Petersfield Petty Sessions
Tuesday.—Present: The Hon. J. J. Carnegie (Chairman), Sir W. W. Knighton, Bart., Sir A. K. Macdonald, Bart., and Major Briggs
LICENSING DAY
This was a special sessions for granting ale house licenses when the whole of the old licenses were granted, with the exception of "The Cricketers," at Steep, for which no application was made.
THE WRONG CATTLE LICENSE AGAIN.
Wm. Spiers, of Buriton, was convicted of taking two heifers into the market, on the 14th inst., with a fat stock license instead of a "store stock license."—Fined 1s. and 9s. 6d. costs
STEALING THINGS FROM A GARDEN HEDGE.
JOHN NEWMAN, a young fellow upon tramp, was convicted of stealing one calico shirt, one flannel shirt, and one slop, the property of Robert Sturgess, of the value of 4s., from his garden hedge, at Catherington, on Tuesday, the 13th inst.—Three months’ hard labour.
STEALING A TABLE CLOTH
JOHN DONOHUE, a discharged rifleman, was convicted of stealing a table cloth from the Red Lion, at Horndean, the property of Charlotte Edney, of the value of 3s., on Tuesday, the 13th Aug. The prisoner was taken in custody on the same day, in the shop of Mr. Coombes, at Petersfield, where he was offering the cloth for sale, by Police Constable Rodaway.—Two months’ hard labour.
MATRIMONIAL DISTEMPER.
WM. LANGTREE, of Catherington, was bound over to keep the peace against his wife, Emily Langtree, in his own recognizance of £20, and one surety of £20. His father, who was present, at first objected, but, after the removal of his son to the station, consented, and became bail for him.
ALLEGED CHARGE OF STEALING BAVINS.
WILLIAM BIGNELL, a dealer, and WILLIAM CARPENTER, a labourer, were charged by James Cray, a warder, with stealing a quantity of bavins, in Woolmer forest, of the value of 1s. 6d., the property of the Queen. Mr. Cousins, of Portsmonth, appeared for the prisoners.
James Cray deposed—I am chief warder of Woolmer Forest, and was on duly on the 13th of July. About 12 o’clock I saw a cart and two men in the government road, at Longmoor Inclosure. Bignnell was in the cart loading some fir bavins, and Carpenter was pitching them up to him. I asked Bignell what he was doing; he said he was taking away the wood Mr. Berry had given him. I told him that Mr. Berry had no authority to give him leave. He then acknowledged that Mr. Berry had not given him leave, and begged me to overlook and forgive him. I said I should make an example of him, and told him to unload, which he did. They were Scotch fir bavins, and I should think of the value of 1s. 6d. The bavins formed a portion of the wood damaged by the late fires, and the timber was sold in lots, and the "lop” was made into bavins and disposed of by the purchasers to limeburners and others. The prisoners were in Longmoor Inclosure, and were on lot 9, and must have gone through lot 10, purchased by Mr. Hull, of Godalming, to get there. Mr. Yates, of Aldershott, was the purchaser of No. 9. The prisoner Bignell did not purchase any timber at the sale. Notices were served on all the purchasers to clear off their lots by a certain time, and that all left on the lots after would be forfeited to the crown. The bavins remaining after the time named had reverted to the Queen.
Mr. Cousins, at Great length, cross-examined the witness, but without effecting his evidence in any way.
James Lintott deposed—I reside at Rake, and am a limeburner. I had some bavins in July last at Longmoor Inclosure in lot 9, which I purchased of Mr. Yates. I know the prisoners, Bignell and Carpenter. I did not give them permission to take them away.
George Berry deposed—I am a limeburner. I live at Langrish. I bought some bavins of Mr. Hull; they were in Longmoor Inclosure, lot 10. I did not clear them away. I never gave permission to the prisoner to go and take bavins from lot 10.
Mr. Cousins, during his address to the magistrates, called their attention to the fact of the bavins being rotten and useless, and that it was well known that scores of people besides the prisoners were in the habit of taking them for various purposes, some as mere rubbish to mend the roads with, and although the witness Cray must have known this full well he had never before proceeded against or interfered in any way with them, but had brought the prisoners forward from a vindictive spirit through an ill feeling which had existed between him and the prisoner Bignell. Mr. Cousins, after going through evidence, and taking all the circumstances in connection with the case (into consideration, submitted to the magistrates that there was no evidence of a felonious intent, and contended that upon the evidence produced there was not the slightest probability of any jury convicting upon it. He felt that if the magistrates were of the same opinion they would dismiss the case. And at all events there was no case against Carpenter, as he was acting simply as the servant of Bignell.
The Chairman observed that the point in the evidence that pressed most hard upon Bignell was that he first said that he had Mr. Berry’s permission, and that afterwards he said that he had not, and begged the warder to overlook the case. Carpenter was discharged. Bignell was committed for trial at the quarter sessions. Bail was accepted, and Mr. Farmer, of Adhurst Farm, became the surety.