The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-07-04 00:00:00

FIRST COURT.

TIII7IBDAY.
Befori J. Floyer, Eq., ILP , Colonel Bingham, and G.
W. Foyer. Esq.

STIALINO • WATCH AT PORTLAND.
Alfred Harcourt, 20, coal merchant (on bell), was
charged with stealing a silver watch a gold chain, and
two lockets, value LIS, tee properte of Elward John file.
of,Pornand, on the 10an of April.
Prisoner pleaded not guilty.
Mr. B. F. Lack prosecus4 and Mr. Willi defended.
The prosecutor said he was.at Portland on Bank Holiday,
on which day there hat been an excursion trout Heist*/
He mat prisoner with three friend.s at enUstown, and got
into conversation with them. Proeecu tor was scoompso (el
by • friend. They all hired a trap and drove to the eon.
getablisb meat. and from or. returned down the
hill through Fortune ...well towards the station. At the
top of the hill the driver of the trap asked hint the time,
and he took hts watch from his waistcoat pocket and told
him. Oa going down the hill they stopped at the Royal
Hotel, and there dismissed the trap. He and his
friend were lett in the trap until the last. They weal
into the Royal, and prisoner there said "Don't give the
cabman a glass of beer; he has picked up tit belonging to
you." Prosecutor turned round to speak to the calomel,
and on looking back afterward. found poisoner and one of
his friends were gone. At the sumo time he missed his
watch and chain, and told prisoners remainiag two
friends of his loss, and asked them to go to the police
station to be...marched. The watch wee not (mud ort them.
Proescutor r turned to Wermouto by next tram, and
communicated with the poleo at the railway.station.
From twenty minutes t hal an or atrr his arrival et
Weymouth he maw prieoner at t ..• at Moo, and accused
him of having the stolen prove. te to hie poeealios he
denied is. Prodecutor than gave him la' mletode, and be
was taken to the police-emtiou. The police sermant was
about to search ham, where he pulled open his coat end
said " Well, it's no use daintiest it any touter : I picked it
up at the bottom of the carriage: and he then produced
the watch and chain from his troupers' pocket.
Ormsex•nained t He met prisoner about belf.ped
twelve either Maid* or outside the Castle Inn. Elward
Lane was with him (proacutor.) He did not know which
spoke first They remised in the Castle drinking
together until • quarter to two, when they walked towards
the station, and then hired • trap and drove to the
Establishment. They had some beer at the Emig, and
shortly after returned. On their way through Fortune's
Well they were singing. He (prosecutor) was fond of
singing; ha was a situpsr. It we. a quarter to three when
betaok out his watch, and from the brow of the hill to the
Royal it was a very steep decline. He did not remember
Harcourt telling him he and his friend were going hack by
boat, but if sub wet his intention it was newer for him to
go
from the Royal than the Victoria. When he charged
prisoner with having stolen the watch the excursion train
tor Bristol had just left. Both Bhutto (Hareourt's friend)
and Harcourt denied all knowledge of the that. ..4
Harcourt might have said "I have not stolen your watch.'
Them had been no larking in the carriage.
P.S. Dtiamont gave corroborative evidence, and further
stated prisoner and Higgins told him they had mimed the
excursion f, Bristol. This was a few minutes after fiv,
and the excursion left at live. Hls evidence as to what
transpired at the police station was in confirmation of last
witness.
Sept. Gals deposed at the policeetatiou, Weymouth
prisoner denied knowing anything of the watch, surf
Higgins said he was as innocent as • new-born babe.
John Ne-klin. the cabdriver, also gave evidence.
P.S Delmont was re-called, and stated prisoner was 1
&inky, but not intoxicated. Prosecutor wee excited about:
teeing his watch.
Prosecutor, recalled by Mr. Wills, said poisoner and his
friend did not tell him they had come over by boat, and
were going back be that way. This being the ems for the
prosecution, Mr. Wills intimated he had no more witnesses
to call.
Mr. Lock then surnoned up the ease for his client
Mr. Wills called witnesses as to erisonee's charecter.
Joseph Idilm Harcourt. brother of prisoner, said he was
the manager of the Kul of Warwick's quarry, at Clonal.
neer Bristol. Proloner had always conducted himself as
an honest man; be had never been before any magistratee.
He had several teetimonisis from people to whom prisoner
was known. At Pens( ord halted been carrying on bosinlee
se cciaLtaerchaat for him (eitnees).
Samuel Burn also gave prisoner a character for being
oestinaghtforeerd, and trustworthy.
Kr. 'Wills made an able speech to the Jury for the
defence. After some prefatorrks he dwelt upon the
good character hitherto borne prisoner. There was as
old motto, thousands of years that o mm becoines
very bad all at once "aid yet in this cue they had • young
man of previous good reputation abused with hallo/nom.
milted one of the most serious crimes triable at sessions.
He pointed out that the party were drinking together at
several publichouna, and contended it was quite possible
under the circometancss that the watch and IMAM should
have fallen out of bio pocket, and argued that this might
have happened_ whilst the carriage wee galas down the
adroitted-ly bad hill loading to the Royal at
Well. From From the lone way in which pro.v.e.
chida
was attached he suggested it might have dropped out
after he had MI I the eabdriver the time. With regard to
_impey having possession of the property, Mr. Wilk
prisoner hg pedmi it up and retained it thoughtlessly
but without any fekmion• intent. He urged it was ":
tug may this young man. in a good position and of good
ammeter should have had soy Intention to steed the
watch.gmme the property at the bottom of the ONT.
id might naturally, but foolishly, heye occurredtor
that dndiags were hatpin" and he retained it, though':
Indy, but not criminally. He TIM not bound to make
enquiries as to the owner of the property. In mgemigg
the learned counsel made an **meet appeal to the jury,
having heart prisoner's previous reputation and character,
to consider long before they came to the conclueion that a
omaticen,wanithd whiitshr"out"waarnsibtlnicty and good
way to tocharsuree'rnrietted wat
WWI now charged with, and sohject himself to such
• punishment as be would be liable to if he was found
go 7.
Thilte Chairman summed uP the evidence to the jury, and,
with regard to prisoner's character, observed it was not
to In supposed that • Pima bearing a good eherecder
never did anything wrong, %ow, ith wag
preseatetlea in
his favour. lie agreed with the gesead geimelple •

