WELLINGBOROUGH POLICE COURT - Friday, Sept. 22nd.
Before Mr. H. M. Stockdale (in the chair), Mr. N. P. Sharman, and Mr. C. J. K. Woolston.

POACHING AT RAUNDS—Robert Darlow, of Raunds, was charged with poaching at Higham, on the 9th inst.—Mr. Heygate defended.—P.S. Martin said that on the day named, about 5 p.m., he heard the report of a gun on the Chelveston estate, and shortly after he saw the defendant in a cart with another man. He admitted having shot a partridge, and said that he had shot it from the road. He gave the sergeant the bird, but refused to give up the other two birds as he said he had shot them on Mr. Brown's land over which he had shooting rights. Witness added that he had ascertained that defendant held a game license, but that he had no permission to shoot on Mr. Brown's land.—The defendant said that the sergeant had mistaken the name, he said Mr. Browning not Brown. In reply to the Bench, witness said that Mr. Browning's land was two miles distant.—Eleazer Newell said that he saw a man pick up the bird and then join another man in the cart.—Alfred Martin, son of P.S. Martin gave confirmatory evidence.—Mr. Heygate submitted an ingenious defence, but the Bench considered the case made out and imposed a fine of £1 and 19s. costs. Leave to appeal granted.

THRAPSTON POLICE COURT - Tuesday, September 26th.
Before Mr. S. G. Stopford Sackville (chairman), and Capt. Harrison.

THE JURY LISTS—This was the day for receiving and allowing the jury lists of parishes in the division. The business was rapidly concluded, and nothing transpired which deserves special notice.

ASSAULT AT RAUNDS—Edward Britten, of Raunds, was charged with assaulting Eliza Cobley, at Raunds, on the 15th inst. Defendant did not appear, and the service of the summons was proved by P.C. West. Complainant deposed that Britten came into the public-house kept by her husband, and took up a towel. She told him to put it down again, and he then struck her on the top of the eye, saying, "Take that you b------." Frederick Loveday, of Islip, bill poster, gave corroborative evidence. The police gave Britten the character of an offensive person. On this occasion he appeared to be drunk. Fined £1 and costs, or 14 days in default.

DRUNKENNESS AT RAUNDS—Thomas Adams, Alma Bailey, and Wm. Atkins, young men of Raunds, were charged with being drunk and disorderly in that parish on the 29th August. P.C. West deposed that at half-past ten o'clock on the night in question he heard a party of young men swearing and making use of indecent language. Witness waited against Mr. Streather's wall until the party came up, and then saw it was the defendants. They refused to go home at his request, and continued the disturbance till eleven o'clock. He had seen them before at Raunds railway station; all were drunk. The Bench imposed a fine of 5s. each, with 9s. 6d. costs.

THEFT AT RAUNDS—Hannah Lovell, of Raunds, boot closer, was charged with stealing the sum of 16s. 6d. in money, the property of Ephraim Finding, labourer, of the same place. The prosecutor deposed that on the 13th inst., the prisoner and her mother came to his house for lodgings, and he took them in. In the bedroom in which they slept prosecutor had a box, which was locked, and the key of which he kept. On the day after they came prosecutor put upwards of £1 in money into the box. Prisoner did not see him deposit it there, and she left his house on the 18th inst., but her mother remained. On Wednesday, the 20th inst., prosecutor went again to look at the box, and found all the money gone, except 3s. 6d. and a farthing. As soon as prosecutor missed his money he went to the prisoner, who was at Owen Bugby's and told her. She denied taking it—Elizabeth Bugby, Raunds, said that on the 18th inst., prisoner asked her to go up street with her as far as Finding's (the prosecutor's.) She remained there with her from 3 to 5.30 o'clock, and prisoner then went out. She returned about six with a pair of boots, which she said witness was to have, and pay so much a week on them, and if anybody asked where she got them from she was to say her brother sent them. The prisoner afterwards purchased and brought to witness some calico, an umbrella, gloves, stays, cuffs, cotton, pins, a doll, &c., which she asked witness to keep for her until she went home, John Bass, of Raunds, boot manufacturer, deposed that prisoner purchased boots at his shop, and paid for them in silver. P.C. West deposed to apprehending the prisoner. She denied all knowledge of the missing money. On being charged with purchasing the boots she said her brother had sent them to her. Afterwards she admitted buying boots at Mr. Bass', and also to buying goods at Mrs. Clarke's. On the way to Thrapston station she said "it was a good job old Finding found it out so soon, or she should have been at her brother's in Lancashire." Inspector Tarry gave evidence which showed that since the prisoner had been in custody at Thrapston Police-station, she had admitted the offence. She said also that if she was let off with paying her brother would pay for her, and that when she got out of that she would never touch anything more that did not belong to her. Upon now being questioned in the usual manner, the prisoner pleaded guilty, and elected to be tried there and then. She was sentenced to a month’s imprisonment.

