The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-12-11 00:00:00

EU ittsbirt.

SALISBURY.
Ma. 'sworn', of Salisbury, was • delegate at the
Reform Demonatration in London on the 3rd.

TROWBRIDGE

EXTRAORDINARY GAIL CARL-At Ur Trow-
bridge Petty Sespions, on Thar**, before J. P.
Stanoomb and Thomas Clark, E'qr..,e pig dealer,
of North Bradley, named John Eyre., was summoned
for being in unlawful ponarthe of a cock pheasant.
The defendant (who was represented by Mr. Hoary
Shrapaell, of Bradford) was driving some pigs to
market on the turnpike road between bteeple Ashton
and Trowbridge. He beds small reticule beast on
his ann. Superintendent Harris, of Trowbridge,
and a ourisiable were coining along the road at this
time. This was about seven o'clock in the morninr.
Byres placid the basket down near • gate while he
got over for • purpose, when the Superintendent
opened the basket, and underneath • cloth he found
a cock pheasant, as he expressed himself, "comforta-
bly" warm. It was quits dead, and had apperenUy
been shot. lie took posserion of the basket and
its contents, and demanded Eyre' license. He said
he had no license, and was carrying the bird to
Trowbridge, to sell it to Mr. Gale, the dealer in
game, for Mr. Thomas Webb, a farmer of Yarn.
brook. The raperiateadent told him plainly that be
did not believe him, and although Eyre said he
"should bear further of it" for taking his basket the
superintendent went off. The same evening Mr.
Thomas Webb went to the polies-station and
demanded his property, but the superintendent told
him he did not believe it was his, and if he did not
soon go he would put him out. —This was the super-
intendent's statement. A wither named Elms, •
porter on the line at Yarnbrook, was called, and
said at six o'clock in the morning in question (the
same day the superintendent took the basket) he saw
Ayers near the line with his little boy. Saw nothing
in his hand, but thought he had • stick
under his arm. It was not • gun. The wood,
where he had sometimes seen pheasants, was on
the other side of the line, some distance off.
Heard no gun fired. gyres and he had gelds at that
spot, near each other, and wither was going to find
his caws, and Byers his horse. Wished each other
good morning, and passed on. This was the pro-
secution. Mr. Sharpnell called Mr. T. Webb,
farmer, who also liven near these parties, and he said
he had no doubt the bird in question was his pro-
perty. He had • right to shoot there, and bad a day
or two previous to this given Byer' two phsenthts be
sell for him. Mr. Sharpnell oontsnded that ho ors
had been made out. The Ad of Parlament was •
penal Act, and must be construed literally. The
potty*, unless they had tangible 01‘11/0 for suspicion,
bad no right whatever to take a basket from a man
upon the highway; be most prove clearly, according
to the strict letter of the Act, an unlawful possission.
The words of the Act which empowered the police
to act were "for unlawfully going on land in search
or pursuit of game." This man wee on the highway
in pursuit of his lawful calling, and there was not •
tittle of evidence to connect him in any way with
the class of offence the words of the Aot of Parlia-
ment were designed to meth The Bench thought
differently, and fined Byers £4 and costa, 16e., or,
in default, oae month's hard labour. Mr. Shrapnell
gave notice of appeal against thiadersion at the next
quarter session. Some of the Bench have the right
of shooting over the land in question.