PETERSFIELD.
PETTY SESSIONS.—(Tuesday.)—Present J. Waddington, Esq., Chairman, and Major Briggs.
— James Smith, was charged under the Criminal Justice Act with stealing, on Saturday, July 11th, two trusses of straw value 1s. 6d., the property of William Berry. William Green deposed: I live at Ramsdean and work for my brother, Thomas Green. About three weeks ago I delivered 31 trusses of straw at the Seven Stars, both for Mr. William Berry, they were for thaching, ricks. John Ansell deposed: I live at Langrish and work for Mr. Robert Green. About 10 o’clock in the evening of Saturday, the 11th of this month, I saw some straw in Stroud Bridge meadow, and hid some halters under part of the straw. On Sunday morning I went for my halters and found them, but two trusses of the straw that covered them were gone. P.C. H. Elderfield deposed: On Sunday, the 12th of this month, in the evening, I went to prisoner’s house and asked him if he had any trusses of straw on his premises, he hesitated and then said yes, he had two trusses, I said ‟I suppose you can give a good account of how you came by them,” he hesitated again and then said he suppose he might as well tell the truth, he got them down at the rick there, he then took me to a shed at the back of his premises and showed me two trusses of wheat straw covered over with some loose stuff, he said he took it to thatch the shed, he did not know who it belonged to and he supposed he should get off by paying for it. I took him into custody. Prisoner elected to be tried by the bench and pleaded guilty. Mr. Berry said he did not wish to press the case harshly against the prisoner, but having lost a good many things lately he wished to put a stop to such proceedings. Sentenced to a fortnight’s imprisonment with hard labour.
— William Adams was he convicted on the information of P.C. George Kingshott of being drunk and riotous at the Railway Hotel, at Liss, on in Monday, the 6th July, fined 5s. and 7s. 6d. costs.