Children of George and Mary Ann Baggs

CRUELTY AT HEADLEY.—Frederick Herbert was charged with cruelty to a horse by working it whilst in an unfit state at Headley on April 13th, and William Baggs with causing the horse to [be] so worked at said time and place.—P.C. Alfred Charles Clark, stationed at Whitehill, said: At 11.30 a.m., on April 13th, I was on duty on the highway leading from Sleaford to Lindford when I saw defendant driving a chestnut horse attached to a cart loaded with a ton of coal. The horse appeared tender on the withers. I stopped and examined it, and found a raw wound on the near shoulder, the size of a shilling; and two larger sores on the back under the pad, each about the size of half-a-crown. The lining of the pad was thickly caked with dried blood and matter. The horse kicked and plunged when the hand was placed on him. I said to Herbert "How long has the shoulder been sore?" He relied, "I did not know it was sore; the back has been like it some time." I then said to him, "ls Mr. Baggs aware of this?" Defendant replied, "My master saw the horse this morning before I started." I told him to take the horse out and unharness it.—Inspector Ward, S.P.C.A., said: In company with P.C. Englefield I visited defendant’s stables at Bentley. I saw defendant Herbert, who produced the horse for my inspection. It was in fair condition. There was an old wound on the near shoulder, and two larger wounds on the offside of the back. The withers were very tender, and the horse very humoral. The horse was unfit to be worked, and work would cause great pain. On April 19th I saw the two defendants together at the stables, Bentley, when Herbert replied, "Mr. Baggs sent me out with the horse. He knew its back was bad, but he did not tell me not to work it." Baggs said, "I have had the horse bad a week. I have had great trouble with it, but the wounds appeared to be dry when I sent him out that morning. I was very busy that day or I would not have sent him out. I will get rid of him."—The Bench discharged the driver Herbert, and fined the master, Baggs, 15s., including costs.

William Baggs, of Farnham, Surrey, who was cycling in the neighbourhood, having been on a visit to Wareham, said that as he was going up Constitution Hill at about eight o'clock on Tuesday morning he saw a man lying by the side of the road. He got off his machine and examined the body, which was warm, though life was extinct. It was evident that the man had been carrying hay, as he had a prong on his shoulder, and the hay, about ten or twelve pounds, was on his back. He had evidently fallen backwards. He at once gave information to the police at Branksome.

Mr. Percy W. Gilbert, of Portsmouth, was charged with causing coal to be carried for sale or delivery to a purchaser without providing weights and scales, at Bentley, on January 22nd.—Mr. F. V. Barber, Deputy Clerk to the Hampshire County Council, under whose byelaws the case came, appeared for the prosecution; and Mr. Edgar J. Bechervaise, solicitor, Portsmouth, defended. —Mr. Barber said that defendant was a contractor, of Portsmouth, trading as Fraser and White, who let the carting of coal to Mr. E. W. Wright, of Alton, and Mr. Wright sub-let the carting to others, among them being William Baggs, who was concerned in the present prosecution. A man named Pink was in charge of the vehicle. The new byelaws of May, 1904, made both employer and the man in charge liable.—Mr. David Bailey, Inspector of Weights and Measures, deposed that there were 10 sacks of coal in the vehicle. The weight ticket was made out for Frith End House, and the sellers' name on the ticket was Messrs. Fraser and White, Portsmouth. The man in charge was not carrying weights and scales.—By Mr. Bechervaise: There had never been any doubt in this case that Messrs. Fraser and White were responsible. Mr. Wright was a sub-contractor under defendants, and Baggs was employed by Mr. Wright.—Major Gwilliam, Army Service Corps, Bordon, said the contractors for Bordon Camp were Messrs. Fraser and White. Officers living outside were allowed to purchase coal on Government terms. Witness did not know to whom the money went in such cases.—Mr. Bechervaise said that Messrs. Fraser and White were Government contractors. They did not sublet but employed a cartage agent, Mr. Wright, who, employed Baggs. The responsibility rested between Wright and Baggs. He should put Mr. Wright in the witness box.—Edward Walton Wright deposed that he did cartage for Messrs. Fraser and White. In the case of private sales he would collect the money. He was responsible to Messrs. Fraser and White for the price of the coal, so that if an officer did not pay witness would have to. He employed Baggs and paid him. Messrs. Fraser and White did not. When coal was requisitioned witness caused it to be delivered without reference to Messrs. Fraser and White. Witness was the responsible agent to see that the coal was delivered.—By Mr. Barber: The sellers of the coal were Messrs. Fraser and White.—The Chairman said the Bench found that Messrs. Fraser and White were the sellers; but the case was surrounded with difficulties. Under the circumstances a nominal penalty of 6s. only would be imposed, with 14s. costs.

William Baggs was then charged with a like offence at the same time and place.—Mr. Bechervaise pointed out that there was an idea prevalent that Government coal could be carried without weights and scales.—The Bench being satisfied with the evidence already given, imposed only a nominal penalty of 7s. 6d., including costs. [ . . . ]

PROPERTY SALE.—Messrs. Edwin Fear and Walker, of Winchester and Newbury, notify the sale this week of Lot 2 of the Wrecclesham Estate, comprising Holt Pound Cottage, in the parishes of Binstead and Farnham, in the occupation partly of Mr. William Baggs, partly of Mr. Norman Parratt—an excellent small holding with the necessary farm buildings and 18a. 0r. 34p. of rich meadow land.

