Eli Ward, shoemaker, Desborough, was charged with night poaching, at
Rushton, on the 23rd int., and James Bindley, shoemaker, of the same
place, was charged with aiding and abetting the first-named prisoner.
-William Buckle, under gamekeeper, in the service of W. Clarke
Thornhill, Esq., of Rushton Hall, stated that on the night of the 23rd
instant, about seven o'clock, he was watching in company with R. Cooke,
the head keeper, in a "spinney," at the Desborough side of Rushton Park,
when he saw the two prisoners, who were accompanied by a dog, come over
the fence, and make their way into the plantation. The head keeper,
Cooke, who was a few yards from witness shouted, "Here they are, lads,"
and the two men then turned to run away. Witness, however, caught hold
of Ward, with whom he had a struggle on the ground, and whilst he was so
engaged the other man, Bindley, as he ran by aimed a blow at witness
with a gun he carried. Witness knew the second man well, and he called
out to the head keeper that "Fidler," meaning Bindley, was trying to get
through the hedge, but before the keeper could follow he had got clean
away. In cross-examination by Mr. Rawlings, who defended the prisoner
Bindley, whose nickname was "Fidler" was the man who struck at him with
the gun.
—Corroborative evidence was given by the head gamekeeper, Cooke,
who, however, was not able to speak positively to the identity of
prisoner Bindley.
—Inspector Robert Hansher deposed to apprehending prisoner Bindley.
—Mr. Rawlings, addressing the Bench on Bindley's behalf, said as far
as his client was concerned it was a case of mistaken identity.
—William Wyman,
a lad ten years of age, stated that he was at work with Bindley on the
afternoon of the 23rd inst., from half-past one to half-past seven
o'clock.
—Job Coe, a
rivetter, of Desborough, also spoke to seeing Bindley at his workshop
shortly after seven o'clock, and another witness, named Marlow, stated
that the accused was in his (Marlow's) house at Desborough on the night
of Monday last from about half-past seven to ten o'clock.
—The last witness called was
John Ward,
shoemaker, of Desborough, who said that on the night of the 23rd of
January he and his brother—prisoner Eli Ward—went to the spinney at
Rushton, where they were met by the two keepers, by whom his brother Eli
was captured, whilst he (witness) escaped. He heard one of the keepers
call out "Fidler," and he supposed from that that Bindley would be
looked after in connection with the affair.
—In the case of Ward, who had been several times convicted of
breaches of the Game Laws, the Bench committed him for two calendar
months' hard labour, at the expiration of which time he would be
required to find security for his good behaviour for the next twelve
months. In the case of Bindley the magistrates had come to the
conclusion that there was a possible—although very shaky—doubt whether
he was guilty, and he would therefore be discharged.
Northampton Mercury,
Saturday 28 January 1882