PETERSFIELD.
PETTY SESSIONS.—Tuesday.—Present:—Sir J. C. Jervoise, Bart., M.P., J. Bonham Carter, Esq., M.P., J. Waddington, Esq., Major Briggs.
DAMAGING AN OAK TREE IN WOOLMER FOREST.—Hannah Kingshott was charged with aiding and abetting in doing malicious damage to an oak tree in Woolmer Forest, the property of the Queen. It appeared from the evidence of Robert Graham, forest warder, that on Saturday, December 1st., he saw a little girl, named Sarah Moss, up in the tree, in the act of cutting branches from it, and defendant was below, giving he instructions, and that when she saw him (witness) she told the child to desist and come down. The defendant was summoned last bench day, on a charge of stealing the wood, together with some oak rails. The case was then adjourned, and that charge was now dismissed, and the present one substituted, to which defendant pleaded guilty, and was fined 2s. 6d., with costs, 9s. 6d. and damage 1s. A week allowed for payment.
AN ASSAULT AT HORNDEAN.—William Flood was charged with assaulting Martha Tee, at Horndean, on Wednesday, December 26th. According to the evidence of complainant, defendant and two others had gone to her front door singing, and had asked for something to drink, and on being refused, defendant seized her by the shoulder, and with his arm clutched tightly round her neck, had dragged her several yards in an attempt to kiss her, whereupon she slapped his face. Defendant denied the assault, and called Frances Lillywhite, who deposed to having seen the whole proceeding, and who gave the following version of it: Defendant and the others had been singing at her house, and she had given them some beer. When they left defendant said, ‟Bothered if we don’t go and give Mrs. Tee a ditty.” They went to the door and began to sing, when Mrs. Tee came out very angrt and threw some soapsuds over defendant’s legs, and slapped his face several times.—The magistrates fined defendant 6d., and costs 5s.
ASSAULTING A FLY DRIVER.—John Adams was charged with assaulting Arthur Albery, on Wednesday, December 26th—Complainant deposed as follows: I am a fly driver, in the employ of Mr. Crafts, of the Red Lion, Petersfield. On Wednesday, December 26th, between twelve and one c’clock in the day, I was standing at the bar door of the Red Lion tap. Defendant came to me and said, ‟I mean to have this out.” He asked me to go outside. I said, ‟What for?” He replied, ‟For abusing my wife, and knocking her down.” I said, ‟I did not do it.” He said, ‟You’re a liar: and I mean to have it out, and if you won’t go outside I’ll pay you in here.” He then hit me on the back of my head, and again in the face, and knocked out part of a tooth. He also kicked me. I had not touched his wife on Christmas evening. I and Benjamin Randall (who is the Boots) came out of the Red Lion, wher we had just had our supper, and were walking along the pavement when Mrs. Adams came runnign along, and ran against Randall. She fell down. I did not touch her in any way, and she did not run against me.—Benjamin Randall deposed: On Christmas evening Arthur Albery and I were walking along the pavement in front of the Red Lion. It was raining fast at the time. Mrs. Adams ran against my left arm. She stepped back into the gutter, and fell down. When she got up she said, ‟I’ll summons you tomorrow.” Albery did not touch her. He was on the other side of me, next the house. When Mrs. Adams got up I said, ‟I’m very sorry, but it was not my fault.”—Defendant said: ‟I admit that I hit the man, but I did it under the impression that he had ill treated my wife.”—Fined 10s., costs, 9s. 6d.