PETERSFIELD
PETTY SESSIONS, Tuesday.—Present: Sir A.K. Macdonald, Bart., J. Waddington, Esq., and Major Briggs.
ROBBING A DRUNKEN SOLDIER AT HORNDEAN.—John Blackman was brought up in custody on remand charged with stealing five sovereigns, a half sovereign, and a purse from the person of William Vincent, at Horndean, on Wednesday, 23rd May.—Complainant is a private in the Royal Marines, stationed at Gosport, and in the evening of the day in question, being out on furlough, he and two comrades were drinking at the Red Lion public-house, at Horndean. Prisoner was there also. Complainant was drunk, and went into the stable to lie down, and on coming to himself, missed his purse and money. Prisoner was seen to come from the stable while complainant was there, and was also seen in the yard with him. It was further proved that he had no money in the evening as he was unable to pay for some beer which he lost, and in the morning when taken into custody he had a sovereign and some silver in his possession, and also a purse which was identified and sworn to by complainant as that which he had lost, and which contained £5 10s. in gold.—Prisoner pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment with hard labour.
TAKING FISH FROM HEATH POND—Brownlow Cox, John Stubbington, and Benjamin Blanchard were charged with taking fish from the Heath Pond, at Petersfield, on Sunday, 20th May.—Mr. Champ appeared for defendants, and took a preliminary objection to the proceedings on the ground that no complainant appeared. The information was laid under 7 and 8 George IV., cap. 29, sec. 34, by Samuel Clark, an agent of J. Bonham Carter, Esq., M.P., and Mr. Champ contended that a servant could not appear as complainant for his employer, but that Mr. Bonham Carter must be present either in person or by counsel or attorney.—The magistrates retired to consider the point, and on their return adjourned the case for a fortnight.
ANOTHER FISH CASE.—William Kingshott was charged with a like offence committed at the same time and place. He raised no objection to the hearing, and pleaded guilty.—Clark, the witness, who saw the defendant take two carp from the pond with his hands, said that during the spawning season the fish came to the edge of the pond in large numbers, and a great many had been destroyed; that Mr. Bonham Carter wished him to state to the magistrates that his only object was to put a stop to these depredations, and that he had no wish to press the charge heavily against the defendant.—The Bench adjudged defendant to pay a nominal fine of 6d. with costs 7s. 6d., at the same time reminding him that he had rendered himself liable to a fine of £5 or a term of imprisonment.
STEALING A TAME RABBIT.—A boy named William Asgood was charged with stealing at Liss, on Thursday, 24th May, one tame rabbit, value 2s. 6d, the property of Edward Philp. He pleaded guilty.—G. E. Coryton, Esq., of Liss Place, spoke to the boy’s character. He had known him from his infancy; he knew that he had been deserted by his mother and grossly neglected by his father, but notwithstanding these disadvantages he was a well conducted boy, and he (Mr. C.) would be quite willing to take him into his employ.—The magistrates dismissed the poor boy with a suitable admonition, at the same time stating that if he were brought before them again they would feel it incumbent upon them to send him to a Reformatory, where his father would be compelled to contribute towards his maintenance.
A BABY.—Frederic Welch was adjudged to be the putative father of the illegitimate child of Mary Ann Kelsey, of Sheet, and was ordered to ay 1s. 6d. a week towards his maintenance.
STRAY HORSES.—William Saunders was fined 2s., and costs 5s. 6d., for allowing two horses to stray on the highway near the Railway Station at Liss, on Friday, June 1st.
CHARGE OF STEALING BEANS.—Thomas Coombes and ―― Eldridge were brought up in custody, charged with stealing one bushel of beans, value 7s., the property of James Vinson, at Liss. It appeared from the evidence that prisoners work together at carting timber from Woolmer Forest, each being the owner of a horse. These horses are kept in a stable which prisoners rent jointly of Mr. Barnett, the landlord of the Railway Hotel. On Friday last a man named Trowbridge ordered of Mr. Vinson’s clerk a bushel of beans. Coombes, who was present, said ‟Send me a bushel, too, and some oats, and a truss of hay.” These two bushels of beans were subsequently placed in two separate sacks and sent by a lad, named Albert Albery, to the stable where prisoners’ horses were kept, and were placed by him just within the door.—Mr. Barnett, the landlord of the hotel, deposed to seeing the prisoner Eldridge shoot both lots of beans into the bin used by him and Coombes. When he had shot the beans he handed the empty sacks to him (witness), and he engaged to return them to Mr. Vinson. Coombes was present, but he did not take any art in shooting the beans. All this took place on Friday. On Saturday Mr. Vinson presented a bill to the man Trowbridge, the last item in which was the bushel of beans which he had ordered the day before. Trowbridge said he had not had them, to which Mr. Vinson replied, ‟Keep quiet and I’ll find this out.” He then went to the Railway Hotel, where he saw prisoner Eldridge and asked him who was going to ay for the bushel of beans. Eldridge replied that Coombes would pay for them, and added there was only one bushel.—P.C. Henry Elderfield deposed that he was at Liss on Saturday night last, when Mr. Vinson charged prisoner Eldridge with stealing a bushel of beans. Prisoner mad no. answer, and he took him into custody. On their way to Petersfield they met Coombes, who said in answer to questions by Elderfield that he had only one bushel, and that Eldridge had the other. Coombes was then taken into custody, and both were taken to the station. The magistrates did not consider the evidence strong enough to warrant their committal for trial, and they were accordingly discharged.