PETERSFIELD.
Agent—Miss DUPLOCK.
PETTY SESSIONS, TUESDAY.—Present—J. Bonham Carter, Esq., M.P. (Chairman), G. Forbes, Esq., and J. Martineau, Esq.
— Mr. E. Durman, assistant overseer of the parish of Buriton, applied for a distress warrant against Edwin Hill, late of Woodcroft, for 1l. 6s. for poors’ rate, which was granted.
— James Colwell, a Carter in the employ of Mr. Seward, of Weston, was charged by Mr. Superintendent Fey with stealing four trusses of straw, value 3s., the property of his master, on Monday, the 13th instant. Thomas Bone deposed: I am a maltster, and live in College-street, a few doors from Oliver’s beershop; I saw a man drive past my gates about a quarter past seven yesterday morning and stop at Oliver’s door; he took some straw (four trusses) from the cart and put it over Oliver’s gate into his yard, and then went into the house; the cart and horses were standing there while he was indoors. I saw him come out a few minutes afterwards, and he then drove on round the College-corner. I had occasion afterwards to go into Mr. Gosden’s yard about a sack of malt, and I then saw the straw lying in Oliver’s yard, which adjoins Gosden’s. Mary OIiver deposed: I am the wife of Barnard Oliver, and live in College-street; yesterday morning about seven o’clock prisoner came to my door and asked for a pint of beer; I did not see any cart and horses; I served him with the beer, and he had two pints more; that’s all I know about it; he did not pay me for it, but said he would pay me on Saturday night; he was not in the house many minutes; I was in the back room when he went, and did not see him go; I first saw the straw in the yard between nine and ten, and knew nothing about it till then; it was not there the night before. Barnard Oliver deposed: I keep a beershop; I was poorly yesterday morning, and did not get up till eleven or twelve o’clock; when I went out in the yard I saw four bundles of straw there; this was about one o’clock; I did not see it again till about three, and then finding no one come for it, I carried it up into my stable; I know the prisoner James Colwell, but did not see him that day at all. Thomas Fey deposed: I am superintendent of police at Petersfield; last night about seven o’clock I went to the house of Barnard Oliver, and from what I said to him he produced three bundles of straw, which I now produce; I also saw part of another bundle in his pig-stye; I went to Rake this morning and apprehended the prisoner; I told him the charge against him was for stealing four trusses of straw, the property of his master; he at first said he knew nothing about it, but afterwards said he knew all about it, and wished he had let it alone and never touched it. Samuel Seward deposed: Prisoner is in my service; he was sent yesterday to Rake with a cart and horses, but had no orders to take any straw with him. Prisoner pleaded guilty, and elected to have his case disposed of by the bench. The magistrates having consulted for a short time, the Chairman, addressing the prisoner, told him that the law was very stringent on the subject of servants robbing their masters, and the extreme penalty enacted in this case was six months’ imprisonment. The magistrates, however, having no evidence before them that he had been guilty of the like offence before, sentenced him to six weeks’ imprisonment with hard labour. The case having been disposed of Oliver was recalled, and the Chairman informed him that the impression made on the minds of the magistrates by the evidence was anything but favourable to him, as it was not likely that the prisoner would have thrown the straw over into his yard unless he had had reason to suppose that he (Oliver) would give him some advantage for it. Oliver: Well, I sometimes buy a little straw, and I can’t tell whether the parties come by it honestly or not. The Chairman: It is your business to ascertain that before you receive it, and you will do well to be cautious for the future.