The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-10-24 00:00:00

"'ILIUM IT
.11113T1IIi.",

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John Muffins (on bail) was charged with stealing a rush
basket, a pair of boots, and a leather strap, value 9s. the
property of William Roger,, at &eaten, on September
30th.
Mr. Warden prosecuted, and Mr. Castle defended.
William Rogers said on Saturday, the 3Dth of Septem-
ber he was at Messes. !reek° and Holloway's shop, at
Sheftesbury, between five and six in the evening. and he
had • basket and an umbrella, with a pair of boys' boot.
The basket and strap produced were his property. He
put the basket down near • chair near the grocery counter.
and having purchased some articles looked for his basket,
and could not And it. Prisoner was in the shop at the
time he entered. When he missed his basket he found
there was another basket (produced) in the shop. No one
but prisoner was in the shop at the time.
Cross-examined : There was no one in the chop beside
him and prisoner. He could swear there was no man of
the name of Charles Gutuberlen in the shop, lie heard
Outuberlen give his evidence, and when he said he knew
how the basket came to be taken h the prisoner; he did
not speak the truth, as he was not there.
John Strange, • bootmaker, of Shaftesbury, sold pro-
secutor a pair of beets on the 30th of September last.
The hoots produced were the same as be sold.
Frederick Wilton. an apprentice to Messrs. Frocks and
Holloway, was in the shop on the evening in question and
served prisoner with some groceries, prosecutor being
there et the time. When prosecutor was looking for his
basket prisoner had left. He did nut know if the witness
I Gunillerhni was there.
. . . . .

Cross-examined : Prisoner's brother was there, and if
prosecutor said there was no one else in the shop beside
himself he was wrong. Ile could not say if the shop was
full of people.
Mr.lUistopher liolloway,apart tier in the firm of Messrs.
Freeko and Holloway, stud be could identify the basket
produced as one left in his shop on the evening in question,
which was empty when he found it.
Crose-examined : He had not noticed that prisoner was
short-sighted. There were many persons in the shop at
the time, and for the prosecutor to say there was no one
else present was quite untrue.
P.C. Greenstock, stationed at Shaftesbury, on Sunday
morning the tot of October, received the basket pro-
duced from Mr. Holloway.
P.C. Ridout, stationed at Fontrnell Magna, went to
Twineham on the Sunday evening in question, and on his
way met the prisoner carrying the basket produoed, and
claimed by the prosecutor. Asked him to let witness
look at the basket. He examined it, and prisoner asked
what he was looking at, He said he wanted to see who
the basket belonged is, and he said "He bought it at
Button's.' Witness cautioned him to be careful what he
said. Ile told prisoner he believed the basket he was
carrying was the one lost from Mr. Holloway's, and he
said " I did take it, some party had taken his previously,
and he had stopped to make inquiries for half-an-hour
and had spoken to Gumberlon." He (witness) said "I
must have the boots and strap," and be said "You can
have them.' When they went to prisoner's cottage he
gave witness the boots and strap. At the cottage prisoner
owned the basket witness had with him.
Cross-examined: Ile did not charge prisoner with steal-
ing the basket. Ile saw it was a basket similar to the
one kat, and he took it from him. Prisoner gale up the
basket and boots when witness told him it was those that
had been lost . _ , _ • . .

1111:76iUtTe— addressed the jury for the defence, and
called
Charles Humberlin. a gardener, living at Shaftesbury.
Knew the prisoner, and remembered seeing him in the
shop in question buying groceries. When he had made
his purchases he looked for his basket, and said " Charley.
I have a basket somewhere," and they both looked for it.
There was a basket on the door, and witness said I
suppose this must be yours. He put the goods In the
basket, and went out of the shop. He heard prisoner say
He did not think the basket was his."
Cross-examined: Prisoner was iu the 1112o1? at the time
witness went in. .

".6Trie diu"-rinan.m. said they did not think ahem was any
felonious intent when the prisoner took the basket. and
In this the jury concurring. prisoner was discharged.