The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-01-01 00:00:00

WAREHAM.

A 8161049 case of poaching came before the magi.-
testae here on Monday. About midnight, on the 19th
inst., four night watchers, in the employment of the
Rev. N. Bond, lesard whispering on the confines of the
woods, and on going into the edj doing field, they eaw
• gang of about eight poachers setting a large net.
On seeing the keepers, the men at once attacked them
with bludgeons and stonee, and inflicted serious
injuries. One of the keepers had his eye so badly
wounded that he has lost the sight of it, and two
other* of the watchers were rendered insensible by
blows. The men effected their *scene, and only one
of them, named Mullett, is now in custody. The
prisoner is a powerfully.built labourer. Mr. Howard,
of Weymouth, and Mr. Budge were for the proiecn-
tion, send Mr. Dickenson for the defence.—Henry
Selby deposed he had been • gamekeeper lathe employ
of the Rey. Nathaniel Bond for over 21 years.. About
ten o'clock on the night of the 19th inst. be went t
Orange-wood. Nothing particular occurred until
nearly twelve o'clock, when he heard whispering. He
had arranged with some watchers to meet him there.
He listened for • minute or two, but could not
distinguieh what wax being said. The whispering
appeared to come from outoide the wood. fie also
heard some talking in the Rile, and went in that
directinn. The talking did not appear to be far from
him. H f und the men who were talking were
Samuel Murray. Ambrose Terinr, and James Taylor.
Murray and Amin.... Taylor were night watchers, and
James Tay;or is a keeper in prosecutor's employ.
Witness spoke to the watchers, and they went with
him in the direction in which he had heard the
whispering. He then Paw a not id ab 'tit a hundred
yards in length. It was set, lie saw amie one go by
the net out of sight towards the erd. Xitrinse
followed down the net, and ..n getting to the end five
or six, save o or eijat, he i,uld nit tell how many,
came nut an I flung s one., at them directly. They
hod /dicks, end he (witness was knocked d "len by
Eli Mullett, the prisoner. Prisoner hit him acmes
the head with • stick, and had before that "scarred"
him iin the elbow. He was stunned for a little while.
He would swear there were more than three men
there. On recovering his sensibility be tried t foll >Tr
the me,, but they were soon out of slight—l-rm.
examined : The moon was getting op &nil he woe able
to distinguish the p-ople. The prisms' was the
only man he knew and he had not time to look obout.
He was down before he could count them. He knew
there were more then three. He (witness) hod • little
bit of a walking stick in his hand, but it was of no wits
to him. He did not go out that night with the
expectation of finding anybody in particular. He
could only identify the prisoner. Prisoner came right
at him with • stick. He had known prisoner more
than twelve months. He did not know for
whom he worked. The net INA Wren off by
the poachers, but he could not say Mullett took it.—
Amino.. Taylor stated he was a labourer, HY aat
West Creech, and was sometimes engaged as a night
watcher. On Wednesday night last he went to
Grange Wood with James Taylor and Samuel Murray.
They met Selby in the Ride, and in oonsequenoe of
what be said they all went up through the Co into
• pasture field. He there saw a net on the ground,
part of it being set. He did not see any one there
until he got to the end of the net. There were there
several men standing close together. He could not
say how many, hut there were more than three. A
stone was flung by one of the men and hit him
(witnerie) in the eye, and knocked him "silly."
On "c irning to " a dog came and ettecked him,
but he managed to keep it off. The dog went
away, and witness, feeling " silly." walked to
hi. home. He had since been attended by Dr.
Webeter, an 1 he had lost the sight of one eye.
DeWelater stated on Thursday last witness came to
his surgery about three o'clock in the afternoon. He
found a contuidon of the left eye, and on opening the
lid found the eyeball was ruptured. There might be
a trace of sight left. What he saw might bane been
caused by • stone. Samuel Murray, a labourer,
&Posed be was employed last Wednesday as a night
watcher by the Rey. Nsthaniel Bond, and went to
Grange-wood with the other men mentioned by other
wife's..., and met Henry Selby shortly before twelve.
Selby said something to them, acid in consequence they
went into • pasture. He saw • net there. He saw
two men, and he believed they were sticking up • net.
He wont towards them, and they went to some more
men further down. There were six or seven men
there, and they came all out together and threw
doom. Ell mow* weasel ol thou. Wham bow