PETERSFIELD.
Agent—Mr. G. DUPLOCK.
PETTY SESSIONS, Tuesday, present Hon. J. J. Carnegie, (Chairman), J. Waddington, Esq., and Major Brigges, the latter gentleman took his seat for the first time, having recently qualified as a Magistrate.
— Four tramps, named respectively Mahon, Carter, Ellis, and Mc Culloch, were charged with stealing a coat and pocket-book, value 5s., the property of Mr. Benjamin Warner, of Hawkley, on Tuesday, June 23rd. It appeared from the evidence that prosecutor left the coat in a hovel by the road side about nine o’clock in the morning, and on returning about 12 it was gone. Prisoners were proved to have been near the spot in the interval, and were traced to Petersfield, where Mahon in the evening sold a coat for 2s. to some one at the Crown, public-house, but as the coat was not forth-coming the case seemed on the point of breaking down, and must have done so but for the fact of Mc Culloch having ‟peached.” His evidence was to the following effect—that Mahon went into the hovel and took the coat, that they then came on the road towards Petersfield, and at a certain spot which he described he (Mahon) struck a lucifer match and burnt the pocket-book all but the leather cover, which he threw into the hedge; that they went on to the Crown, and there Mahon sold the coat for 2s., and they shared the proceeds. In corroboration of his story this witness accompanied P.C. George Kingshott to the spot where the pocket-book was burnt, and there in the hedge he found a cover, which was produced in court and Identified by Mr. Warner, some of his handwriting being found on the unburnt portions of the leaves.—Mahon, Carter, and Ellis elected to be tried by the Bench. The two former pleaded not guilty. Ellis said ‟Well, I suppose I may as well tell the truth; we did steal it.” Mahon was sentenced to one month, and Carter and Ellis each to three weeks’ imprisonment, with hard labour.
— Henry Fly, a boy not more than 10 years of age, was charged with stealing from the pocket of another little boy, named Albert Luxford, about the same age, a common prayer-book. The boys were at Buriton Church on Sunday, the 14th of June, when Henry Luxford saw the boy Fly take the book from his brother Albert’s pocket and go out of church. The case was clearly proved, and it was also proved that about six months ago the same boy was convicted of stealing two rabbit traps.—The Chairman remarked in strong and very feeling terms on the sad fact of a boy of such tender years being twice convicted of the violation of the law, and cautioned the mother (who was present) as to the consequences that must follow if the boy is allowed to go uncorrected, but said the Magistrates would not in this case send him to prison, but would inflict a fine, which, together with costs, would amount to 1l., and would leave it to the boy’s father to chastise him by a severe flogging.
— ⎯⎯ John Williams, a navvy, was fined 5s. and 4s. costs for being drunk and assaulting P.C. W. Rolfe, on Sunday night last, in the Square, Petersfield.
— ⎯⎯Joseph Roe was brought up in custody, charged with picking the pocket of Jane Stubbington of a purse, containing a sovereign and some silver, on Monday, the 6th inst., at the ‟Crown,” public-house, Petersfield.—Mrs. Stubbington deposed as follows: My husband keeps the ‟Crown,” public-house. Between twelve and one yesterday I was pouring out a glass of beer in the tap-room; prisoner was standing close by me. I heard my pocket chink. I looked down and picked up a halfpenny. Just at that moment I was called out of the room, and found I had lost my purse. I directly rushed back to the tap-room, and said, ‟My goodness, I've lost my purse.” Prisoner was still in the room. James Brown, a navvy, was also there, and he said that no one should leave the place (meaning the room) till he had been searched and the purse found. The prisoner thereupon put his hand in his pocket and pulled out some loose money and scattered it about the room. I seized him and found my purse in his hand. James Brown unclenched his fingers and I took the purse from him. He said I had robbed him and that the purse was his, the purse now produced is the same (witness described the contents of the purse). James Brown corroborated last witness as to unclenching prisoner’s hand that he might take the purse from him, and also to his scattering the money about the room. P.C. W. Hayter deposed to taking prisoner into custody, when he said h e should charge Mrs. Stubbington with robbing him. Prisoner pleaded guilty, but the Chairman told him that as there was another charge against him they would hear that before they received his plea or adjudicated thereon. Prisoner was then charged with stealing 29l. 6s. 2½d. belonging to James Pitman, at the George, public-house, Petersfield, in the night of Sunday last. Prosecutor deposed that on Sunday evening he arrived at Petersfield and applied at the George for lodgings. He went to bed about 11. He had in a jean bag 40 half-sovereigns and five sovereigns, and in a leather purse four sovereigns, 6s. in silver, and 3½d. in copper. He put all this into his watch-pocket and placed his trowsers under his pillow and hung his watch at the bed’s head. There were two beds in the room, two other men slept in one of the beds and prisoner slept with him in the other. Prisoner came to bed soon after him. About a quarter past two witness awoke and missed prisoner from the bed, he also found his trousers had been removed from under his pillow and were lying on the floor, and on examining them he found all his money gone, his watch was also removed from the head of the bed. He called to the landlord but could not make him hear, and on returning to the room he found his watch on the bed with the glass broken. When he awoke at a quarter past two the other two men were asleep in their bed; he awoke them and told them of his loss, and they examined their pockets to see if they had been robbed, but they did not miss anything. In the morning he went to the Police Station about nine o’clock and gave information of his loss. He had not seen anything of his money since.—Thomas Wilson and George Stafford (navvies) who had been in company with prisoner on Monday morning, deposed to his displaying a considerable number of sovereigns and half-sovereigns and boasting of having plenty of money, treating them to beefsteaks, sausages, brandy and beer, as much as they would drink.—George Hoad deposed that he was in the Square, near the George between three and four on Monday morning. He was getting up to go to market when he saw prisoner and another man come out from the George and go round the corner out of his sight, the other man came back and went into the house again, but prisoner did not return.—Prisoner having been cautioned in the usual form declined to say anything, except ‟I am innocent of the charge.” He however persisted in pleading guilty to the former charge, but the Chairman told him it was optional with the Bench to receive that plea or not and that they declined to do so, and he was accordingly committed on both charges for trial at the ensuing Assizes on Monday next. See also 18-Jul-1863