The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-08-10 00:00:00

Legal.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.

BODKIN, MONDAY, Auo. 2.

The oommliaion for the County of Cornwall wee
opened in this town on Saturday evening by Mr. Baron
Channel'. Yesterday the judges attended divine Norma
at the church, and this morning business commenced,
Mr. Baron Watson presiding in the Crown Court and
Mr. Baron Channel' sitting at the Nisi Pries.
There are only four cases in the cause list, but they are
expeoted to occupy the whole of the time allowed here.
There are 21 prisoner* in the calendar, but the offences
are of a trifling character • there is one charge of
infanticide, but the learned Baron, in his charge to the
grand jury, suggested to them that the evidence was
very unsatisfactory, and he thought it very likely that
they would consider it right to throw out the bill.
There is • case of burglary; the prosecutor and his
family were In London, and the servants, taking 'dean-
tap of the absence of the family, went to • dance at a
publiohouse, and on their return they found that the
house had been broken into and all the plate had been
taken. The only evidence against the prisoner was
that he was in paasesaion of is pair of pincers, and the
police thought the house had been broken into with
pincers, and the other piece of evidence was, that the pri-
sonar had • tobaooo-bos, mid • kibsooo-box ,vu found near
the house, but whether it was the prisoner's or not did
not appear. As regarded that the learned Judge told the
grand jury that he thought that evidence very un-
satisfactory.

CIVIL BlDR.—(Before Mr. Baron CHANNZ LL.)
COLLINS V. SYKONEL

Mr. Colßeyond Mr. Coleridge were counsel for the
plaintiff; Mr. H. T. Cole wee counsel for the
defendant.
This was an potion upon an apprentioeship bond,
brought by Mr. Collins, who was a carpente: at Wade-
bridge, against the defendant, who is the father of a
boy who had been apprenticed to the plaintiff, and had
ran away before completing his time.
The defence set up was that the plaintiff had ill-
treated the boy, and that he ran away to America with.
out the knowledge of his father.
Witnesses were called on each in support of the
plaintiff's and defendant's oases.
Mr. Baron Channel', In summing up, told the jury
that the defendant was clearly liable on the bond, but
left it to them to say the amount of damages that the
plaintiff was entitled to.
Verdict for the plaintiff,—Damages £4O.
TUESDAY, Am. 3.
CROWN COURT.—(BMorS Mr. Baron WATSON.
Richard Ras/sleigh was indicted for a burglary in the
house of Francis Hearle, at Mawnan, on the 9th of
March, and stealing therefrom • very large quantity of
plate.
Mr. Cox and Mr. Powell were counsel for the prosecu-
tion ; anti Mr. Yonge (for Mr. Coleridge) defended the
prisoner.
It appeared that Mr. Hurls wes en old gentleman
living with his wife at Peupol, in the parish of Mawnan.
They had two female servants, named Elisabeth Pascoe
and Fanny Martin. On the 13th of February Mr. and
Mrs. Beetle went 13 London, leaving their house in the
oars of the two servants. On the Bth of March there
wee a village revel about • mile from the house, and the
servants most imprudently, taking advantage of the
absence of their master and mistress, went to Ohl revel
and danced in a publichouse. The prisoner waa also
at the publiehouu. They returned home late in the
evening, but were BO much pleased with the dance that
they went there again on the following evening, looking
the door, but not leaving any one in the house. The
prisoner, who had inquired if the girls were MIAMI that
second evening, was at the publiohouse when they
arrived. In • few minutes after their arrival he was
missed, and wee away for upwards of two hours. The
girls went home about 11 o'clock, and then they found
that a canal, and matehes they had plead on • table had
been removed. They lighted another candle and then
found that the back door was open. All was oontuaion
In the dining-room and bed-room ; all the plate and
Jewelry were gone; • brandy bottle will also gone, hut
that was not discovered to be missing for a fortnight
after the robbery. Persons were called in and the pollee
unie, and it wee then discovered that a pane of glass
had h. en taken out of a comment so that a person'. hand
',Quid be put in, and the easement had been opened,
and so an enema had been effected and the robbery
committed. There was some blood on the wall inside.
Upon a strict search being made it was found that many
of the things had been broken open with en inatrument
haring two handles, but one of them shorter then the
other. A husandory 555 raised, but nothing was heard
till some days afterwarde, when in • iulne alinoat all the
plate and the Jewelry were discovered, and there was a
brass tobaom.box near it. The question then was, by
whom had the robbery been committed ? Some sue.
Melon fell on the prisoner, and he was taken up, and his
house MO searched, and in it were luund a pair of pincers,
with one of the handle,' broken. They 'meetly fitted
the marks in the house. One of his hands had been
recently out. On the night of the revel he had • kiss
Mb/sou-bon. When in custody the prisoner asked the
policeman where the transports were sent to. The reply
was," Different pious" The prisoner then said, "DU
you think they will transport we 1" Polieeniau.—" I
don't know."

The following extraordinory evidence was given :
Thounis Diariln.-1 on • polloomon. On the 21R0 of
Iforuh I wont to the Holston station in plain °loth,' and
Into the cell where the prisoner wee, I sat by hie bed.
He asked um what I was there for. I told him I sup'
I should know in the morning. He said he was
1731:14 for robbing old Hearl's house it iiawnen. After
ionic tillie he said, "Hid it not been for that box I
would not hove oared." I coked him whet lox it wee.
He said, "It was the brass that come off the point of •
gig-elide, which I need to keep tinder in to light my
pipe. I went to Dorgon publiohomse and stopped some
time drinking with my fellow workmen. While there
I saw one of Mr. Hearl's eervants. I seised if the other
servonte wore wining down. He said ' Yes.' I saw the
servante there. I then thought it time to be about my
work. I left the house, end went very fast, end every dirt
place I seine by I walked on my toes to prevent foot-
marks." 1 asked hint how he got into the house. He
said, " I broke • pane of glut with the book part of iny
hozni, and put my hand Into unfasten the window, and
the bit of glass that wee left in the wash 'node a scratch
in the book of my hand, end that wee where the blood
tante from that was on the waU. The superintendent
has found a pair of planers, but I do not mind that so
much as • cold chisel, which I do not believe they will
find. There was one remarkable tiling there—a toasting
fork broken off at the handle was left behind. When I
got into the house I opened the doors to prevent my
being detected if any person coins while I was in the
house. I pulled the box out of my poeket with one of
the gold chains which I took from the house, and I was
afraid to go in search of the box on amount of the police
being about there on the watch. If I had known I well
going to be epprehended 1 would have burnt the
house to a pit." That's all. I did not go with the in-
tension of getting evidence agahut the man. I did not
go before the magistrates. I did not intend to give
! evidence against the man. He told ine the box was
found near the place where the plate was bid. He
could ruu the plate down with • flux. That had he
been taken in the morning Instead of the evening they
would have found the jewels in his pocket. He had
taken a bottle of best brandy and drink part, and buried
the other part in • bottle.
Croes-examined.--It is not my habit to do this. I
never did Ii before. I went to find out whether there
weir any other party muneeted with the prisoner. I
remained in the cell all night. I went there with ano-
ther prisoner, who closed the door upon we. j did not
give the prisoner to understand that I wee a fellow pri•