PETERSFIELD PETTY SESSIONS
TUESDAY.—Present the Hon. J. J. Carnegie (chairman), Sir J. Clarke Jervoise, Bart., M.P., and J. Waddington, Esq.
— Poor’s-rates were signed for the following parishes, viz.:—Colemore, 1s. 6d. in the pound; Eastmeon, 1s. 6d. in the pound; Froxfield, 1s. 6d. in the pound; and Priorsdeane, 1s. 6d. in the pound.
— Henry Anchor and John Triggs, both of Liphook, were fined 5s. each, and 8s. 6d. costs, for an assault on Daniel Harris, arising out of a public-house brawl on the 24th of September last.
NEGLECT OF DUTY BY AN OVERSEER.
John Pratt, of Privett, appeared on a summons to answer a charge of neglecting his duty as overseer in not attending on the last bench day to verify the jury list for the said parish. The charge was laid under the 6th Geo. IV,. c. 50, s.45.—defendant said he had urgent business which prevented his attending on that day, and he had quite forgotten that there was another overseer in the parish, and when reminded by the chairman that the case had been adjourned from last bench day to the following Friday, and that he (defendant) had failed to attend even then, he urged the same excuse, viz.—pressing business engagements.—The act provides that the penalty on conviction shall not be more than 10l., nor less than 40s., but gives the magistrates the power of mitigating it to one moiety, and they accordingly adjudged defendant to pay a fine of 20s. and 2s. 6d. costs.—Defendant said he thought it was a very arbitrary law, and he hoped publicity would be given to the decision, which he supposed was all the redress he could get.—The chairman: Oh no, there is one other thing we can do for you. We can make the fine 5l., and that will give you the right of appeal to the quarter sessions.—Defendant, however, declined the alternative, and paid the 22s. 6d.
FELONY AT HORNDEAN
John Butler was charged, under the Criminal Justice Act, with stealing, on Friday last, October 5th, at Horndean, three sovereigns and a piece of paper, the property of Charlotte Edney.—Mary Edney deposed: I am the wife of Henry Tupper Edney. I live at the Red Lion public-house at Horndean, which is kept by my husband’s mother, Charlotte Edney. On Friday last I went upstairs a little after one o’clock, and fetched three sovereigns and gave them to my husband’s mother. She took a brewer’s bill off the shelf (Pike and Spicer’s bill) and put it and the three sovereigns on the corner of the bar table. She then went upstairs, and I left the bar immediately. The door was open, and any person in the passage could see the money and the bill on the table. I went across the passage to the tap-room fire, and as I was. going I met the prisoner coming out of the tap-room into the passage. There are teo doors in the tap-room, one leading to the front door, and the other just by the bar door. I returned to the bar in about a minute. My mother was there, and I then missed the money and bill from the table. There were two or three people in the tap-room, but no one had left it except the prisoner. The pieces of paper produced by P.C. Grant are parts of the bill which I had seen on the bar table. I know them by the figures on them.—Charlotte Edney deposed, I am a widow, and keep the Red Lion public-house at Horndean. On Friday last, a little after one, I saw prisoner come out of the tap-room. I had just before received from the last witness three sovereigns, which I had placed with a brewer’s bill on the bar table. I went upstairs directly to get some more money. I was scarcely a minute gone, and as I came down I saw prisoner, who had come from the tap-room by the door close to the bar door. I went into the bar, and found the money was gone and the bill, too. The prisoner was going fast towards the front door.—George Adams deposed, I am a labourer and live at Horndean. On Friday last I picked up some pieces of a bill at the foot of Horndean-hill, in the direction of Catherington. I gave them to the brewer who brings beer to Mrs. Edney.—Wm. Mason deposed, I am ostler at the Red Lion at Horndean. Last Friday, a little after one, I heard a person named Thompson asking prisoner some questions in the wood-house. I heard him say to prisoner, ‟I suppose you are something like myself, not much of a scholar. You merely took the paper to light your pipe.” Prisoner said that was it. Thompson asked prisoner what he had done with the money that was on the paper. He said, ‟I left it on the table.” This conversation took place after Grant brought prisoner back.—W. Sutton deposed, I live with my father at Horndean. Last Friday I saw prisoner coming up the hill from Horndean towards Catherington as hard as he could walk. This was about one o’clock. As soon as he turned the corner at the top of the hill he began to run.—Henry Edney deposed: I am the son of Charlotte Edney. Last Friday, about ten minutes after one, from information I received from my mother, I went in pursuit of prisoner. I found him in Major Briggs’ park, concealed under a hedge. He pretended to be asleep. I said, ‟Old friend, I want you.” He said, ‟What for?” I asked him if he had just come from a public-house at Horndean, and he said, ‟Yes.” I said, ‟You’ve been in the bar, too, as well.” He said, ‟Yes, I had business there.” I told him he had taken 3l. from the table, and he would have to go back with me. He said he had taken no money.—P.C. Henry Grant deposed: On Friday last between one and two, from information I received, I went in pursuit of prisoner towards Catherington, and met him coming back with the last witness. I charged him with stealing three sovereigns. He said he had got no sovereigns, nor hadn’t had any. I took him to the ‟Red Lion” and searched him, but found nothing on him. I received the pieces of paper which I now produce from Mrs. Edney.—Prisoner was committed for trial at the ensuing quarter sessions.
ROBBERY BY A SERVANT AT PETERSFIELD.
Ellen Poore was brought up in custody charged with stealing a pice of calico, value 6d., the property of her master, John Adames.
Maria Adames deposed—I am the wife of John Adames and live in Horn-farm-lane, Petersfield. Prisoner has been in my husband’s service since the 26th of May last till yesterday. She had given me notice to leave. On Friday last I missed several pocket handkerchiefs, and asked prisoner if she had seen them. She said no. I again searched but could not find them. I then asked her if her box was locked. She said yes. I told her that I had missed some things, that I was not going to accuse her of stealing them, but I asked her to bring her key and let me look into her box. She said ‟Oh dear, I thought there was something from your asking me for the pocket handkerchiefs this morning.” She went upstairs with me and opened her box, and produced four collars, four napkins, a bolster-case, and a pice of new linen, all of which I identified as my husband’s property. I gave her a severe reprimand and she begged my pardon. I told her she might pack up her things and leave my service at once. She said what would people think to leave at that moment. I said they must think what she deserved. She said she would not do it again, and begged she might stay till he month was up. On Monday morning I asked her for the piece of new linen I had seen in her box but which I had not taken, she made no answer, but went up to her room, and soon after came down stairs, when upon my again asking her for it, she said she had thrown it away. I then said it was time that she should be punished. She produced a piece of old calico which also belonged to me, but was of little value, not more than 6d. I identify the articles now produced, as my husband’s property.—Superintendent Longland deposed to taking prisoner into custody on a charge of stealing the article, and added that on having her searched at the station 10s. 10d. in money was found on her.—Prisoner pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment with hard labour.