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Western Gazette Friday 31 Dec 1880
Page 6 Column 4 and 5
ILMINSTER
COUNTY PETTY SESSIONS.
WEDNESDAY, - Before Mr. W. SPEKE (in the chair) and Mr. J. W. SHEPHERD.
THE DOG LICENSE. - Henry John YANDLE, of Martock, was summoned by Mr. POWLESLAND, Supervisor of Excise, for having a dog in his possession without a license, on the 27th Nov. The defendant said he had made a present of the dog, six weeks previously, to Mr. John POTTINGER, of Kingsbury, and the latter had neglected to take out the license. As Mr. POWLESLAND did not wish to press the case, defendant was ordered to pay the costs, 6s, and to take out a license at once.
PUBLIC HEALTH ACT. - Mrs. BAKER, farmer, of Lower Stratton, was summoned by the Sanitary Authority of the Yeovil Union for having a house in a dilapidated state and unfit for habitation, contrary to the Public Health Act, 1875. - Mr. George LANGDON, Sanitary Inspector of the Yeovil Union, said that the house was in a very bad state, only one part being covered. The stairs were rotten. - This was corroborated by Dr. ADAMS, of Martock, who stated that one side of the house was bare, and on the other half the thatch was broken. The stairs were broken and unsafe. - Order made to pay expenses.
GAME TRESPASS. - Wm. SPARKS, labourer, of Fivehead, was summoned for being in search of conies on land belonging to Mr. PEREN, at Curry Rivel. - Mr. PAULL appeared to prosecute. - George SANDFORD, a labourer, said he was on a piece of land in the parish of Curry Rivel, on the 14th Nov. He saw the defendant there in Nursery Ground, digging out a rabbit's hole. Witness coughed and defendant looked up, jumped over the hedge, and ran away, taking a ferret bag with him. - Defendant had no defence; and a previous conviction being proved against him, he was fined £1 and 9s 6d costs, or 14 days' imprisonment.
VIOLENT ASSAULT ON A POLICEMAN. - Harwood DABBINETT, Francis FOX, William DADE, and John TOLEMAN, young men, of Barrington, were summoned for assaulting P.C. LYE while in the execution of his duty. - Mr. PAULL appeared for the prosecution. - P.C. LYE, stationed at Westport, said that about a quarter-past ten on the evening of the 6th December he heard the report of a gun. He went to the spot whence the sound came, and saw about 50 or 60 persons assembled in the road, playing music and dancing. Witness asked who fired the gun, but could get no satisfactory answer. He went into the inn and saw the landlord, who said that FOX had fired the gun. Another man also said that it was FOX. Witness then went towards the cross roads leading to Ile Brewers, when a gun was fired off close to his head. He turned on his light and saw FOX and DABBINETT in the road. He then looked a little further on, and saw TOLEMAN in a stooping position over a heap of stones. He turned his lamp on another place, and saw DADE under the hedge opposite the Temperance Hotel. He then looked towards the place where he first saw DABBINETT, and found that he had gone towards a heap of stones. DABBINETT then threw a stone, which struck the policeman on the hand; another stone hit his lantern, knocking it down. The defendants kicked the lamp about the road. DABBINETT then took hold of the constable, and called the others to his aid, saying, “Let us kill the -----.” Witness drew his staff and hit DABBINETT. All the defendants then ran to the heap of stones and pelted witness for about 10 minutes. Witness called for help, and a man named BROWNEY came with a light. HARWOOD and DADE then ran away, but the other two defendants remained. FOX then took a fowling-piece off the hedge. Witness asked him for his gun license, and he said he had one. - William BROWNEY, of Westport, said he saw P.C. LYE on the evening in question. Being club-night at Westport, there was a crowd of men about the place. He heard from the mob that they were going to do for the constable. Soon after, he heard a cry of “Murder.” He went down the road with a light, and saw P.C. LYE in a bad state, looking as if he had been served roughly. He picked up the policeman's lantern. - The Chairman said it was a most cowardly and violent assault; but as this was the first time the defendants had been brought up, they would be let off with a light fine. - DABBINETT was fined 50s and 7s 6d costs; FOX and TOLEMAN, 40s and 7s 6d each; and DADE, 20s and 7s 6d costs.
DRUNK AND DISORDERLY, - James MALE and George GENTLE, labourers, of Barrington, were summoned for being drunk and disorderly at the Royal Oak Inn, Barrington. - P.C. RICHARDS said that on the 23rd of November he was passing the inn, when he heard a disturbance in the kitchen. He saw GENTLE come out of the house very drunk and making use of bad language. He went into the kitchen and found MALE very drunk and abusive. - MALE, who had been previously convicted, was fined 10s, and 5s costs; and GENTLE 5s, and 5s costs.
MALICIOUS DAMAGE. - Eli MARKS, William VILE, and Fredk. MARTIN, boys, of South Petherton, were summoned for damaging a fence, to the value of 1s. - Mr. Robert TUCKER, the prosecutor, said boys were continually breaking down the fence of his orchard, causing him great annoyance. He had written and spoken to the boys continually, but it was of no use. - Defendants were fined 6d. and 3s 2d costs, each.
DRUNKENESS. - Philip LAWRENCE, labourer, of Seavington St. Mary, for being drunk, was fined 2s 6d and 5s costs.- John COLLINS, labourer, of South Petherton, for being drunk, was fined £1, including costs, or 14 days' imprisonment.- Benjamin GREENHAM, labourer, of South Petherton, also for being drunk in the Compton-road, was fined 5s, including costs.