The Potteries Examiner : — 1871-11-11 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

STEALINO.—Istite Ward, eollier, was charge.) with stealing seven fowls, the property of Samuel Johnsen, butcher, Silverdale. Mr. Aekrill appeared for the prisoner. The fowls were stolen from Mr. Johnson's fowl house on Satimday evening, and the prisoner, after going into a public-house next door svith a fowl and asking if mayo..° had lost it, went into the etreet an I sold it toss Mrs. Gough, for Is. I. The prisoner's sister bed been to the proirentor and begged hen to compromise the theft. and the prisoner gave himself up to the police, and admitted the theft. The defence was that the fowl was taken in a half drunken freak. The prisoner was remanded. None of the other fowls stolen have been traced. A Morraien.—Wllliam Eicher lson awl charged with being drunk and disorderly. While drunk, the defendant went into the Temperance hotel, in Newcastle street, seat demanded drink, threatening to pall down the sign if he was not supplied. The defendant pleaded drunkenness and a belief that the Temperance hotel was a beerhouse. He was fined 55. and cost. Tan HIGHWAY BOBBER, Patrick Smith was brought up on remand on the charge of assaulting William Sumner, and robbing him of .9100, on the Pith of October, 1868. Mr. Ackrill defended. The depositions of the previous witnesses having been read over, James Wych, of Dudley, was called. He said, in October. 1868, he lived at Newcastle, and kept a jewellry stall in Tunstall market. On the day in question he was on his way to Tunstall, when be saw the prisoner standing with a horse and trap opposite the Plough Inn, Wolstanton. Another man mime out of the Plough, and presently a third man passed him on the raid. Then the trap came on at a walking pace, driven by the prisoner, and the second man walked by in front, when the two walkers got to the turning at the turnpike, they ran, and a few minutes after witness heard a cry of murder. Witness hurried on and came up to Sumner, as he was rising from the ground. He sidd he had been robbed. The three men were then striving off in the trap. Witness, and Sumner, and another man went in pursuit, crossing the fields to the turnpike road. 'they found the men had driven past rapidly, and presently they came in sight of the trap, but one of the men was gone. Witness sent Sumner on after the trap, while he searehed for the missing man, who he expected had disappeared with the money. Ile could not find him, and went on towards Newcastle, passing the trap, which had been abandoned, having lost the tire of a wheel. He went on to a pnblic-house a little further, and learnt that three men had been there and had left the horse he had seen in the trap. He spoke positivelyof the prisoner as one of the three men. Cross examined. The prisoner and another man changed clothes in the trap while crossing a field. Mr. Henderson, cashier at the Newcastle hank, in October, 1869, spoke to the dispatch of the money, and Superintendent Longdon repeated his evidence acts the arrest of the prisoner. Mn'. Acknill submitted that the proof of his identity was too weak to warrant a commital, and said the prisoner NOVI hundreds of miles away on that day, and hod never been in the Potteries before being brought as a prisoner. Mr. Balguy said this was a case fern jury, and the prisoner was committed for trial at the next Assixes. .