NEWTON: PETTY SESSIONS: Tuesday: Before C. J. Wade, Esq. Admiral Wise, B. Vicary, J. Divett, and G. B. Ellacombe, Esquires: Annual Licensing Day: Being the first under the new law, an unusual amount of business had to be transacted. Among the local applicants for licences were Mr. John Ball Pinsent, who applied for a licence for a wine and spirit store in Queen-street. The applicant had fitted, at great expense, a most elaborate shop for the sale of wines and spirit, and of course made sure of getting a license. He was opposed however, by Mr. Creed on behalf of Mr. Magor, of the Commercial Hotel, nearly opposite and it was refused. He intends to appeal to Quarter Sessions … … … … Stealing Oats: Samuel Wills and Eliezer Phillips were summoned for stealing seven pints of oats, the property Mr. John Ball on the morning of the 8th August. The defendant Wills died on Sunday last of delirium tremens. The defendant Phillips, for whom Mr. Creed appeared, is of a respectable family, a shoemaker by trade, and hitherto of good character. P.C. Squires said was on duty morning of the 8th August, in Mill-lane, about half-past five, and saw Phillips turn the corner by Mr. Stockman’s mill and go as far as the brewery, and then return to the stables. After waiting a couple of minutes, Wills came down from his house opposite. They followed each other into the stable, and Phillips shortly after returned with something under his coat and went up the lane. Witness went around the other way and met him on Bank-street. Asked him what he had under his coat, to which he made no answer. Witness then asked him to let him see, and that he promised to do, if he would go to his house. Witness declined and attempted to take the parcel from him but was resisted for a time. He ultimately succeeded and found it to contain 7 pints of oats and crushed beans, which he now produced. He charged him with stealing the oats, to which he made answer that he found them in the lane. He then took him to Mr. Pinsent’s. He afterwards said, “Don’t say anything about it, for I shall be transported.” The witness produced a sample of oats and beans taken from Mr. Pinsent’s stables, and they resembled those in prisoner ‘s possession. In cross-examination by Mr. Creed, the witness said when he first saw the defendant he was coming from the direction of his house, when he turned the corner. Witness returned and hid himself inside the door leading to Abbotsbury, where he could command the lane but could not see the stable door, he could not see the defendant enter the doorway; that did so was all conjecture – Wills was discharged by Mr. Pinsent, but reinstated before his death. He saw the two apparently in conversation before they entered the stable, Wills did not return from the stable with Phillips. John Munford, in Mr. Pinsent’s employ, said he was in the malt loft on the morning in question and looking out of the window saw Phillips come up the lane, and saw Wills and Phillip enter the stable together, saw the latter leave the stable alone and go up the lane. Mr. Pinsent said the deceased Wills was in his employ previous to this unfortunate affair and had charge of two horses, the oats were given out to him and the others on Saturdays, he never gave him leave to dispose of any of them. In consequence of the depressed state in which Wills got, he employed him again about ten days after his discharge under a promise that he would not offend again. Mr. Creed made an ingenious defence; but the Bench thought the evidence too conclusive to dismiss it altogether. In consideration, however, of the prisoner’s age and position, they would not commit him to prison but would order him to be locked up until ten o’clock and then discharged.
Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive.
Referenced
GRO0518 Devonport: John Ball Pinsent: 1819 – 1901