicted, having been given, defendant pleaded guilty, and sentenced to three weeks’ imprisonment with hard labour, and at the expiration of the same to be bound himself in £10, and to find two sureties each in £2 10s. not to ofiend again in like manner for 12 months. (See also — 5-Jan-1864)
— NON PAYMENT OF POOR RATES.— John Payne, a small farmer at Greatham, was summoned for the nonpayment of poor rate, being £5 1s. 3d. made on the 1st of October last. Proof of service of summons, and the proper affixing of the notice on the church door having been given, defendant said he did not dispute the rate, but the parish owed him more money than was due for the same, for carting materials on the highways; and as soon as that was paid he would pay the rate. The bench told defendant that he could not claim a set off in that manner, and that unless the amount of rate was at once paid, together with 9s. 6s. costs incurred, a distress warrant would be issued. The defendant then applied for and obtained permission to leave the court to obtain the money, and he afterwards returned and paid the amount of rate and costs.
— James Redman, who did not appear, was summoned for non-payment of poor rate of 2s. 8d. for the parish of Liss. From the evidence adduced it appeared that the rate was made upon an allotment of land purchased by defendant under the Liss Inclosure Sales, and that the allotment had been fenced in, and partly broken up, and cropped. Mr. Josiah Gosden, collector, proved having demanded the rate twice, when defendant refused to pay, saying there was nothing on the ground and as he lived in Sussex they could not distrain upon his goods there. A warrant was issued for immediate execution.
— SETTING A WIRE.—James Silvester, a lad in the employ of Mr. R. Gale, of Blendworth, was charged with setting a wire in a field called the ‟Ten acres,” the property of Sir J. C. Jervoise, on the afternoon of the 7th of January. The charge was proved, and the defendant fined £1 and 7s. 6d. costs, which was paid by his father, who said he had worked forty years upon the farm.
— STEALING A HALF-PENNY FROM A TILL.—Orlando Outen, 14, was charged by Henry Rooke with taking a half-penny from his till. The magistrates taking into consideration the youth of the prisoner and his having been confined in the police station from the previous Friday, after a suitable admonition, fined him 2s. 6d. which his mother paid.
— Samuel Jonathan Silvester, a licensed victualler, of Waterloo, appeared upon summons, charged with passing through the Horndean turnpike gate without paying the toll. It appeared that when defendant passed through the gate he was in pursuit of a suspected smuggler. After a lengthened investigation the magistrates dismissed the summons, but, at the same time stated that it was a very proper question to be brought forward. (See below)
— TAKING CORN FOR HIS HORSES. —John Gold, a carter in the employ of Mr. William Mellersh, of Eastmeon, appeared upon summons charged with taking corn from a barn in a sack containing 1½ bushel of oats and barley mixed, which it seemed he had taken for his horses. Defendant pleaded guilty and wished to be tried by the magistrates. Mr. Mellersh said, he did not wish to press hard upon defendant, his object was to put a stop to the practice. He did not wish to part with him, and would take him back into his service upon his promising not to be guilty of the act again. Defendant gave this promise and was fined 2s. 6d. and 7s.
— An OLD HAND WITH THE WIRE.— William Blunden, waa charged upon summons (but did not appear) with setting a wire in a field in the occupation of Mr. Harrison, in the parish of Buriton, on the 14th inst., and was convicted upon the evidence of William Haylock and John Bridle. Three former convictions having been proved against defendant, he was sentenced to pay a fine of 40s. and 10s. costs, or to be imprisoned with hard labour for two months.
Hampshire Telegraph — Saturday 23 January 1864i
— Samuel Jonathan Silvester, of Waterloo, was charged with passing through the Horndean turnpike-gate, on the 29th December, without paying the toll. The facts of the case, as they transpired in evidence, were substantially as follow:—On the evening of the 28th December a loaded van, drawn by two horses, pulled up at Waterloo, and the owner, finding the load rather too much for his horses, applied to defendant for the hire of an additional horse. Some conversation arose as to the contents ot the van, which raised a suspicion in the mind of defendant that it contained smuggled goods. He therefore declined to let his horse, and the owner of the van went on his way. Soon after defendant went to P.C. Goold, and told him of his suspicion. Goold suggested that if he liked to put his horse in the cart he would accompany him in pursuit, and remarked that if anything came of it he (defendant) would share in the benefit of the capture. Accordingly they set off. On arriving at Horndean turnpike-gate they inquired of the gatekeeper, Thos. Stevens, if a van had passed through, and what he thought it was loaded with. He replied, ‟Household furniture.” The result of this conversation with the gatekeeper was that Goold said he did not think it worth while to proceed any further, and he turned back, telling defendant that if, he liked to go on he would see another constable on the road, who would assist him as well as he (Goold) could. Defendant went on, and opposite the windmill he overtook two constables, and having told them the case, they got into the cart, and on approaching Gravel-hill they overtook the van. The constables having satisfied themselves that there was nothing in the van to warrant their interference, told defendant so, but he was still suspicious and said he should go on to Petersfield. He did so, and applied to Mr. Superintendent Longland, who, with P.C. Elderfield, went and found the van, but it contained nothing contraband, and defendant then returned home. On arriving at Horndean-gate it was 10 minutes past one a.m. on the 29th. The gatekeeper demanded the toll, as he considered defendant had ceased to be ‟on duty” when the policeman Goold left him the previous evening at the gate. Defendant, however, considered himself still ‟on duty,” and refused to pay the toll. After waiting some time, another cart came along and on the gate being opened to let this pass, he dashed through and left the gatekeeper minus the toll. Hence the summons. The magistrates, after a very lengthened investigation of the case, dismissed the summons.