THRAPSTON POLICE COURT October 10, 1882,
Before Sir H. Robinson, and Mr. H. W. Beauford.

Serious Charge Against A Farmer—George Ekins, of Raunds, farmer, was summoned by his wife, Mary Ekins, for threatening to take her life, and to show cause why he should not be bound over to keep the peace.

Mr. Archer (from the office of Messrs. Sharman & Jackson, Wellingborough), appeared for the complainant, and Mr. W. J. Henry (Wellingborough), for the defendant.

Complainant deposed that on the night of the 5th. inst. the defendant came home and commenced abusing her, that he afterwards threatened to take her life, and that she had to call Frederick Armitage, of Raunds, into the house to protect her. Armitage succeeded in somewhat quieting the defendant, and complainant afterwards went to bed, leaving defendant downstairs. At 10 o'clock on the following morning, however, the defendant broke open the door of the bedroom where she was sleeping, and again threatened to take her life. She then managed to make her escape from the house into the village street. She was still afraid that the defendant would carry out his threat.

After the cross-examination of complainant by Mr. Henry, the Justices expressed themselves satisfied without further evidence being called, that the complainant was entitled to the protection asked for, and ordered the defendant to enter into recognisances to keep the peace for six months, himself in the sum of £50, and two sureties of £25 each. The requisite sureties were forthcoming.

THRAPSTON POLICE COURT
Tuesday, March 6th.—Before Mr. S. G. Stopford Sackville (Chairman), and Rev. Sir F. L. Robinson.

In the matter of the Rural Sanitary Authority of the Thrapston Union, v. Mr. T. C. Jeeves, and Mr. J. K. Smith (Raunds), Mr. Hawkins applied on behalf of the Sanitary Authority for an extension of the order granted by the Bench at the last Sessions to enable the Sanitary Authority to enter the lands of these gentlemen at Raunds for alterations of a water course. There had been no opposition to the first application, but Mr. Hawkins said a prolongation of the order was necessary in order to ensure the authority against action for trespass, or withdrawal of the verbal permission. The work was not at present executed in consequence of the bad weather, but it would be finished in about three week's time.—The Bench extended the order for another month.

Edward Reynolds, Raunds, (who did not appear), was fined 10s. and 10s. 6d. costs, (or 14 days in default) for being drunk and disorderly in Raunds, on the 21st, February last.

George Hornsby was charged with a similar offence in the same parish on the 21st February. Fined 10s. and 9s. 6d. costs, or 14 days in default. Defendant stated that he had served in the militia 20 years, and had never been brought before the Commanding Officer. There was also no previous complaint against him by the police. The Chairman thought it a pity that such a respectable career should be effaced in this manner. With reference to the numerous cases of drunkenness furnished by Raunds, he remarked that inebriates would have to be more careful in future or the Bench would adopt the more summary measure of imprisonment without option of a fine.

William Peacock, Ringstead, was also charged with being drunk in that parish on the 20th February last. The case was proved by P.C. Elias Brown, and it appeared that Peacock was very much drunk indeed, and also abusive. He did not answer to the summons. Being an old offender he was sentenced to pay a fine of 20s. with 10s. 6d. costs, or a month in default.

