The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-10-25 00:00:00

SERIOUS AFFRAY AT CRANDORNE.

James Jetedee, 111111iS Roper, 21, (Jeans( Zeleder, alias
Roper, 30, George Kerleo, 26, and George Lot-Liam, 17,
labourers, were indicted for assaulting and wounding
Alfred Mayor; am! • second count charged them with
sasaulting and woundin James Abbott and George
Richard Dibley Butt, oonstables, in the execution of their
duty, at Cranborne, oil the 2)th of July. There was
also another count charging them with &common assault.
Mr. Woodford Ffooks appeared for the prosecution, and
Mr. Saunders for the prisoners. Evidence having been
heard at much length,
The learned Chairman carefully summed up and lu-
cidly CollllllCllted on the whole evidence. He observed
that when a party engaged a private room at • pubic
house, no stranger had a right to intrude, and if any
disturbance occurred it was quite right to call in the
constables, for the landlord or landlady was liable to •
penalty if the house were conducted in a disorderly
manner. It was also explain.' that Mayor, having
been called upon to assist in the queen's name, was
virtually a peace officer at the time, and therefore the
jury might find that the assault upon him, as well as
upon the other prosecutors, was in the execution of his
duty. It was highly important that officers should be
supported in the proper discharge of their duty, and
that the public law of the land should be upheld.
The whole of the prisoners were found guilty, and Mr.
Lowe, tea-dealer, ko., of Ringwood, was called to give
Kerley a good character. stating that be had known
him for the last twelve years. George Zebedee was
sentenced to twelve months' hard labour, and to find
sureties to keep the peace for a year afterwards, himself
in £lO, and two others in £5 each or one in £lO. James
Zebedee and George Luckhani were each sentenced to
nine months' hard labour, and George Kerley to six
months.

SWORD COURT, Tnenso•V.—(Before C. Porcher, Esq.)
Roberi Larry, omnibus driver, was indicted for steal.
ing • quantity of corn, the property of his master, Mr.
Manley, of the King's grins Hotel, Dorchester. Mr.
Templer oonducted the prosecution and Mr. Woodford.
Ff.mks defended the prisoner.
William Manley, landlord of the King's Arms Hotel,
said the prisoner was employed by him to drive an omni-
bus and take charge of the heroes. There was a bin in

the stable where themes was kept for his horses. When
witness gave orders for an extra job, and the men
wanted more corn they had extra feeds from another
bin, not their own, it being given by the ostler. Mr.
Goodden ordered a 'bus to fetch a party from Upwey,
and wished to have the same as they had the week be-
fore. On the 17th witness told prisoner that the 'bus
would be wanted to fetch a family from Upwey to
Dorchester next morning. He did not say the prisoner
was to drive it, and if the post boys had been at home
he would not have been required to do so.
P.C. John Cosens fasted that about nine o'clock on
the night of the 17th inA. he was in Mr. Manley's loft.
He had been there for five nights. Ile saw the prisoner
go into the stables with his horses and come out again in
about half-an-hour when he had a bag of corn with him.
Witness followed him down the street, charged him with
stealing the corn, and took him into custody. When at
the station, prisoner said " What do you think I was
going to do with that corn r Witness said, "1 don't
know." Prisoner replied, "I was going to put it into
the boot of the 'bus, for I have to go to Upwey to-mor-
row."
James Richard Orchard, clerk to Mr. Manley, said he
was with the policeman in the loft on the 17th. He was
in the habit of delivering corn to the men. On the 17th
he delivered a bushel of white oats to the prisoner. Pro-
duced a sample of the oats. [The bag of oats and chaff
the officer took from prisoner was produced.] The men
mixed the corn with the chaff at the time it was given
them. The corn in the bag produced by the policeman
was the same kind as witness deliveied out. The pri-
soner had a horse which he kept at the Three Mariners
Inn. In cross-examination witness said they were the
same kind of oats as were given to the other men. The
prisoner went last week with the 'bus to Abbotsbury and
to Upwey. Be-examined: Witness delivered four pecks
to the prisoner, and he took quite another peck himself.
By the Court: He was talking to another man when
prisoner took the other peck, and did notice him. By
Mr. Ffooks : Did not say anything to the prisoner about

Robert Smith, landlord of the Three Mariners Inn,
said the prisoner had a horse which he kept at the Ma-
riners, which was situated in the same street, below the
King's Anne.
The prisoner's statement, when before the magistrates
was put in, to the effect that when at Alhotabory last
week he had forgotten to take his coni, and he took
that iii question to put in the boot of the 'bus fearing
lie might forget to take it in the morning to go to Up-
wey.
Mr. flocks then addressed the jury for the prisoner,
contending that although it hail not been said the pri-
soner was to go to Upwey next morning, yet he had rea-
sonable grounds for supposing that he would, and be
asked if it was unlikely that, having forgot the corn on
going to Abbotabun, he should take a feed out of the
bin where the corn was kept to supply his horses, so as
to put it in the boot and not forget it on going to Up-
wey.
The jury returned a verdict of guilty, and he was sen-
tenced to 6 months' hard labour.

.......
Cutheriqe Coombs, 22, servant, was indicted for steal.
ing a number of postage stamps, the property of George
Denziloe, her master, at Bridport, was found guilty with
a recommendation to mercy, and was sentenced to two
months' hard labour. There was another charge against
the prisoner for stealing a variety of articles, the pro-
perty of Messrs. Densiloe and Co., but it was not pro-
ceeded with.
This terminated the business of the sessions.