Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1860-05-30 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

BRIDGEND PETTY SESSIONS.  SATURDAY, MAT 26.—Before the Rev. C. R. Knight, Richard Franklen Esq., and A. 0. Lord, Esq.  WILFUL Droseoe.—,Telre Williams, a young lad, was charged by Mr. Benjamin Daniels, mineral agent at Bryndu Colliery, with doing wilful damage to certain trams, amounting to £4O, by wantonly letting them run down an incline of which he had the management.—The prosecutor proved that the lad was engaged attending trams on an incline, and that by some unaccountable means, they occasionally became detached, and, running down the incline, got damaged. It was, he said, impossible for anybody else but the boy to have detached the trams, and when he (the boy) was removed, the accidents ceased.—John Jenkins and, George Rees were examined as witnesses in corroboration of the statements of the prosecutor, the latter proving that he saw the defendant detach the trams by putting a "scotch" of wood between the guides of the trams, and that he saw him do it more than once, and also, that the defendant told him he was not to tell anybody that he did it, because he wanted a rest, and that he used to laugh when he saw the trams crash together. Defendant also told him that if he told anybody he would dash his brains out with a lamp.— Their Worships considered the charge proven, and ordered the lad to be imprisoned for one month, with hard labour, remarking on the impropriety of colliery proprietors employing boys of such tender age as that of the defendant, he being only thirteen years of age. James Hinkley, a roller, of Taibach, a young man, respectably attired, was charged with inciting in the administration of certain drugs to Mary Canton, a young girl, fifteen years of age, with the view of procuring abortion.—Mr. Tripp, of Swansea, defended the prisoner : and the Clerk, in reading over the charge, said it might be that the prisoner would be proven to have been guilty of murder.—Defendant is a married man, with a family of four children, and lives at Scutari, Taibach, working at the copper mill belonging to Mr. Vivian, the complainant having been employed by him (the prisoner) at his house.—The case occupied the Court till half-past seven o'clock in the evening, the examination extending over nearly five hours. Eight or ten witnesses were examined, in Welsh, the details of whose evidence is unfit for publication.—The evidence, however, may be summarized as follows : The complainant was employed at the house of the prisoner as charwoman: improper familiaritier were alleged to have taken place between them: the natural results followed : and the prisoner was alleged to have incited the defendant to take laudanum, with the view of obviating the results of his improper conduct. It was with this offence that he was charged. The evidence of the medical man, (Mr. Williams, assistant to Mr. Prichard, of Taibach) went to prove that there was considerable doubt whether the Mae really existed to obviate which the drug was said to have been administered. There being this doubt, and not being sufficient negative proof on the other side, their Worships dismisthe case, and the prisoner was discharged from custody.