The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-06-19 00:00:00

COUNTY I'ETTY SE.SSIONS.

CoONTT HALL, DOFICHEnTtR, Saturday, June 16th.
(Before H. Williams, E,aq., Chairman, W. H. Solly, H.
Gooden, and John Floyer,
DRUNKENNESS. —Thomas eritchell, of Ahbotabury,
was charged with drunkenness, on the 29th May.—
Fined fel. and costs 7s.
OBSTRUCTIoN art inc ItAILwAY. A lad, about 10
years of age, residing at West Stafford, wan charged with
negligently driving some oxen across the line at the
Lewd' crossing, near Stafford. Mr. Bent, inspector,
appeared for the company. --Henry Berry said he was
an engine-driver on the Mouth-Western railway.
He was driving an engine on the line, on the 23rd
May, with the goods-train from Southampton to
Dorchester. When he had arrived to within
SO or 100 yards of the Lowell crossing at Stafford
lie saw some bullocks on the line and he blew
the whistle and reversed the engine, but was not able to
atop in time. and two of the oxen were consequently
run over and killed. The gate on the side of the line
the bout had come on was open, but she in-pi:site gate
was shot, and cousequently they could not get across.
After the engine was mopped he went back and saws
boy crying, believed defendant WWI the same, but was
not certain. He believed that the rate they we.-e going,
had he not reversed the engine and pu. on the breaks,
the train would have been thrown off the line.
He saw the oxen before they came on the line, and
he believed the by might, if he had taken Clic
precaution to look, have prevented the accident.
—William Chandler, one of the guards on the South'
Western line, !Aid that he was guard of the 10.50 down
goods train on the 23,1 May. He remembered the train
running into the cattle, and be •ent back with the
engine-driver to see who was there and found • boy,
about 12 years i.f age, in charge of the beasts. He conld
not swear to him, hut he had not much doubt the de-
fendant was time boy. He asked him why he drove the
beasts across the line. He replied that pre /ions to
driving them acmes he opened both gates, but the
opposite gate blew to, after the beasts were on the
line, and he could not get them over.—Mr. kloyer, who
is the owner of the land an each aide the railway at
this place, asked what was the object f the company in
proreeuting.—Mr. Bent replied, to prevent accidents.—
Mr. Floyer said that lie had understood the case was
this :- -The tenant who now farms the laud is residing
on another farm at some ilistanco off, and :he caiter
told the boy to drive the beastmm in question from one
Acid to another, and to do so he had to pass over the
railway at • point where lie had the right to cross. The
defendant and another boy went and phiced both gates
open fur the purpose of driving the bullocks across, but
when they were on the line the bulliselzs went up in-
stead of across it, and while the defendant was trying to
get them back the gate blew to, and at :his juncture
the train came along, which on till, day was 30 minutes
behind time. If he recollected rightly at :his creasing
a pet-non could not see 100 yards up the line, and if such
were the case, there could not have been any negligence
on the boy's art.-11r. Bent said the same boy lied
been fined for a similar offence about two years since,
and he believed lie was a very eareleiss boy ; he had
consequently been directed by the company to apply
that the ease might be sent for trial.—Mr. Moyer said
that if it was intended to institute a malicious prosecu•
tioa he would employ counsel for the defendant, for it
was most important that ',a should understand how far
his right of crossing applied. He did not believe, so far
as he had heard, that there was any carelessness on she
boy's part.—The chairman consulted with the other
magiatrates, and they decided upon fining the defend-
ant 106. and So. costs, which on being paid by Mr.
Fluyer, the boy was liberated front custody.
Suselcition Case.— William Puckett, of Sutton, IVY
charged by P.C. Butt with being in a saw•pit which was
open to the road, belonging to Mr. Miller, who bad
complained of losing timber. Defendant raid lie got •
little too mach to drink and was very sick, and he eon.
sequently went into the saw-iiit to lie down instead of
Ruing home. Tile Bench dismissed the case, but told
the defendant he had acted very injudiciously.