Joseph Reynolds, and Daniel Rice, both of Raunds, were charged with stealing some boot uppers, &c., valued at 8s., the property of John Streaton, of Irthlingborough, on the 7th Feburary last. The evidence of the complainant was to the effect that he went into the Cock Inn, on that day and sat down to drink some beer, depositing near him his bundle which contained boots and boot uppers. The two accused men were also in the place and they and others began to shuffle the bundle about between them. When the bundle was recovered, the articles named were found to be missing, and they were never afterwards recovered. Mr. Heygate for the accused closely cross-examined the prosecutor. He also addressed the Bench, contending that a sufficiently strong case for committal had not been made out, as the stolen property had not been traced to anyone's possession. He also considered the prosecutors' evidence to be contradictory in some essentials. The accused, on being questioned in the usual manner, both pleaded not guilty and elected to be tried by a jury. They were accordingly both committed for trial, bail being accepted in the amount of £20 each and two sureties of £10 each.

Rushden Echo, 8^th February 1901, transcribed by Kay Collins

Wife Maintenance—At Wellingborough Police Court, On Friday, John Bridgeford, shoehand,Raunds, was summoned by Sarah Bridgeford for disobeying a justices’ maintenance order, the arrears being £22 5s. 6d.—The case had been adjourned for one month to see if defendant made any attempt to carry out his promise to pay 24s. on the following day and 6s. a week afterwards.—Plaintiff said the defendant had not paid the 24s., but had given her 6s. a week. He had paid her 30s. altogether. He had paid nothing since January 12^th.—Defendant promising to pay 6s. a week and 24s. off the arrears under two months, the Bench gave him another chance by adjourning the case for a month.

Rushden Echo, 24^th May 1901, transcribed by Kay Collins

Cycling in the Dark—At Thrapston Police court on Tuesday, Edward Wood, shoehand, Raunds, admitted riding a bicycle without a light at 11.15 on May 9^th. According to P.S. Birrill, defendant said when he was spoken to on the subject that his light had just gone out. Wood now told the Magistrates that he lit his lamp at Irthlingborough, but it caught fire and broke the glass, so that he could not keep it alight. The Bench allowed defendant to expiate his offence by the payment of a fine of 2/6, with 6s. costs.

Overcrowding—William Gunn, labourer, Raunds, was summoned for permitting overcrowding at his house. On the evidence of Mr Corby and Mr Yorke, clerk and surveyor to the Raunds Urban Council, the Bench ordered the nuisance to be abated forthwith, a fine of 10/0 a day to be enforced if the order is not obeyed. Mr Yorke’s evidence showed that the house contained two bedrooms. The front, occupied by six children sharing two beds, viz. Two girls aged 20 and 20 and four males aged 21, 18, 14, and 11 respectively; the back room being shared by father, mother, and child.

Rushden Echo, 30^th March 1917, transcribed by Kay Collins

Lighting Restrictions—Amos Martin, fireman, Raunds, was summoned at Thrapston on Tuesday for failing to subdue the lights of his house at 11.15p.m. on March 27^th.—Sergt. Ellingham said there was a bright light from a bedroom window.—Fined 5s.—Arthur Smith, shoehand, Raunds, similarly summoned, was fined 2/6.

Wellingboro’ Petty Sessions (This day, Friday)
Before Messrs F Knight, E Parsons, G Henson, C Featherstonhaugh, G W Coles, W Bazeley, and A W Gent.

Percy Smith, shoehand, Raunds, was fined 10s for trespassing after rabbits at Irchester on Oct. 19.

Wm Robert Priest, Irchester, was charged with a like offence at the same place on Aug. 4.

John Newcombe, keeper on the Knuston Estate, said he saw the man with dogs and ferrets.—The case was adjourned to enable defendant to call evidence in support of his alibi.

Rushden Echo, 30^th March 1928, transcribed by Kay Collins

Compensation of £280, awarded to Ernest Luck, of Raunds, under the Workmen’s Compensation Act, has been laying at the Post Office until he reaches 21 years of age, and it was ordered to be paid out to him at Thrapston County Court on Wednesday.