PETERSFIELD.
PETTY SESSIONS, Tuesday.—Present: Hon. J. J. Carnegie (chairman), J. Bonham Carter, Esq., M.P., Sir J. C. Jervoise, Bart., M.P., and J. Waddington, Esq.
— A poor rate was signed for the parish of Bramshott.
— CARELESSLY DRIVING CARTS.—Henry Eade, of Rake, was charge by Supt. Stephenson with carelessly driving three carts, each drawn by a single horse. Complainant deposed that on Thursday the 16th he was on the Portsmouth road, near the lane leading to Weston, when he saw defendant with three carts, laden with chalk or lime. He was close by the first cart, the second was about 30 yards behind the first, and the third about ten yards behind that; the two latter had no one with them. When defendant saw complainant coming he left the first cart and went back to the second, which he reached just as complainant came up with him. He excused himself by saying that two boys who should have attended to the two hindermost carts were loitering behind, and he conld not get them along.— Defendant repeated this statement before the magistrates, and said that he was only employed to drive one of the carts, and was not accountable for the negligence of the boys; but as he was not prepared with evidence to prove this statement, the Bench adjourned the case to afford him an opportunity of producing his employer for that purpose. (See also 13-Nov-1862)
— ANOTHER CASE.—SHARP WORK!—James Heath was charged by Supt. Stephenson with a like offence of careless driving on Saturday, the 18th inst., near the Stroud, in the parish of Eastmeon, The charge was proved by P.C. George Baker. The defence was that the day being very windy his (defendant’s) hat blew off, and he ran back to get it, and so got in the rear of his cart. Case dismissed.
— ENCROACHING ON THE TURNPIKE.—Hollist v. Attree.—The complainant In this case is clerk to the trustees of the Fareham and Petersfield turnpike road, and the defendant is the valuer under the Liss Enclosure Act. The information was laid under the 118th section of the General Turnpike Act, and charged defendant with an encroachment on the turnpike road at Bowyer's Common by erecting a fence within less than 30 feet of the centre of such road. Mr. Blackmore, of Alresford, appeared for defendant. Mr. Hollist having briefly opened the case, called as a witness George Reeves, who deposed that he knew the portion of road in question, which is 16 feet wide at the end and 17 feet at the Liss end, and that the fence is 22 feet 8 inches from the centre of the road at one end, and 19 feet 8 inches at the other.—Mr. Blackmore here intimated his willingness to admit all the facts alleged in the information and stated that his defence was that the valuer had only done his duty as required by the Enclosure Act. The facts being thus admitted no further evidence was adduced, and the gentleman proceeded to open his defence. He contended that the provisions of the General Turnpike Act were overridden and virtually repealed by the Enclosure Act, on the principle that the latter converts waste land Into private property.— Mr. Hollist replied, contending that the trustees of turnpike roads had certain vested rights under the General Act which were never intended to be interfered with by the Enclosure Act. After a somewhat lengthened discussion between the learned gentlemen, the case was adjourned till next Bench day.
— SCALES AND WEIGHTS NOT PROPERLY ADJUSTED.—John Mills of Liss, was charged by Superintendent Stephenson , as Inspector of Weights and Measures, with having in his possession four unjust weighing machines—the first (a pair of large scales) being half an ounce against the purchaser, the second (a smaller pair) 2¼ drachms, the third 1½ drachm, and the fourth ½ a drachm. Mr. H. Ford, of Portsea, appeared for defendant. It appeared from the evidence of the Inspector that, with the exception of one pair (the third), defendant had taken precautions to adjust the slight inaccuracies that existed by attaching a small iron ring and a few shots to the weight scale; but he (the Inspector) felt himself justified in removing these, and finding the scales when thus stripped of their adjustments unequal, had laid the information. Mr. Ford addressed the Bench in his usual earnest manner, and referred to the un-impeached reputation which his client had sustained for 17 years, and the high position he held among his neighbours, he being at the present moment churchwarden of the parish. The learned gentleman called their worships’ attention to the fact that Mr. Mells had taken the precaution of adjusting the slight inaccuracies which he had discovered, which clearly showed that it was his wish to do his customers justice, and in fact the scales in the condition in which they were found by the inspector were just and equal, and were only rendered unequal by the removal of the small appendages which, he contended, the inspector had no right to remove.—Fined £1, and costs 7s. 6d.