down by tbm learned conned for the defence—Mat •
WPM 'Wisp property wee not obliged to seek the
owner, but if he sumo to whom it be/caged Ws was bound
to return it
The los! _returned • verdict of not guilty, sad the
foremita addrd "W. Mink Mere was no felooloos inten-
tion. Th. other rot Is • little donbtfal, and we glee him
th• benefit of it
Prisoare was then moulted.

110111110 IT LT WITIOI7TIL

Joseph Orichtes sad Robert Jame, two marinas,
pleaded not frailty to stooling • purse, two halluovareigns.
• quantity of half-crowns sad aortae, and other mcmies,
the tworeri7 of ',Ursa &slay, at Kelamb* Regis. on ths
116th ApiL
Kr. Will. proesoeted.
Krs. Sealer stakd that her husband kept the Wel.
Wigton Arms Weymoetb. On Taanday evader. Iher
15th of April, she pat ner purse on the dreaming table when
she west to bed. She sew the two prisoners in their
maim that evening. They slept in her holies. climate
, Jones elect in Lb* eitting-rooin, next to her bedroom.
Prisoner Crichton slept on the same floor in • bedroom
opposite Jaws's rosin. Oa the So w above lone sailors
from the Northumberland dept. They went to bed before
her. On getting up Bait Morning alai did not look to see
her pane wee all right Primmer Jonas came to her
about half-past wee and asked lota quart of " shandt-
gaff." three pie foot, and two loaves, tor which be paid
Mr with • twoabilliag-triece. They came down about
half-pest nine and said they should like some breakfast
J4ttss Paid for his lodging •ita a wieereign. Going
epeteire to set emerge she found her purse was gone.
gees bask Jones his sovereign, and told him it. maid
not change it Jonas said " I have no more change I
must change • sovereign to pip for it." June. and
Crichton tuned out their poccista. Joao only had a
soversisn sad a.. coppers, end Orschion • low shillings.
She had in the pares two thin WI-sovereigns, and a
quantity of silver, including one bright ball-crown.
Sergeant Harvey, of the Weymouth Polics. stated that
on the 110th of April he was went for to tie Wellington
Arms. In the kitchen he found the prisoners, whom he !
sesicoed. On Cricatoo. he found on. ball -*overman, two
norms, ono hall-crown t eelve shillings, two sixpences, !
two throspeany.pleces. lad eightpenos in cooper. On
Jones be found Ad He fel& Jones next morning said he
wished loses Kr. Vickery, and when he was taken to him
ha said witlie the Illargeset wag searching the fear sailors,
Crichton gore him • handful of silver and hall-aoveretioe
and said it would look suspicious to hare all that silver
about him. Re made the some statement afterwards in
()debtors's prmearis, sad Oneidas domed it strongly.
Benjamin& Lingwoeth, a sailor, stated that on the EA
he and three maw were siesetag at the Welliagioa
Arms. They did not brave their bedroom until shoe the
money was missed. Sergeant Harvey searched them, and
they were afterwards taboo to tee polies station and
liberated.
Alfred Seeley, the landlord of the Welllngtou Arse,
stated that he Gowned • sovereign for Jones, while hit
wife had sent for the pollee. Ha pet /A Is into his wile
perm the night before. it wee maw silver, among it
Wu a bright Victoria half-mown, sad leveret old George
sass. Atom the mosey Prodatisdi by lierseltat Hurter
were similar ones.
TIM Jury fated both primers not guilty, and they were
acoordlagly acquits/Ad.