LIBERTY PETTY SESSIONS

Saturday, Nov. 10.

Present – W H Solly, Esq. (in the chair), H H Oddie, Esq., G R Marten, Esq., W H Smith, Esq., F A McGeachy, Esq., Rev W S Wade, H J Toulmin, Esq., T Kinder, Esq.

STRAY PIGS AGAIN

Mr William Paul, of Sandridge was charged with allowing eight swine to stray on the highway, in the parish of Sandridge, not being on any waste land.

Police-constable Joseph Camp said: On Monday, Nov. 5th, about two o'clock in the afternoon, I was in the lane leading towards Mr Young's Farm, when we saw a sow and 8 pigs by the side of the road rooting the grass up. I shut them up, and a boy called Henry Paul ran up and said they belonged to his father, William Paul.

By the defendant: I found these pigs on "Pudding Green."

Defendant: That is waste land. My pigs were on the waste land where I have a right to turn them.

Witness: There were not two yards of grass between the ditch and the road.

Defendant: Mr Isgate told him to say that.

Mr Inspector Isgate gave corroborative evidence. The pigs were on land where there were only two or three yards of grass by the side of the road.

Defendant: It was forty or fifty or a hundred yards from the green. I suppose this Act of Parliament was made especially for me. There have been hundreds of pigs running about, and I have been the only person brought here. There were some pigs on the road this morning, and I heard the Wheathamstead policeman say, "We have summoned old Paul, but we must not meddle with them, they are Mr Smith's."

After a long deliberation the Bench convicted Mr Paul and fined him 7/6, including costs, or seven days imprisonment.

Mr [G R] Marten said he had frequently seen a great many pigs belonging to other persons rubbing about close to his garden, and in all such cases they ought to be sent to the pound.

Mr Paul: I will show this up to the public.

The Chairman [W H Solly]: If you come here again you will be fined more heavily.