EVESHAM COURT
Before Mr R F Tomes (Chairman), Messrs I Averill, T Adkins, A H Martin and G Hunt.
ADULTERATED COFFEE AT BADSEY
Fanny Wright, Badsey, was charged with selling coffee adulterated with 40% of chicory on September 30th. Mr G L Eades appeared for defendant and said his client inadvertently did not call the attention of the customer to the label on the tin, “Chicory and coffee”. It was merely a technical offence, not an attempt to defraud the public. Inspector Critchley gave evidence. Fine £1 and costs 11s.
A BADSEY GROCER FINED
Eliza Knight, grocer, Badsey, was summoned for selling half a pound of butter adulterated with 80% of foreign fat on September 30th. Elizabeth Meeks, wife of PC Meeks, visited defendant’s shop under the instructions of Inspector Critchley and asked for half a pound of salt butter. Bertha Knight supplied her and witness paid sixpence for it. Inspector Critchley sent part of the butter to Dr Swete whose analysis showed that the butter was adulterated with at least 80% of foreign fat. In defence defendant said that her daughter had no business to have served at all. Fined £1 and costs 12s.
DUCK STEALING OF EVESHAM MEN
Bert Wright (25), labourer, Bewdley Street, Evesham, and James Thould (29), labourer, Port Street, Bengeworth, were brought up on remand charged with stealing two tame ducks, the property of Mr J Sladden of Badsey on October 29. Mr O H New appeared for defendants. Mr Sladden said he kept ducks in his back premises and they had a run from his orchard to the Badsey Brook at the back of his house. He identified the ducks produced. The ducks stolen, with others, had strayed on several occasions. For stock purposes they were valued at 9s, but not for poultry purposes. They were valuable ducks. James Willoughby (13), Wickhamford, said that he was at work on Mr Charles Byrd’s farm at Wickhamford on October 29th. Defendants were also at work there. About three o-clock in the afternoon witness was in a shed and heard some ducks making a noise and looking through a hole in some boarding saw James Thould with a duck. Thould stamped on the duck and it was covered with blood. He took the duck about 30 yards up the orchard to Bert Wright who held a bag. Thould put the duck in the bag and Wright put the bag under a tree and they commenced to pick fruit again. Witness told Mr Byrd’s carter (Brooks) what he had seen, and then told Mrs Pope. He only saw one duck. Witness afterwards told PC Meeks, whom he met coming down the road. Defendant heard witness tell the policeman and Thould said he had a good mind to wring witness’ neck and called witness a liar. Francis Brooks, carter for Mr C Byrd at Wickhamford, said that the last witness told him about the ducks. PC Meeks said both defendants denied stealing any ducks. The boy who was with witness pointed at Thould and said, “That’s the man who had the duck.” Thould called him a little liar. Witness searched for the ducks and found them under a fallen tree in the orchard with some fresh earth over them. One of the ducks was dead and the other nearly so. They were both warm. Their necks were torn about. Witness arrested prisoners and brought them to Evesham Station where Superintendent Cope examined their clothes and on Thould’s right trouser leg they saw stains of blood and also on his left wristband. There were no blood stains on Wright. Thould said the blood stains were caused by a thorn sticking into his hand. Defendants pleaded not guilty. For the defence Mr New called James Staite (12), Wickhamford, who said that on the day in question he saw the prisoners working in Mr Byrd’s orchard. Mr New addressed the Bench for the defence and urged that the evidence was purely circumstantial. The Chairman said that the case had been clearly proved and sentenced prisoners to two months’ hard labour.