Cullompton: Petty Sessions: Monday: Before C. R. Collins, Esq., (Chairman), Rev. J. P. Sydenham, J. C. New, Esq., and G. M. Marker, Esq. … Sarah Gibbons, of Hemyock, was summoned for stealing a shawl, the property of Elizabeth Snow. The prosecutrix said that on the 2nd March she left a shawl in the waiting room at the Burlescombe Station. From information received her husband went to the prisoner’s hose where he saw the prisoner’s daughter, who gave up half the missing shawl, which had been cut in two, and said her mother had taken it by mistake for one she had left there on the day in question. This was corroborated by Francis Snow, the prosecutrix’s husband. William Pynsent a porter at the Burlescombe Station, said that he saw the prisoner take the shawl from the waiting room on the morning of the 2nd instant. He did not know at the time but what it belonged to her. P.C. Froude said that on going to the prisoner’s house, after some altercation, part of the shawl was given up to him, the other half, which was sent away, had since been found. The prisoner in defence said that she went to the Station to fetch her daughter’s luggage who had that morning come by train. Not knowing exactly what luggage she had she took the shawl by mistake and not with any felonious intention. The Bench considered that the prisoner if she did not know the shawl belonged to her daughter at the time, she took it must have found out the mistake when she got home and were of opinion that she had acted very dishonestly. She was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment with hard labour.
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