The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-10-27 00:00:00

DUCK STILALING AT PORDINOPON.

Robert Cabie:E, s;;;.i Lester, 33, Jam; White, 39, all
labourer* of Forilington, were charged with stealing two
ducks, the property of the Misses Legg.
White pleaded guilty, and to a former conviction. Ile
hoped the court would be lenient- it should be his last
time. Le.ter also pleaded guilty; Cable said not guilty.
Mr. Collins prosecuted.
On the evening of Blth September the three prisoners
and a man named Sargent, of Ilerringstone, met at the
Royal Oak, previous to going for the night to a shepherd's
hot on Fonlington field, about 3/9 yards from Datnern
Barn, near which they were employed well-sinking. On
the way to the hut Cable and White when near Denier's
Barn both said "the) would have some fowls or some-
thing." Sargent went on. The other three went into the
batten. Shortly after Whito brought out a duck, Lester
a second, and Cable carried a ran of water. The heads of
the ducks were cut off, Cable lit a lire, the ducks were
rooked and eaten by them all, the feathers and bones
burnt, and the saucepan buried. Afterwards feathers
were found by the police in White's pocket., and indica-
tions of the preparation of the feast about the hut. When
In custody on gaol Oct., Cable said to P.C. Miller I'll tell
you the rcrhts of it-1 went into the buten at Denier's
Baru for a can of water, and when I got to the works with
it I I.IIM two duets "flittering" on the ground with their
heads off. I asked the others where they had got them,
and Was answered "They bad ;wigged them down below."
I said if you don't watch it you II get " priy,ged." We
cooked the ducks and ate them.

In stating the case Mr. Collins pointed out that Cable by
his own confession was equally guilty with the others, as
he ate with them the ducks he knew to have been stolen,
and was liable under the count for receiving.
Supt. Batty said after the magisterial inquiry, Cable
said to Sargent—' Thus ought to be here too : thee was
as bad as the rest of us: thus helped eat the ducks, as
well as we." Lester said to Cable " And thees wanted to
creep out of it telling thy lies ; thee was the worst
of the lot of us: thees took the ducks." White said "Yes.
and handed them to us." Cable said "'Twas but two
ducks we took, though Spicer said they lost four."
Cable handed in a written defence, which the learned
magistrate read. He said they were going on the road,
and went into the yard for some water. White and
Lester turned into the road, and he did not know where
they went. When he got to the works he saw two ducks
on the ground, and learnt they had prigged them. But he
had nothing to do with it, and could not help them
bringing them where he was at work,
The learned magistrate said the question was whether
Cable, either by himself, or in company with others, stole
the ducks, in which case he wu guilty of stealing, or
whether he made use of them after, as he said himself,
when he would be guilty as receiver, as the counsel for
the prosecution stated.
The prisoner was found guilty of stealing, one of the
jurymen saying they thought them all equally guilty of
the offence. Cable admitted a previous conviction in
January, Kt
The Chairman said in the case of Cable the court had
considerable doubt whether they ought not to send him
for seven years penal servitude, for he had only just come
out of prison, but they would give him one more chance,
therefore his sentence was twelve months' hard labour.
White had been convicted before, but considering the
length of time that had elapsed since, led them to treat
him leniently, and the sentence wan ail' months' hard
labour. If they came &mini they would certainly get
seven years' penal servitude. After their imprisonment
Cable would be subject to three years' police supervision,
and White to one year's. Lester did not seem to have
been previously convicted, and his sentence was two
months' hard labour.

p1.11F4.A.19, AT. H.AIIPRILSTON.

Maria Hart, ii-b-riaiiye;•iiiii;il7-ei."Was chargod with
breaking into the house of George Stout, at Stape-hill,
Hauipreston, and stealing a pair of boots and a slop. Mr.
Bankes pro:ss,:uted.

It seemed that the prosecutor, who described himself as
a "widow man," residing alone, and getting a living by
working in gentlemen's gardens, about 5.30 a.m. on July
6th, locked up his boon, and went to work. A mile from
home he met prisoner going in the direction of his house.
Returning about 6 pin. he found hid boxes has been ran-
sacked, and hi Sunday hoots and a slop gone. An entrance
had apparently been effected by • window at the back, by
turning back the lead around one of the panes, removing
the glad,' (which was found carefully placed on the ground
unbroken), and opening the cadement. The boots were
rather too large for Stout, and he put in each of them •
sock made from a bit of old hat and at the toe a bit of red
flannel. The slop had a patch on the right side. Infor-
mation was given of the robbery, and P.C. Adams appre-
hended prisoner on his discharge from Dorchester gaol.
Asked him if the boots he had on and the slop were
his own, and he said yes—his cousin Habgood, of
Wimbonia, made the boot& Told him he wanted some
boots stolen (coin George Stout which had some red
flannel in the toes, took the boots off and found the
flannel described. The slop was patched as the
prosecutor stated. Charged him with the burglary, when
he said he bought the boots for ba from a tramp at Bourne-
mouth.
The prisoner was found guilty, and sentenced to six
months hard labour.

(Before Mr. H. WILLIAMS).
THEFT AT ITISTMOUTH.
Charles Medway, 47, plasterer, was charged with steeling
at Me'combo Regis, July f two brushes, the property of
Mr. James Russell, ironmonger.
Mr. Graves prosecuted.
It teemed that Supt. N'ickery heard of two distemper
brushes being offered by a child of prisoner's to a pawn-
broker in pledge and refused ; and he sent P.S. Harvey
to the house, who received them from prisoner's wife,
although at first she said they had had them for six
months. Mr. Russell identified the brushes by his private
marks on thetu—they were marked wrong and then
, re-marked: and he amid they hail only been in stock four
or five "reeks. And were not commonly sold. They were
worth Si. 6.1. each. Neither prosecutor nor his assistant
hail any recollection of selling them. The brushes were
hung inside, about one step from the street. Prisoner
occasionally went to the shop for henzoline. Supt.
Vickery mail Medway told him he tonight the brushes of
a brush hawker named Wilson, for 7e. Prisoner's state-
ment was to the same etTect.
In answer to the court Supt. Vickery sail he did not
know any hrU•il hawker namyil Wilson. Hail such is man
been round, his license in all probability have been signed
by hinsgelf.
Pri-oner said he met the man of whom he bought the
brushes at Preston on his way home from Ringstead ; he
asked Is. 111. for one, or Se, for the two, lie said he had
only 7s, shout hint and the man said he should not sell
them for that But the man came after him 3)yards, and
let him have them for 75., but he was to pay the other
shilling when he saw him again.
The pm found prisoner "guilty of unlawful possession,"
but the s..nalrman told them that would not do, and they
nmu'idered again, after which they found him guilty as •
recTi vet.