The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-03-14 00:00:00


I John
Mitohell were _
perty of J. B. Pheips,
-n the 27th Februaty.
aefendeth=-Ai

Ironeides, Matthew Hallett, sad 11 °bort
--- Indicted for stealing two duck., the pro-
- -, ligeo., at Winterborno MOnolttoni
on the _.,../.—it .1- cite Prdsectited and Mr.
Filtoks i _ ___,,=As ere feceutly gare the evidence at
loins length, it will be •rinnecessary to recapitu-
late it, and the facts can be gleaned from the
following :—On the afternoon of the 27th February,
Hallett and Mitchell were seen by a keeper in Mr.
Phelps'a oowleue hiding something under a rick, and
lronaidea was observed with two dogs, about 100 yards
distant., on the railway. The keeper told the (crater
that they were trviipeissitg, and lied no baldness in the
lath when, MS • proof of their innocence and that
, they had not been there for an unlawful purpose,
offered to be searcl.ed. This the keeper would
not do, but repaired to the oat rick, where
he found two ducks, which he identified ait be-
longing to his master, and which were msrked in order
to reader identification sure. They yfout bros.-110M be-
Meilen a wild and Ante deck ,Mit *era cl altos d ilmettleitteds
, Pritotteis on being taken into custody said Tronsidess
' dogs jumped at the ducks and killed them, but when
they were doing no they were not aware but that the
-ducks were wild ones.—On behalf of the defence Mr.
,Ffooks contended that the evidence against Ironsidee
etas very weak, a remark An whith .Ws tordabip
peonieectal. Hs (Mr. Ffocas) Maintained that the dunks
-Wee grad Chao, and that under these circumstanoes the
piriateners could not be found guilty of the charge lair
,psated to them. Ho admitted that Hallett and Mitchell.
had no right in the cowlease, but said the question was
merely one of tiresome, and its every one knew that 4a
-
wee impcealble at times to keep dogs under oorrmeln% I
they might, before prisouers were able to prerunt ,
have seised the ducks. as appealed ill the juryt ,1
if gush was the ease, whet a temptation load been placed,
, in prhienbri Way, end asked the former how they would
' have skied. He believed the dunks were wild, and ,
therefore that prisoners were responsible for a trespass I
1 alone.—His Lordship having carefully gone through the j
I ease, the jury, after • few moment's consultation found
1 Ironsides not guilty, but Hallett sad Mitchell guilty
! of receiving two dead duck', and were each sentenced,
to • month's hard labour,
attsON At gatort3lo.
George Strong, Eligatioth lialtott, and P. iliaboth
1 Nowntam plead not guilty to an indictment charging
1 them with setting Are tp a dwolling-house, the property
' of John ,c,tocker, at Rridport, orr the 17th of January.—
Mr. Collins prosecuted, and Mr. Prideanx defended.—
It appeared that about half-past five o'clock on the
evening of the 17th of Sanitary, whilst Borah Stocker
toss at tea with her father, her attentioll was directed to
a flame outside the houts in the akute. The house was
,in South-street, and the prosecutor's work-shop adjoined.
posecittor, 1:1* heoritig the Maim of nit, opened the
door and ;Mont into his shop, when he heard some
king. A shete was pissed around his shop. He saw
fMrong wkth • lighted torch km his-Mand, which he gave
gallissabeth Hobson, and she placed 'it la the` ih-Je.
Pre,joua to there vas , ke ,Au the chute.
'Be sent his ' righter ' foie - Ott-Taints, end Batson
said "They b.* wit fl/111‘...aoldiers, and we must
'ee about goirig." Fle sthferwmatn, throw mime
tswardti 'the ' Ante, .1 kalk than not swear
. . _ .
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Strong, and on telling him the charge he refused to go to
the station, but with the assistance of another constable
was conveyed thither. When he was taking him
before the magistrates, he said, "They can't hurt me;
I only lit the atuff for them." Witness believed
that if the "baby" had been left on fire in the chute
the hotve would have been burnt down. Sergeant
, Lavender when be examined the house discovered a
I spider on the wall which had its legs burnt off. In
voss-examin ation he said he had the spider preserved, and
• Prideaux could see it. All the cobwebs in the shuts
were burnt, and he could not see any live spiders. Mr.
Collina asked for the apider, which the sergeant pro-
duced, it being carefully wrapt op in paper. This was
the case for the prosecution, and Mr. Prideaux asked
his lordship if he thought there was any case to go
beforethe jury. He replied not, and the jury returned
• verdict o not guilty against all the prisoners. His
Lord hip advised them not to play such practical jokes
for the future, as it might lead them in trouble.
William Head, labourer, for an abominable crime
at Lyme, was acquitted.

