Alston Herald, and East Cumberland Advertiser. — 1880-08-07 (Alston, Cumbria, England)

POLIO AFFAIRS  , S LOVE COURT.  Police-constable George, of Edniondbyers, perhaps got more than he bargained for when, on Friday, in the Stanhope Police Court, he charged John Carr, of Edmondbyers, farmer, with having suffered four cows to depasture on the highway, where, said the officer, the defendant was found smoking on a heap of stones, whilst his cattle were grazing for half-an-hour, notwithstiusling previous cautious hist year.—Cross. examined by Dr Carr barrister, for defendant, the constable said he had been stationed at Edmoudbyers two or three years. "And now," said the doctor, "we come to a more pleasant matter—the tender subject of love !" (Laughter.) Did you not (addressing the policeman) court Barbara Barren, cousin to Jane Barron, who was recently charged in this court with murder?— 'the policeman (appealing to the Bench) : I object to that,—Dr Cure: Wasn't a near relative of defendant a witness against Jane Barron? The officer, showing signs of exasperation, declared point blank that neither would he answer that question. Ile did'nt think that had anything to do with this case.—Dr Carr: But it is very important, sir.—Mr Rippon (magistrate) mid they could not enter into it matter relating to what might be the tenth part of a coimin.—Dr Carr then mentioned that there were a number of wapiti Edmondbyers' and he asked the policeman if the following placard was not posted about the village :—" Five Pounds Reward. —Stolen, strayed, or conveyed away, the police officer —the man in blue. It is suspected he is in *one of the apartments of Barbara Barron. Whoever will give such information as will lead to the discovery of this stolen property will receive the above reward.' Dr CIIIT : Did you not blame him for putting those bills up ?—Policeman. (excitedly) : No.—Dr Carr argued that a policeman, , like Cremes wife, should be above suspicion, and that sometimes a man's judgment was seriously warped by personal feelings. The policeman was annoyed at these placards, and, though he had been three years in the place, the defendant had never been summoned before. Defendant's cows had been driven to writer daily along the road for a period of twenty-five years, and in an outlandish place like Edmondbyer3 no harm could possibly come.—Joseph Clarke, Joseph Atkinson, and Mary Swinburne, the postmistrese of Edmondbyers (the latter a very reluctant witness), were called for defendant. "Of course," said the lady, "the policeman,was not pleased."—Dr Cnrr : Did he blame any one ?—Miss Swinburue :• He said John Carr put them up.—The officer having questioned the lady, the barrister said to him, "Did yoq not change your love? Are you not rather a general lover, and did you not lace, as another love, the postmistress of Edmoudbyers ?"—The policeman indignantly repudiated the insinuation, the latter then asking Miss Swinbiume, "Had you not a warm side for the policeman? You know that the quarrelling of lovers is the renewal of love." (Laughter.) ' —No answer.—Dr Carr Did not a near relative of defendant give evidence against Jane Barron, the cousin of your lover's late love ?—Again embarrassing silence.— Did you not," asked the doctor, "tell your love, the policeman, that you suspected Mr Carr of being the author of the obnoxious bill ?"—Like the policeman, Miss Swinburne resented this species of inquisition, and Mr Rippon said there had been a breach of the law, but it was so trifling that the Bench would not regard it as a ease which the law contemplated as an offence, and the charge Would be dismissed.