The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-05-07 00:00:00

MARNHULL

A I.LEOID DA14•01 OCT OF Serre.—At the liter-
, !Master Petty Sessions held on Monday last, before
Captain Hanham, R.N., J. Homey, Esq., M. Yeatman,
Req., Rev. H. Bower, Montague Williams, Req..
and H. S. Bower, Req.- —Christopher Kendall, William
Short, and William Acourt, all of Mamhull, appeared
to answer the complaint of Harry Acourt, residing in
the Name village, of having on the night of the lit
April wilfully and maliciously broken a window, his
property.—Mr. Chitty appeared for the ilefeadanta. -
The wife of the complainant, Mary Ann Acourt, stated
that on the evening of the Ist, about 7 o'clock, she was
going from her house to the village, when she heanl
Christopher Kendall say to his companions, "Court
haa made me pay a lot of money to day, and I will do
her some injury to make her pay money to-morrow."
This conversation took place near her house, behind a
hedge. After she heard it she returned home and tobi
her husband, and they determined to watch. Soon
afterwards they went up stairs, and her husband sat by
the windows. She lay down on the bed. During the
night, she could not say what time, she got up, and
took her place at the window, her husband lying down.
Whilst at the window she saw Christopher Kendall
come round the corner to the front of her house, fol-
lowed by the two other defendants. The distance from
She corner to her house might be about 20 feet. Kendall
threw a stone at the window under her bedroom. Short
threw two and Acourt one. She had the window up-
stairs open, and said, "I have been waiting all night
for you." The night was not dark. All the stones
struck the window, beating the glass to pieoes,
one of the stones came into the house. It was
about the middle of the night. Could not
say exactly the time as she had no clock.
This witness, in replying the cross-examination by Mr.
Chitty, was very insulting, and was very severely
reproved by the Bench. Some of the questions she
positively refused to answer until ordered to do so by
the Court. Acourt, the complainant, who at first
appeared scarcely able to give 'his own version of the
matter, stated that about half-past six o'clock he
returned from his work, and found his wife at home.
She went out afterwards, and on her return about
eight o'clock they both went upstairs where they took
turn in keeping watch. He lay down for a time and
his wife went towards the mildew. Here the com•
plainant hesistating, the Bench asked him what
happened then. The wife, with passionate gesture, was
about to set him straight, but was ordered to stand
back, and and after recovering himself said he was
asleep when his wife waked him up, and said "Here
they are, coming round." and called defendants by their
names. He then got off the bed as quick as he could.
His wife held the 'window open in her hand. Previous
to getting to the 'window, he heard stones thrown at
the window beneath, and the but be saw was thrown
by William Aoourt. The window was whole when he
went to bed. He now produced it, could not say what
was the damage. It might be 6d.—ln cross-examine.
Sion this witness also declared it was A light night.
though he did not think there was any moon. He
could swear to the defendants as the parties who were
In front of his house.—Mr. Chitty in addressing the
--" 41—• ..r•o_ srawlelnne
been brought under the notice of the Bench. He
should be able to prove by several witnesses that the de-
fendants were in their ovrn homes when the alleged break-
ing of the windows was said tohave taken place. He then
called Charles Trew, who stated that be was with
William Acourt from the first part of the morning till
' 20 minutes past 10 at night, and saw him go towards
his own house; and Rijuabeth Acourt, mother of
William Acourt, a blind woman, who disposed that she
heard her son go up-stairs to bed or the neighbour in
question, about 20 minutes past 10, and also that he or
his wife locked the door previously.--James Kendall
was called on behalf of his brother, and positively
declared he was with him at Mrs. Jervis, at 7 p.m.
and left with him about 10,' and that they were all in
bed by eleven, and never went out again. The two but
witnesses also declared that the night was so dark they
could not have known a person two or three yards
before them. Mr. Chitty was about to call other
witnesses but the Bench said they were perfectly
satisfied, and the Chairman, in dismiseing the case,
said that to Nay the lead of it, the compliment's wife
had given her evidence in • very unsatisfactory manner,
and her conduct both to the solicitor for the defence,
and also to the Bench, was exceedingly unbecoming.
The case was dismissed, and the court fees was allowed
against the complainant.