DEFENDANT'S GOOD
HUMOUR PLEASES
THE JUDGE.

    At Cockermouth County Court on Saturday,  Juno M. STRONG, yeoman, Plumbland House, Aspatria, claimed from Amos RUDDICK,  farmer, Plumbland, the sum of   £6 damages in respect of trespass by cattle.  Mr. GIBSON, Wigton, appeared for plaintiff and Mr. Gordon F. FALCON for  defendant.

    Mr. GIBSON said the case was a simple  one of trespass caused by negligence in driving cattle, which were allowed to  wander from an occupation road
into plaintiff's field, and doing damage to about  two acres. The trespass had extended over a period of two months.

    Plaintiff stated that he occupied his  own farm and Mr. RUDDICK was also a farmer in the village. He admitted that the  latter had a right of way over a road adjoining his land. He had seen  defendant's cattle straying upon his field. He had seen defendant's cattle  driven by one lad and occasionally by two little boys. His fields were very much  trampled upon and cut up by these cattle. He considered the damaged fields the  best part of his farm, it being old grazing land on limestone.

    John BLAYLOCK, in employ of plaintiff,  corroborated.

    John Wm. HAYTON, land agent, Carlisle,  read a report he had made on the damage done. He never saw good land so much  damaged by stock in his life.

    Mungo McMULLEN, retired farmer,   Maryport, said he had seen the damaged land and agreed with what last witness  had stated. He considered that there had been no attempt to drive the cattle  carefully along the road.

    John TWENTYMAN, farmer, Hawkrigg,  Wigton, gave similar evidence.

    Mr. FALCON said the whole matter was a  question of spite. Mr. STRONG having failed to secure some land that he had  wanted from Mr. HARRIS he tried to make it impossible for defendant to farm his  land. He thought the letter,
(produced) sent by the plaintiff to the defendant practically forgave the trespass, as it stated that from that date defendant  would be held responsible.
Yet the action was dated only two days after this  letter. He thought he had no case to answer.

    His Honour thought there was some  evidence of negligence.

    Defendant stated that he had occupied  the fields to which he drove his cattle over this road for 32 years and had  always taken reasonable precautions
to prevent them trespassing.

    Cross examined he did not deny that he  had done a little damage to Mr. STRONG's land.

    His honour said he was very much  impressed with the fair way in which he had met the case. He did not often have  a farmer before him who made
admissions with as much good humour as the defendant had done, and he did not think the defendant was a man who would  wilfully injure a neighbour. He gave judgment to the plaintiff for  £2 without costs.