PETERSFIELD
Agent—MR. G. DUPLOCK
PETTY SESSIONS
FRIDAY.—Before the Hon. J. J. Carnegie and J. Waddington, Esq.
A MISCREANT.—John Leach was charged with an indecent assault on a little girl, about three years old, at Eastmeon, on Saturday, August 20. The child's name is Emily Ann Eldridge, and the prisoner is a farm labourer apparently about 30 years of age. The principal witness was Mr. Samuel Padwick, jun., who deposed to seeing prisoner with the child in a dry ditch at the bottom of a field called long meadow. It was about six o'clock in the evening. He was about 400 yards off when he first saw him, but he got within 15 yards before prisoner observed him. Witness described minutely the fellow's behaviour towards the child, which left no doubt as to his villainous purpose he was committed for trial at the next quarter sessions.
HOUSEBREAKING—Joseph Bellows, George Bell, and Mary Bellows were brought up in custody, the two former charged with breaking into the house of Jacob Adams, at Cold Hay Farm, in the parish of Steep, on Tuesday, August 25th, and stealing therefrom several articles of clothing, value 3l. 8s. 9d., and the latter with receiving the same knowing them to have been stolen.—Elizabeth Adams deposed: I am the wife of Jacob Adams and live at Cold Hay Farm, my husband is bailiff to Mr. Dudde, who uses the farm. On Tuesday, August 25th, I left my house with my daughter about half-past seven in the morning. I fastened up the house and locked the door, but did not take the key with me. I returned about 20 minutes past six in the evening. I then saw that the window of the sitting-room was broken. I found broken glass both inside and outside, and some of the flower pots that were on the sill inside were thrown down. The window is a large casement, opening in the middle. There are no bars to the window. There was quite room enough in in the broken part for a man to put his hand in, and push back the spring. I got in at the window, and immediately went up to my bedroom; I found the things in my box, and also in my husband's chest, pulled about. I then went into my daughter's room, and found the things in her box disturbed. I then went for my husband; he had the key of the house. I returned with him and then missed a black shawl, a pair of' my husband's trowsers, a jacket, a pair of trowsers, a pair of braces, and a pocket handkerchief belonging to my son, and a Cashmere shawl belonging to my daughter; later in the evening I missed another scarf shawl from my box.—Thomas Bridger deposed: I live at Petersfield and am a postman. On Tuesday, August 25th, as I was on my way to Liss, a little after seven in the morning, I met two men at the Bowyer's toll-gate. They took the road to Cold Hay farm. The prisoners are the men.—Joseph Guy deposed: I live at Kettle's-brook, and work on the roads for Mr. Durman. On Tuesday morning, August 25th, I was at work on the road near the new church at Sheet , about half-past eight o'clock. I saw two men pass, and one had a bundle of rushes, and the other had two bundles which looked as if they might contain his kit. They were slung on his shoulder. The prisoners are the men. They were going, in the direction of Petersfield as fast as they could walk. The spot where I saw them was about a mile and a half from Cold Hay Farm.—Superintendent Bennett deposed: On Tuesday August 25th, I went to Cold Hay Farm, and made an examination of the house. I found a square of glass in the sitting-room window had been broken near the fastening, so that a person could put his hand in and unfasten the window. On Thursday, the 27th, I went to Romsey, where I found the prisoner Bell in custody. I asked him if he were in the neighbourhood of Petersfield on Tuesday. He said he was at Liss. I told him he was suspected of breaking into a house at Cold Hay Farm. He said, "We went there, but there was no one at home and we did not break into the house, but came away." I afterwards found on him a pair of braces which I now produce, and which I did not then know had been stolen. He said a man had given them to him. About two o'clock the next morning (the 28th) I went to the prisoner Bellows's house at Old Shirley, near Southampton. He was in bed, and I called him up and asked him if he were in the neighbourhood of Petersfield on Tuesday, the 25th of August. He said he was at Liss, and slept at the Bell public-house. I then told him he was suspected of breaking into a house at Cold Hay Farm, and stealing some wearing apparel. He said he knew nothing about it, and that he had not broken into any house. I searched the house and prisoners, but found nothing. The prisoner Mary Bellows was sitting on an old sofa; I requested her to get up, but she said she was very ill, and refused to get up. I told her if she could not stand she should open her dress, as I believed she had some of the stolen property concealed about her. She did not do so, and I asked her husband to do it. He made the attempt, but did not succeed. I then said I should take her to the station, and have her searched there. She then partly undid her dress, and I put my hand in and took from her the cashmere shawl which I now produce. I said, "This is one of the shawls; how did you get it?" She said, pointing to the prisoner Bellows, "He gave it to me, where he got it I don't know, but he told me he bought the ticket." I then said to Bellows, "Who did you buy the ticket of?" He said he did not know; he took it out of pawn at a shop in East-street. I then took them both into custody, locked up the house, and took the key in my pocket, leaving no one in the house. About six o'clock, when it was day-light, I returned, and made a further search, and on the floor of the room in which the conversation with the prisoners had taken place. I picked up a woman's pocket, which I now produce, and which prisoner said was hers. It contained five pawn-tickets, which I now produce; they all relate to the stolen property. I asked her how she came by the tickets, and she said Bellows gave them to her. I then went to Mr. Cohen, pawnbroker, 24, French-street, Southampton, and received from him the shawl, which I now produce, and which had been pledged in the name of Jh. Bellows for 4s.; a pair of trowsers, pledged in the same name for 3s.; and a coat pledged in the same name for, 3s. 6d. I then went to Mr. William Henry Cotton's, and received from him a pair of trowsers, wrapped up in a pocket handkerchief, which had been pledged for 6s. in the name of Noyce. I next went to Mr. Myers, 18 East-street, and received from his assistant, William Davis, the plaid tweed shawl, which I now produce, and which had been pledged in the name of Jno. Morris for 4s.—The articles produced were here severally identified by Jacob Adams, his wife, and son, as their property, and the pawnbrokers named above were called, and deposed to the articles having been respectively pledged, as stated in the duplicates produced.—The prisoners having been severally cautioned in the usual form, Bellows made the following statement:—" When I left this man (Bell) I left him in the road where the old woman directed me to go to the farm. I could not find it, and went to a house on the right hand side, where there was no one at home. I went further on to two more cottages, and asked a woman the way to Cold Hay Farm, as I understood they were in want of hoppers. She said if I went across a field or two I should see the house on the other side of the wood. I went in the direction mentioned across one field, but could not see the house. The thoroughfare was stopped up with hurdIes. I turned back and began to pick some nuts, and in looking ever the hedge I saw a bundle lying in the copse. I picked it up and went no further. I never saw the house first or last. I came beck to Bell and told him I had picked up a bundle, and he said, "What's in it?" I said I did not know. We never examined it till we got back to Southampton, when I found out what it was. I pledged the things, and when I came back from doing so Bell was gone. I then went home to my wife and gave her the duplicates and the shawl. I told her to put the shawl away as some one might come and own it.—Bell said "What Bellows has said about me is quite right, for I never was at Cold Hay Farm in my life. I never saw anything of the bundle first or last, or knew knew what was in it." —Mary Bellows said, "I don't know anything but that my husband gave me the tickets and shawl."—She called James Proudly, who deposed: I live at Shirley and am a retired sailmaker. Mary Bellows has been a tenant of mine for three or four years. I never knew anything dishonest of her. My wife and she are sisters. She is an invalid and has not been farther from her home than Southampton for some months.—The prisoners were all committed for trial at the next quarter sessions. Bail was accepted for Mary Bellows.