PETERSFIELD
PETTY SESSIONS, Tuesday,—Present: Hon. J. J. Carnegie (chairman), J. Waddington, and G. Forbes, Esqrs.
A DESERTER.—John McMahon was brought up charged with being a deserter from the navy. P.C. Charles Godfrey deposed that he met with prisoner at Horndean, on Sunday last, and that he at first said he had been discharged from his ship, but had lost his discharge. He then said he had just left the Victory, and this statement he repeated to the magistrates, but was somewhat taken aback when Mr. Superintendent Fey produced a letter from the Secretary to the Admiralty stating that no such name was on the books of the Victory. As, how- ever, he persisted in his statement, the Magistrates ordered him to be remitted to the Victory.
HOPPING INTO A TRAP.—Henry Moberly was charged with vagrancy, he having gone to the back door of Mr. Fey’s residence at the police station and there begged. Mr. Fey, with his usual tact, put certain questions to the applicant as to his antecedents, and received such answers as induced him to furnish him, not only with food, but with lodging also, and to submit his case to the consideration of the Bench, under a charge of desertion from Her Majesty’s service. The Chairman put a number of questions to the prisoner, but he fenced with them all in such a manner that the Bench remanded him for the purpose of communicating with the War Office.
LICENSE TO SELL REFRESHMENTS.—Mr. Moore, of the Bell Inn, Petersfield, applied for a temporary license for the sale of excisable articles on the Heath, at a cricket match, on Monday next. This was the first application under the recent act. Granted
ROBBING A YOUTH.—Charles Pearce, a young man on tramp, was brought up in custody, charged with stealing a knife from Archibald Fey, a little boy aged eight years, the son of Mr. Superintendent Fey.—Archibald Fey, having satisfactorily answered sundry questions as to his knowledge of the nature of an oath, deposed as follows: Last Friday afternoon, about five o’clock, I went to Sheet. William Shardlow was with me. We saw prisoner near the sandpit at Sheet. He overtook us and asked if there were any iron foundries in Petersfield. I told him I did not know. He asked me if there were any mills. I told him there was one at the bottom of the hill. He then asked William Shardlow if he had a knife, and he said ‟No:” and then he asked me if I had one. I said ‟Yes;” and then he asked me to lend it him to cut a stick, and I did, and as sown as he got it he said ‟This is the knife I lost yesterday,” and he went away with it. I went after him and asked him for it, but he would not give it me. The knife now produced is the same. The Chairman praised the little fellow for the clear manner in which he had given his evidence. William Shardlow, a schoolfellow of last witness, gave corroborative evidence.— P.C. Charles Butler deposed to taking prisoner into custody at the Fighting Cocks, and finding the knife in his possession.—Prisoner elected to be tried by the Bench, and pleaded guilty.—Fourteen days’ imprisonment with hard labour.
STEALING CABBAGES.—Vashti Carpenter was convicted of stealing cabbages from the garden of Thomas Lemon, on Liss Common.—Fined 2s. 6d., and costs 7s. 6d.
CAUGHT AT LAST.— George Underwood was brought up under a warrant charged with trespassing in search of game, in the parish of Buriton. The offence was committed as long ago as the 26th of March, and a summons was issued at the time, but could not be served, the defendant having absconded, thereupon a warrant was issued, and prisoner was apprehended at Stoughton, in Sussex, a few days since. The case was clearly proved by the evidence ofArnold Stroud, keeper to W. Green, Esq., of Ditcham Park, and prisoner was convicted and fined 10s., with costs 15s.