PETERSFIELD.
SPECIAL PETTY SESSIONS — On Tuesday, before the Hon. J. J. Carnegie (Chairman), J. Bonham-Carter, Esq., M.P., Sir W. Knighton, Bart., W. Nicholson, Esq., M.P., Captain Sandeman, and J. Waddington, Esq,.
— The list of persons liable to serve as parish constables in the several parishes within the division were verified by the overseers.
— George Howard, William Howard (his son), and Reece Porter (his step-son), whose remand we noticed last week, surrendered to their bail on a charge of stealing at Langrish, on Saturday, March 20th, six gallons of beer, value 6s., the property of John Waddington, Esq., in whose employ they had been for several years—the elder Howard for more than 20 years.—Mr. Waddington retired during the hearing of the case.—P.C. John Moore deposed: I am a police constable, stationed at Eastmeon. On Saturday, March 20th, I was watching Mr. Waddington's premises at Langrish. I was concealed among the shrubs inside of the entrance gate about nine o'clock in the evening. I saw Reece Porter come in at the gate; he went towards the brewhouse, and in about half an hour I saw him return towards the gate, walking very lightly on his toes. He went into the road, and in a minute or two came back, and I heard him speak to some one, but I could not see who it was. Just after that some one went up the road. About three-quarters of an hour after this I saw William Howard come from the brewhouse, and a little way behind him was George Howard, and some distance behind him was Reece Porter carrying something in a bag. They went out at the gate and turned down the road in the direction of Langrish, where they all live. I followed them, and when they got about 60 or 70 yards down the road I overtook them. I asked Reece Porter what he had got in the sack, and he said, "A drop of swipes," I asked him what that meant, and he said, "Beer." I said, "You've got a barrel here. You've no leave to take it," he said, " I don't know, I'm sure, about that, ask father" (George Howard is his step-father). George Howard then spoke up and said it was what they were allowed; it was what they called tops and bottoms, and Golding gave them leave to take it. I then took them into custody and charged them with stealing it. I produce the cask which I took from them, and also a sample of beer which I took from a thirty-gallon cask in Mr. Waddington's brew-house.—Walter Golding deposed—I live at Langrish, and am a grocer. I am in the habit of brewing for Mr. Waddington, and have done so far the last twenty years. George Howard has assisted me in brewing for the last eight years. He has free access to the brew-house while the brewing is going on. I always see the brew-house locked up at night, and the key is usually placed in an adjoining shed, where either of us can get it. This shed is kept open. I began brewing on the 8th of March, and continued for a fortnight. I left the brew-house on Friday night, the 19th. about half-past eleven. I saw it locked up. George Howard took the key. I was not there on Saturday. When I left on Friday there were some odds and ends of beer in a 30-gallon cask, which stood on its end, and had one of its heads taken out. There was also a small quantity of beer in a tun-tub; I should think about nine gallons. I did not go to the brew-house again till the 23rd. I then found the tun-tub had been emptied into the cask, and ought to have nearly filled it, but it did not. There was from four to six gallons short. I never gave either of the prisoners leave to take beer from the brew-house. The cask now produced is one I sold to Reece Porter some years ago. It has my initials branded on it in three places. I have tasted the beer from the cask, and also the sample produced, and I believe them to be the same beer, and that it is Mr. Waddington's property. The cask measures six gallons, and the value of the beer is six shillings.—Cross-examined by George Howard: I did not tell you on Friday night to do what you liked with the beer in the tun tub.—Prisoners at first all pleaded not guilty, but afterwards requested permission to withdraw that plea, and to plead guilty, in order that the case might be summarily disposed of by the magistrates. They appealed to Mr. Waddington for a character, who, addressing the magistrates, said he wished all three of the prisoners to have the full benefit of a good character; they had been in his employ during the time spoken to by the witnesses, and he was sorry the necessity for this enquiry should have arisen; he hoped the bench would deal leniently with them.—George Howard and Reece Porter were sentenced to three months' imprisonment, and William Howard to two months' imprisonment, with hard labour in each case. (See also 27-Mar-1869)
— William Barnes, an itinerant umbrella mender, was charged with stealing at Sheet, on the 26th of January last, two umbrellas, value 2s. 6d., the property of William Paice.—It appeared, from the evidence of prosecutor's wife, that on the day in question prisoner applied to her for a job and she gave him an umbrella to mend and allowed him to do it in her kitchen. There was another umbrella in the room. She went upstairs, and on her returning in about two minutes, she found prisoner had left and taken with him both umbrellas. This was on the 26th January, and on the 26th of March prisoner again paid a professional visit to Sheet, when P.C. Jenner, from information, &c., called at his lodgings about midnight and took him into custody.—21 days' imprisonment with hard labour.
— William Moss was convicted on the evidence of Henry Jessett of trespassing in search of rabbits on Keeper's-hill, in the parish of Bramshott, on Sunday, March 14th.—Fined 10s. and 9s. 6d. costs.