— SETTLING AN ACCOUNT WITH MR. HOGSFLESH.—Henry Hogsflesh charged Richard Wakeford Attree with assaulting him at Liss, on Tuesday, the 7th October October.— Mr. Blackmore appeared for defendant.—Complainant deposed: On Tuesday evening, the 7th inst., I went to Mrs. Attree’s to ask for the settlement of her account, when she complained to me about a ladder. I said I knew nothing about it, and just then Mr. Attree came furiously upon me with both his hands and threw me down the pitching, which bruised my arm and knocked off the skin. I asked him what he meant? He put himself in an attitude, and said “Stand up before me, and see what I’ll give you.” I was outside of the back door at the time.—Cross-examined by Mr. Blackmore: I was not tipsy when I went to Mrs. Attree’s. Had only a glass of gin and water that evening, and a glass of beer in the afternoon. I had been to the Railway Hotel. Mr. Attree offered me the money if I would sign a receipt, but I refused to do so unless they would produce my bill.—Elizabeth Carpenter and Harriett Knight, servants of Mrs. Attree’s, were called by Mr. Blackmore for the defence, and their evidence presented the case under quite a different aspect. They both swore positively that complainant was tipsy when he went to the house and that Mr. Attree never struck or pushed him; that he was inside of the doorway; that Mr. Attree ordered him to leave the house and come again when he was sober, and that in doing so he tripped and fell backwards over the door sill.—These witnesses were closely cross-examined by complainant, but they adhered to their statements, that Mr. Attree did not touch him.—The case was dismissed.
— CHARGE OF STEALING AN IRON CHAIN.—George Mosely was charged with stealing, at Liss, on Monday, the 20th October, an iron chain, value £1, the property of Mr. William Foster, of Emsworth.—Mathew Bettesworth, a carter in the employ of Foster, deposed that he had been to Newton Valance on Monday, the 20th, with a timber carriage, and returned to Liss station and left his carriage for the night near the Railway Hotel. Saw the chain in the waggon box when he left, and missed it on returning the next morning about nine o’clock.—John Burt, a porter at the Liss Railway Station, proved that prisoner, who is a timber carter, was at the station with a load of wood on Monday night, and that on his way to the station he would have to pass the place where Mr. Foster’s timber carriage had been left.—P.C. George Kinshott deposed to searching a hovel used by prisoner as a stable for his horses, and there finding the chain (produced) concealed under a heap of chaff. Witness stated, in answer to a question from the Bench, that there was no door to the hovel.—The Magistrates having consulted, the Chairman told prisoner that although it was a case of strong suspicion, and he had been very properly brought up under the charge, still as there was just the possibility (there being no door to the hovel) that some one else had placed the chain there, the Bench would give him the benefit of the doubt, and he was accordingly discharged.
— THEY STOLE PART OF A PIG AND AWAY THEY RAN.— William Harris and John Manns were brought up in custody charged with stealing, at Heath House, on the morning of that day (Tuesday) the lights, liver, heart, and tongue of a pig, the property of Sir William Jolliffe —John Smith deposed: I am in the employ of Sir William Jolliffe, at Heath House. I killed a pig this morning about eight o’clock. I left it about half-past eight o’clock in the wash house and about a quarter to nine I missed the lights, liver, heart, and tongue. I immediately gave information to the police.—Robert Hounsome deposed: I work for Mr. Aldridge. I was working at Heath House this morning. I went back from breakfast about half-past eight, when I met Harris just outside of the gate in the road. I then went towards the coach house, and met the other prisoner Manns coming out of the yard. I saw the lights hanging out of his left pocket, and I went and told Smith what I had seen.—Superintendent Stephenson deposed: From information I received this morning about half-past eight, I went in pursuit of prisoners. I caught them near Horndean ; Manns was carrying a bundle. I charged them and took them into custody; Manns said ‟What have you to do with me.” He afterwards said, “If I had known you were coming after me I would have saved you the trouble.” He also said they could not help it as they had nothing to eat.—Harris was ordered to stand back, and was afterwards discharged. Manns elected to be tried by the Bench, and pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to three weeks’ imprisonment.