PETERSFIELD
PETTY SESSIONS, Tuesday.—Present: Sir W. W. Knighton, Bart., and J. Waddington, Esq.
— STEALING A SPADE AND A SHEEP SKIN.—Charles Bone was brought up in custody charged with stealing a spade, value 2s., belonging to Joseph King, in the parish of Liss.—Complainant deposed that in October last he had been working for Mr. Hearsay, at Liss, and on Saturday night he left his spade in a cart near the stable, and on going to his work on Monday morning the spade was gone. Witness identified the spade produced by P.C. Geo. Kingshott.—Richard Hearsay, of Sheet, deposed : On Monday, the 19th October, I was in the blacksmith’s shop at Sheet when prisoner came in with a spade in his hand. He said he had been trenching at Rogate, and as he was now going to Portsmouth he wanted to sell his spade, and offered it for 1s. I bought it and paid him 1s. for it; that now produced is the same. I bought it for my landlord, as I know he wanted one, and Mrs. Penn gave me the 1s. that I had paid prisoner for it.—This witnesses’s evidence was corroborated by William Budd, owner of the blacksmith’s shop, as to the purchase of the spade, and by Mrs. Penn as to its being bought for her husband, and paid for by her. She added that the policeman afterwards came for the spade, and she delivered it to him.—P.C. George Kingshott deposed: On the 19th of last October I received information that a spade had been stolen at Liss, and on the 22nd I went to Mrs. Penn’s at Sheet, and she delivered to me the spade which I now produce. On the 3rd of this month I apprehended prisoner at Petersfield. I have not been able to find him before.— The Magistrates reserved their decision till they had heard the next case, in which prisoner was charged jointly with James Hughes (also in custody) with stealing a sheep skin, value 4s., belonging to Mr. Henry Boys, of Hern Farm, Petersfield.—Mr. Boys deposed that he had a sheep skin hanging in a courthouse on his premises. He sold the skin for 4s., and on Monday, the 1st of this month, the person to whom he had sold it came to fetch it away, when he discovered that it had been stolen. The skin was here produced by P.C. Henry Elderfield, and identified by witness by means of certain marks which exactly corresponded with those of other sheep which he had bought at the same time and in the same lot.—George Spencer, shepherd to Mr. Boys, deposed to seeing the skin hanging on a beam in the courthouse last Thursday fortnight. He had skinned the sheep, and could swear to the skin now produced.—Peter Parker deposed: I live at Petersfield. On Friday, Jan. 29th, prisoner Hughes came to my lodgings about nine o’clock in the morning and asked if there was any one there that would buy a sheep skin. I said I would if it was worth buying. He went away and came back in few minutes with the other prisoner Bone. One of them—I don’t know which— tossed the skin into the shop. I said ‟What do want for it?” Hughes said he could make 2s. 6d. if it at Portsmouth, but did not want to carry it further. I said I would give 1s. for it, and I gave the 1s. to Bone. I then left and went to my work.—Elizabeth Parker, niece to last witness, corroborated his evidence, and added that after her uncle left, both the prisoners went into the kitchen and had breakfast together (Parker’s is an eating house).— William Green deposed: I am a dealer. I live at Stamshaw-lane, Landport. On the 29th Jan. last I had a deal with the witness Peter Parker. I bought some beef of him, and with it a sheep skin. The policeman afterwards came to me and I delivered it to him. That now produced is the same. I know it from having cut off one of the ears, which I have had in my pocket ever since. Witness produced the ear, and it fitted to the skin.—P.C. Henry Elderfield deposed to receiving the skin from last witness on Monday, the 1st of this month, and to having taken Hughes into custody on the following Wednesday, at Petersfield, and charged him with stealing a sheep skin belonging to Mr. Boys. He at first said, ‟What skin; I never had one.” Witness told him the skin that was sold to Peter Parker. He then said, ‟I had no skin, but my mate had. I don’t know his name, but he goes by the nickname of ‘Ginger.’” Witness added that Bone was then in custody on a charge of stealing a spade, and on taking Hughes into the same cell the latter immediately said he (Bone) was the mate of whom he had spoken.—Hughes elected to be tried by the Bench, and was convicted and sentenced to three weeks’ imprisonment with hard labour. Bone elected to be tried by a jury at the Assizes, and was accordingly committed, and all the witnesses were bound over to prosecute.
— SEARCHING FOR RABBITS.—William Bignell, Benjamin Bignell (brother), and Richard Tritten, were charged on the information of James Webb with trespassing on Windmill Hill, in the parish of Chalton, on the 3rd of this month. They all pleaded guilty, and a message having been sent by Sir J. Clarke Jervoise to the effect that he wished defendants to be dealt with leniently, as his only object was to prevent these trespasses, the two Bignells were severally adjudged to pay a fine of 1s., and costs 3s. Tritten, in consequence of his having given a false name at the time, was fined 5s., and costs 3s.