District News: Cullompton: The Cullompton petty session was held on Monday before J.C. New and C. R. Collins, Esquires, when Thomas Bennett and Henry Pring, of Silverton, dairymen, were charged with trespassing in search of rabbits: Henry Hutchings, a lad in the employ of Mr. Hodge Dorrick of Silverton, deposed to seeing the accused with three dogs coursing a rabbit in the road, which ran into his master’s field followed by the dogs. The defendants entered the field and the witness saw them beating the hedge; subsequently saw Henry Pring with a rabbit he said he had caught. Defendants did not deny the charge, and were fined 2s 6d each, with expenses. James Anning, of Culmstock, labourer was charged with stealing a bag of barley meal and bran, value 1s 2d, from Martin Troake, labourer. Sarah Troake, wife of the complainant, said on returning from her work on the 27th December, she went to Culmstock village and purchased half a peck of barley meal and a peck of fine bran, which was put into a bag. She went to the Three Tuns to look for her husband and put the bag on the table in the kitchen. Accused and many others were there. Went to the bar to look for her husband and on returning to the kitchen found the bag gone and gave information to the police. P.C. Pinsent went to the prisoner’s house, and asked for a bag he brought home the grist in, when the wife said he borrowed it, and ought to have returned it long ago. The defence was that the accused picked up the bag outside the house, and not knowing whose it was, kept the contents. Case dismissed.
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