The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1879-07-15 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF STEALING A

YACHT.

At the Borough Police-court, or Wednesday, before the
Uciza!liir. G. Eliot), Mr. J. Ltutdie. and Mr. J. E.
Wetter Noose. • young nen, was charmed with
steeling. from Weymouth Harbour. a yacht, the property
of Mr. John Stanley Thompson. ol 5. Devonshire-build-

Yr. Pally Hooper appeared for the proescutdon, and
stated the facts a the case.

Yr. Thompson said he owned the yacht with his
brother, It. value being about £3O. It had no name
hid on it, but it wee called the Petrel. hut Satur-
she was moored by chains at the back of Davon•
shire Buildings He saw her safe about nine o'clock ;
but on Sunday morning he was told she wag gene Re
went and found her moorings had been cut. She was 21
feet long, clinker built, yawl rigged, and decked to the
foremast. She was taken away with all her stores and
sails. The prisoner had not the least right to take the
yacht away—ln fact, he had never seen him before.

. -
Superintendent Vickery, nibout eleven o'clock on Sunday
morning, received information of thfl yacht being stolen
and at once obtain a description of bar, and circulated it
up and down the coast. On Monday morning following,
be learnt from • Poole Pilot that a boat answering
the description had been seen making towards
the Needles, and at once telegraphed to Cowes,
amongst other Maces. He then received • telegraph
menage from Gores to the "feet that the boat wee in
charge there, and the prisoner apprehended. He there-
upon took P.C. Carter, John Jeans, and Ph. Thompson's
boatmen with him, and went to roOwill with a werreet.
found the prisoner in the Polk:iodation, and charged him
with steeling the yacht. Prisoner was very sorry, and
hoped he (evidently thinking the Superintendent was the
owner) would forgive him; and he would work and pay
him back. Everything warn at Cowes, with the yacht,
except the riggings of the nil:en-mast. The moon-mast
was unshipped and lay at the bottom of the yacht.
Albert Young. • commissioned boatman, at Nast
said e
on Monday morning last from orden which he rec:74
from • mast-guard, he searched for the yacht deestibei
as yawl-riggeoL He searched In the harbour, but could
not and a yawl-rigged one He at lest came across a cutter-
rigged boat, lying at anchor. He 'gambled it and found it
to he a yawl-rigged Twilit with her migesi-maet unahipped.
There was nobody, as be could sek,on board, but on °erm-
ine the caddy door be sew a man rolled up In the raison
sails. The misen-mart was lying at the bottom of the
boat, but there was no rigging on it. He called to the
man and asked where be came from, and be said he had
come from Poole. He further 'eked him where he was
bound for, and be replied Porternot!th. He asked him
where his mate wag, and he said gone ashore," and
witness then asked for the boat which he had gone ashore
with, and he replied that he did not have one. He gave
him in charge, and then ran the yacht over to Fast COW&
She must have put into Cows. about sight or nine on
Sunday night.

George Welch. master ot the Into smack, from ismey.
said the prisoner was on board Ms vessel on Saturday
irreninimind woo ensagedwith annotherot otters Irishmen
He missed him ce Sunday morning Hs also missed two
small loaves from the bait. The prisoner had hese in
hie employ for three weeks. but he never knew anything
of him before
Mr. Pally Hooper asked for • nomad. in order that the
boat might be brought from Cowes,
Tee ease was accordingly remanded till Friday, End the
primmer was removed in custody.