The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-11-13 00:00:00

COUNTY PETTY SESSIONS.

COUNTY HALL, Doman-ran, Saturday, Novembe
10.—Before W. B. Sadly and H. C. Goodden,
ETLIIII LATE HIGHWAY HOBBERY.—It WM last
week arranged to take the case of Cliford and the two
Williams's Mien o'clock this morning, but owing
to the non-attendatice of magistrates, the proceedings
did not commence till half-past II o'clock. Mr.
Symonds again appeared to prosecute, and Mr.
Weston to defend the prisonera—William Orchard,
the prosecutor, on being recalled, said : The purse
containing the money which I lost, was a blue silk
knitted purse with two rings. One end of the purse
contained the silver, and the other end the
gold.— emu-examined : After I was rubbed,
I was taken to the police station by Mr.
Winxiar. I did not see the superintendent there at
that time. I saw a man there, to whom I made the
complaint, but I do rot recollect whether the man
was in uniform or in plain clothes. I described the
men who had robbed me as being well dressed men,
in dark clothes, and not dressed, as navvies. The
clerk went to the desk, but I don't know whether
he put down the description I gave. I have never
expressed that I should, not know the men. I have
never said I did not know whether they were tall or
short, or how they were dressed. When I went to
the gaol there were eight or nine men in the yard
with the prisoners. The superintendent said nothing
to me. I identified Clifford immediately. After a
short time I also identified Williams. Superinten•
dent Brawn was there, but we had no conversation
with each other. He had nut previously told me
the kind of men he had taken. When I went out
of town on the night of the robbery, I went direct
usit of Dorchester from the Junction Ilutel. I had a
different iivercoat from what I have now.—lte-ex•
amined : I shall know the prisoners again. Their
whiskers have been allowed to grow since last
Saturday.—P.S. ViCkery said : On Friday, Oct. 26
I accompanied Superintendent Brown to Wareham
We went to the Nelson, and found the prisoners in
bed there in a double-bedded room. We went into
the room. As soon as we entered, Clifford cried out
'• Holloa, what's up ? ' We said we were policemen.
and that they were charged with highway robbery
near Dorchester. Clifford then jumped out of bed,
and said, " All right, come on Williams." Williams
immediately got out, and we took them and their
clothes into another room to search them. After we
had searched their clothes, we asked their names.
Williams made no reply, but on being asked a
second time he said, "I refuse my name and
address," and added "You have made a charge
against us, and we must prove our innocence," or
words to that effect. I said to Clifford, then I sup-
pose you have no name, either? and he replied "No,
I've lost my name." They afterwards said they were
brothers. I was present when the beds were
semi:hod and the money found. We removed the
three persons to Dorchester. I was in the hall last
Saturday just before the two prisoners, Williams and
Clifford, were brought up. The woman was not
then in custody. She hail been, but was dismissed
on the previous Tuesday. She came to me and
asked "if they were brought up." I understood her
to mean the two male prisoners, and I told her they
would be brought up directly. There were several
persons about, and she appeared to want to say '
something to me. I went into the Crown Court
and she went in with me. She *aid the men were
on a wrong charge, and if they were committed she
would be able to prove that Mr. Orchard was in
company with a girl, and that this girl picked his
pockets. She knew some persona who had seen
the purse; it was a little blue silk purse, with two
ivory rings, and I think she added, "a tassel at
each end," but am not sure. She said it had evi•
dently been knitted by a lady—she should imagine
by his wife.—This being the whole of the case for
the prosecution, Mr. Weston contended that there
was no evidence against the woman from beginning
to end, and he therefore asked for her discharge.
Mr. Symonds said the evidence of the last witness
proved her to be an accessory after the fact, at all
events.—Mr. Weston maintained that even if she
had been present during the robbery, and the men
were the robbers, the fact that the woman was the
wife of Williams was sufficient to secure her release
from custody, as the law always presumed that the
wife acted under the coercion of her husband. It
was not necessary to produce certificate of marriage,
as reputation and cohabitation was sufficient, and he
could bring forward the wife of a livery-stable
keeper, living at Southampton, who would tell them
that she hail known the prisoners for the last 7
months, and that during that time the two
Williams's had passed as man and wife.—The
I -
magistrates said that if Mr. Weston could not prove
more than he had stated, they should not be satisfied.
If they were married, they had had a fortnight
allowed them to obtain the certiticate.—Mr. Weston
then applied for bail for the woman, but this the
Bench most emphatically declined to grant.— Mr.
Weston said that he must now tell the Bench that
as they refused to discharge the woman or even to
accept bail for her future appearance, he should
. apply to the court above.—The prisoners were thee
committed for trial at the next assizes.. . .

AGKANCY.—ChorIes Briman WSJ brought up by
P.C. Fripp, who wild that be was on duty in Port-
land at 41 &clock that morning, and in looking over
Mr. R. Scriven's premises, he found the prisoner
sleeping in a loft—Sentenced to 14 days' bard labour.