A Foolish Girl.—Anne Cleeve, of Nutley, girl of about eighteen, a domestic servant, was bought [sic] up in custody and charged with stealing on the 11th of April a half-sovereign, the property of Charles Baggs, a labourer, lodging at the Down Grange Cottages, Winchester-road. Baggs said he worked at the Down Grange, and lodged with a Mr. Smith in one of the Down Grange Cottages. Recently, Mrs. Smith had been an inmate in the Cottage Hospital, and prisoner had been engaged by Mr. Smith to look after the house. She had free access to all the bedrooms. On Saturday evening, the 7th, he had a jalf-sovereign in his coat pocket, and on Sunday, the 8th, he took it out placed it in a purse, and put it in his box and locked it in. The box was kept in his bedroom. On Monday and Tuesday evenings he had occasion to look in the purse and the half-sovereign was there, but when he looked on Wednesday evening the money was gone, though the purse was there, and the box locked all right. Elsie Pusey, a child of ten, residing with her parents next door to the Smiths, was sworn, and did not appear quite certain about the date, but one day, either the 8th or the 11th, prisoner asked her to lend her (prisoner) her mother's keys, which witness did. Prisoner said she wanted them to unlock Reggie's box (Mr. Smith's son). Prisoner returned the bunch to her, but took one key off the bunch, telling her not to say anything to her mother or anybody. Henry Smith, a shepherd, living at Down Grange Cottages, said prosecutor lodged with him. His (witness's) wife had been unwell and away at the hospital, and prisoner came to live with them to look after household matters. On Sunday afternoon, the 8th inst., on account of certain suspicions he entertained, he went upstairs and into prisoner's room in her absence. He saw a skirt lying across the bed. He felt in the pocket of it, and found a key, which he took and tried in the locks of the boxes in the various rooms. It fitted the lodger’s (Charles Baggs) box, and witness unlocked the box with it, then locked it again, and replaced the key in the dress pocket. On Wednesday night, when Baggs announced his loss, witness turned to prisoner, and asked her if she knew anything about it. Prisoner replied that she did not. Mrs Bowyer, wife of Mr. Frederick Bowyer, draper. of Falcon House, London-street, said, on the afternoon of Wednesday the 11th inst., prisoner entered her husband's shop, and witness waited on her. She bought the articles produced—a jacket, some collars and cuffs, &c. The total amount of the purchase was 10s. 3d., which prisoner paid. Police-sergeant Pace gave evidence. From information received on Thursday, the 12th inst., he went to the Down Grange cottages and saw prisoner, and told her he had come about the loss of half a sovereign belonging to Baggs. She denied any knowledge of it. He told her she was suspected of taking it, and he charged her with the theft and arrested her, and took her to the Police-station, and she was locked up. She still persisted in her innocence. Later on be re-visited the Down Grange cottages, and received from a Mrs. Wise, another neighbour, some collars and cuffs (produced), which Mrs. Wise said prisoner had entrusted into her charge, and afterwards prisoner's mother from Nutley sent in a new jacket (produced), which she said her daughter had sent home to be taken care of. On Friday afternoon, the 13th, he visited the prisoner in her cell, and told her what he had done. She then made a full confession, and said she had flung the key away on the Winchester-road. Prisoner now pleaded guilty, and elected to be dealt with summarily. Superintendent Hale said the prisoner in September last was convicted of a theft of money before the Kingsclere Bench, who, treating the case under the First Offenders’ Act, liberated the prisoner on her own bail to be of good behaviour for six months. That time had only just expired. The Chairman said the Bench were naturally sorry to send a woman to prison, but, looking at the fact that she had been treated so leniently before, and that she had immediately re-commenced her evil courses as soon as the time of her bail had expired, they felt they could not do less than commit the prisoner to gaol for one month with hard labour. Alderman Powell added he hoped some one would be appointed to meet her when she came out of prison, and that something would be done to give her a chance for reformation.

Another Theft of Metal.

William Stevens was further charged with the larceny of four brass fittings value 1s. 7½d., the property of Charles Baggs, at Alton on April 27th.

Sergt. Ansell said on May 1st he with Supt. Reuben went to Mr. Shiner's stores and received from him the brass now produced. The same evening he saw Stevens at the Police Station in his cell, he admitted he had sold the fittings to Mr. Shiner. At first he said he picked them up, but later said "You send for Mr. Baggs, and he will tell you where they came from. The next morning at the Police Station Stevens said to Mr. Baggs !I stole the brass from a bag in your yard last Monday when you were out, and took it to Mr. Shiner and sold it to him on Tuesday night, and he gave me 1s. 7½d. for it. There were 6½ lbs."

Charles Baggs, storekeeper, Ackender Road, Alton, said the pieces of brass produced were similar to some pieces he had in a carpet bag at his stores on April 27th. He had from time to time until recently employed Stevens.

Prisoner elected to be dealt with summarily, and pleaded not guilty.

Sentence was deferred.