The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-06-11 00:00:00

WA_B EMAIL
OBTAINING MONEY UNDER FALSE
PRETENCES.

On Saturday, before Mr. G. If. Bond, &mud Cox,
of Highwood, was brought up in custody charged
with obtaining £2 in money from Mr. Edward May
of the Black Bear, Wool, by false pretences on the
23rd of Way. Mi.. Fanny May stated on Wool fair
day, about ten minutes to ten in the evening, she
walked to the Railway Station. When ilia started
she had • gold watch, which was attached to her dress
by a black silk guart The next morning she missed
the watch. —Edward Cox, son of the prisoner, said am
he was working for Mr. May on the 15th of May
cleaning boots, he saw the watch in an outhouse. He
saw it in a boot. He picked it up and put it on a
board. This was between 11 and 12 in the day. At
3 o'clock he saw prisoner and t ild him he had picked
up a watch, and he told witness to get it which he
did, and gave it to him. Prisoner then went away.
The following Wednesday he saw his father, who
asked him if there was anything said about the watch,
and he told him there were bills out offering £2
reward. He saw the prisoner just outside the stable.
Cross-examined by the prisoner: I gave you the
watch at 3 o'clock on the 15th. Mr. May stated about
• week after the watch was lost prisoner came to him
with the watch. He asked prisoner where he found
it and how he came by it He said he found it at the
back of a booth behind the house. He said that
walking about he had kicked against it and thought it
was a child's little penny watch. He told Mrs. May
to give prisoner the £2, and it was paid to the po,ice-
man. The LI was his money. If Cox had told him
that the boy had found the watch he should not have
paid him.—Cross-examined The public had • right
behind the house on lair day. —George Langford. of
Wool, shoemaker, said he saw prisoner on the 23rd,
and he asked him when he found the watch. He said
aiming out of Mr. May's front door he walked round
after everything was shut up and accidentally found
the watch and picked it up, and held hard till he
heard a reward was offered when he got paid. P.C.
Chinn stated on the 20th May he received some bills
to post offering a reward for a watch. On the 23rd
prisoner came to him and said he believed he had got
the watch. They went to Cox's house to get it, sad
on the way asked prisoner where he found it, and he
aid near the little booth at the back door. He asked
how he came to see it, and Cox said he kicked his foot
against it, and he then picked it up and put it in his
pocket, thinking it was a child's penny watch. He
took it home and get a light, and called to his wife,
who came down and looked at it, and by its appear-
ance and weight they thought it was a gold one.
Witness went to Mr. May. with the prisoner and
Mrs. May handed the £2 to him. Witness objected to
the money being paid to Cox until further enquiries
had been made, but Mr. May said he would rather
pay than have more bother about it. The prisoner
signed a receipt that it was for the reward for a watch
found by him. Prisoner said he found the watch
on Wool fair day, and proved his possession of it by
giving it up. He disputed any person's claim to the
reward. Ms son had said that he found the watch,
and had stated so in that Court in his (prisoner's)
presence. Let him prove It, or
.prove that he gave it
to him. Prisoner was committed for trial at the
Sessions.