PETERSFIELD.
Agent—MR. G. DUPLOCK
BREAKING INTO A STORE.—At the Petty Sessions, on Tuesday, before Captain Sandeman, William Osgood and Henry Osgood, brothers, aged respectively 17 and 11, were brought up in custody, charged with breaking into a store, and stealing therefrom 36 bottles of desiccated milk, value 1l., the property of Mr. Thomas Amey, of Steep, on Friday, the 17th ult.—William Clarke deposed as follows: I am in the employ of Mr. Amney, at his manufactory of desiccated milk, at Steep Marsh Farm. On Friday, July 17th, I locked up the warehouse about seven o'clock in the evening, and saw that all was safe; there were about 400 bottles of desiccated milk in the warehouse. They were placed in boxes of 50 each. I returned about half past five next morning, and went to the boxes, as I am in the habit of doing, to see that they were all right. I found one box empty, although there were 50 bottles in that box the night before. The bottles now produced are part of Mr. Amey's stock. I know them by the trade mark. They are worth at least 1l.—Henry Bridel deposed: I work for Mr. Amey, at Steep Marsh Farm. About four o'clock in the morning of Saturday, July 18th, I went to the warehouse. I was the first of the men there, and found the door unfastened, but put to. There was a pane of glass broken out of one of the windows. Anyone might put his arm through and open the window, and when open he might get through. The door could be unfastened on the inside, but could not be opened from the outside.—The witness Clarke, on being re-called, explained that he fastened the door in question on the inside with a hasp, and then went out at another door, locking it after him. This latter door he found locked in the morning as he had left it at night.—P.C. Charles Troke deposed: On Saturday, the 18th of July, I received information of this robbery. I was on duty between 11 and 12 that night on the Farnham-road, near the cross roads, called Bowyer's-cross. One of those roads leads round to Steep marsh. The younger prisoner came along that road, from the direction of Steep marsh. I asked him his name. He hesitated at first, and then said Osgood. I felt him down, and under his left arm I found the bottle of milk powder which I now produce. I said " here did you get this?" He said, "Uncle gave it me." I said, "What uncle?" and he replied, "Willie told me to say uncle gave it me." I said, "Where's Willie ?" He said "Just back farther; he has got a basket full of them." He took me to the spot where he said he left Willie, but there was no one there. I then took him to the station. On the way he said, "I didn't break in myself. Willie got in." In the morning, about four o'clock, I went again to the spot where he said he left Willie; it was in an oat-field. P.C. Hayter was with me, and there, about two rods from the hedge, I saw Hayter pick up a rush basket. He handed it over the hedge to me. I found it contained 24 bottles of milk powder, which I now produce. On the following Monday evening, about eight o'clock, I went to Spring Pond Copse, at Liss. I saw the elder prisoner there; he tried to escape, but was caught by a young man named Hogsflesh, and given up to me. I afterwards received eleven empty bottles from John Turner. On Tuesday, the 21st, I took the elder prisoner before Mr. Waddington for a remand, and when we were returning he said, "Did Harry say he didn't get into the store?" I said "Yes." He replied, "He did get in, the same as I did, and helped to lift the basket out. We left half of them in Mr. Chase's field, and we went after them on Saturday nights. We got some hot water in a can, and put the powder into it, and made a drink of it, and lived on it, as we had nothing else to eat."—John Turner deposed to finding a tin case and 11 empty bottles in a copse close by Spring Pond Copse, also to seeing the elder prisoner lying under a hedge, about 100 yards from where he found the bottles, and that there were traces of a fire near the spot where he found the can.—The prisoners were both committed for trial at the next Quarter Sessions. The magistrate expressed his willingness to accept bail for the younger prisoner.
(See also 29-Jul-1868)