The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-10-14 00:00:00

LAW AND CRIME.

LORD BETTER AND THE Ng* POACHING ACT.—At
the Shirehall, Nottingham, Lord Helper, in deliver-
ing judginent in a case under the new Poaching Act
said the defendant had been proved to be on a foot-
path with nets for taking game in his possession. The
magistrates had considered the wording of the new Act,
and they found that it was impossible to make any con-
viction unless lt could be proved that the nets had been
used for the taking of gauss. This had not been done,
and the bench had no alternative bat to discharge the
accused and restore the nets to him. Mr. Robert
Snellie, surgeon, of Ruddington, Nottsi Wet also
charged before Lord Belpery the sitting magistrate,
with poaching on land over which General Sir Arthur
Clifton has the right of shooting. It appeared that on
the 3d. inst. the defendant was driving through the
above-named preserves in his gig, and occasionally the
vehicle was stopped, and he shot several birds and a
hare. He was observed to get out of the gig to go and
fetch the game, and afterwards return. The bench
convicted him and ordered him to pay a fine of 40s.
THE KIRKHAM ItloT.—Patrick Cain, who, by WS own
confession, committed an amtult .upon Hehry Raw-
cliff, landlord Of the Swan Ten, Kirkham, which re-
sulted to the death or the latter, has been committed
for trial at the Liverpool Assizes on a charge of man-
slaughter. The statement of the accused is that he was
in Poulton-street on the night of the occurrence, and
saw a crowd; that he went into a house belonging to a
Jemmy Cain, saw a poker, and took it ; that lie I
followed the crowd, and afterwards tried beak and
walked down the street; that On getting near Raw-
diffe's house he saw the place was closed, and that he
threw the poker through the club-room window, not
knowing that he had hit anyone. He did not intend
to hurt anybody. He had had some drink, and did not
know what he was doing. The medical evidence
showed that death resulted from apoplexy, catised by
the extravasation, whiph, in it turn, was teased by
the wound inflicted by the poker.
Nam LAW.—The Berners-Leighton Game !Bill is
sadly marring the autumnal pleasures of some of its
promoters. The tenant farmers obstinately refuse to
believe that it is beneficial to them to have to pay for
the preservation of "the squire's game," and they do
not hesitate to demonstrate their disbelief whenever
they have the opportunity, At the North Walsham
Agricultural Society's Meeting od Wednesdayl Mr. E.
Howes, M.P., *all heartily hissed by the Norfolk
farmers Ito (Omitting himself a supporter of the measure
end one tenant farmer, Mr.lo. Read, fairly knocked
all speech out of the honourable gentleman by his
audacious remarks against the bill Meanwhile we
almost daily publish reports of cases which show the
folly of the measure which country M.P.s shouted
I through the House at the fag end of the Seaside. One
of the latest comes from Noiwith, in Cheshire. The
police arrested tt man named Walker for having several
rabbits and a hare in his possession. They failed to
show that he had obtained them unlawfully, and he
was acquitted. The police, certain of a conviction, had
sold the rabbits, and they hadto refundithe proceeds.