, orose-oxamiration

ATTEMPTING TO MURDER A GAMS KEEPER.
Solomon Wedmore was indicted for attempting to
discharge • loaded gun at Edwin Mehnoth, with intent
to murder him, at Spettiabury, on the 4th of February.
—Mr, Warry prosecuted, and Mr. Cole defended.
—Edwin Melmoth said he was under keeper to Mr.
Drax, and lived with his father, who was head keeper.
Between 11 and 12 o'clock on the night of the 4th of
February, as he was going to Spettisbury, he saw two
men in a field in the occupation of Mr. Strange. He
went up to prisoner and asked who he was, when
•he replied, " A friend." Witness said "You look like
a friend with those rabbits in your hand." He caught
hold of him when prisoner's dog seized and bit him
through the thumb. The dog afterwards let
go, when prisoner took witness' gun away
and told the dog to lay down. Whilst they were
struggling he told prisoner to be oareful as the gun was
loaded. Prisoner called to his companions, when one
a them came up, he did not know who and knocked
him down. Prieoner afterwards pointed the gun at
him, when witness said "you would not take a fellow's
life, would you r' He replied " your life," and
snapped the gun, but the cap missed fire. Witness then
ran away, because he saw some more men coming.
Prisoner said "Down with the —, he will
know me." When he first went into the field
he,sew two men, who appeared to be beating for game.
The next day he went to the police and gave a descrip-
tion of prisoner, who was apprehended. The night was
light but rather lacy; the moon was in its second
quarter. He saw him when he was apprehended, but
could hardly recognise bum at first. When he saw
him in the field he had a black jim-crow hat and smock
on, but on the second oocasion he had a cap and sleeve
jacket. He desired the °Meer to remove his cap,
and he then identified him.—Cross-examined: He had
not drunk three half-pints of beer throughout the day.
He had been out rabbit shooting all the day. The
night was not dark ; it was rather misty. The dog
obeyed prisoner when he commanded it. The hat was
tried on prisoner when before the magistrates, and,
although it was a bad fit, witness could recognise him
as being the man he struggled with. When the super-
intendent of police showed prisoner to him he said, "Is
that the man?" and witness replied, "I hardly know;
take off his cap, and friss up his hair." This
was done, and prisoner then appeared much
like the man he had bad the struggle witli.—By
the Judge : He accounted for the gun not going off
because the cap was damp, and bad been on the gun for
five hours.—George Headley said on the 4th of
February he was at Bedlam. When he was leaving his
house, soon after eight &dock, be saw prisoner and
three more men go into the road leading into the town.
The men bad two dogs with them; each of them bsd
a atiok, and one also had a bag.—Crossexamined : He
saw the men in Blandford every night. Spettisbury was
about three or four miles distant.—Jeremiah Watts,
superintendent of police at Blandford, stated that
on the evening of the sth of February prosecutor came
, and gave him a description of some one. In MlN-
quence of this information he apprehended prisoner on
Tuesday at Little Fontrnell, where he was at work.
When he got up to him he asked him to get down from
the scaffold. Melmoth, who was with witness, said,
" Well, I hardly.know if that Is the man nose," and
added, "Takeoff your cap and brush up your hair."
Prisoner did so' when Melmoth said, "That's the man,
I'll swear to him." Prisoner was then taken into
custody, when he denied any knowledge of the
offence with which he was charged.—Mr. Cole
contended that the evidence had not made
out the prisoner's identity in a satisfactory manner.—
The jury said they were not satisfied with the identity,
and returned a verdict of not guilty.—On prisoner
leaving the dock he said "I thank you all, gentlemen;
I am an innocent man."

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