Police – Cockermouth

"Sounding brass and tinkling cymbal" – At the Cockermouth Police-court on Monday, Thomas WRIGHT, of Cockermouth, was charge with having refused to have his child vaccinated. -Defendant: I have done nothing wrong. I have committed no crime. – Mr MUSGRAVE appeared to prosecute, and called John EDGAR, vaccination officer, to prove the charge. – Defendant: I would not have appeared here today only out of respect for the Bench. The vaccination laws are as sounding brass and tinkling cymbal. – The defendant was fined 5s and costs.

Trespassing in pursuit of game. – Robert BELL, of Great Broughton, was charged with having trespassed in pursuit of game at Stockton, near Great Broughton, on the 4^th of June. – Henry GATE said he was out on his father’s land on the day in question. He saw the defendant on the land ranging about with two lurcher dogs. He ran away as soon as he saw witness. Witness told him that he need not run away as he knew him. – The Bench fined the defendant £1, including costs.

Worrying lambs. – Samuel SHERWEN, farmer, of Dean, sued Thomas LOCK, farmer, of Oldfield, to recover £5 damages, incurred by the defendant’s dog having worried one ewe and three lambs, the property of the complainant, on the 1^st of May last. – Mr ATTER appeared for the complainant and Mr PAISLEY for the defendant. – John TROUGHTON said he was a gamekeeper employed by Mr BROWN, solicitor, of Whitehaven. On the morning in question he was in Hollins Wood about seven o’clock. He saw a large, rough dog amongst a flock of sheep. Witness proceeded in the direction of the dog and saw it "riving" a ewe. Witness was then about 200 yards off. He next saw it get hold of a lamb. He knew to whom the sheep belonged and fired his gun at the dog. Did not know whether he hit it or not. The dog ran away and jumped a five-barred gate near Wilson GIBSON’s farm at Calva. Witness saw Wilson Gibson in his farm-yard and spoke to him about defendant’s dog worrying the sheep. Witness afterwards went to the filed with Joseph SLEE, about nine o’clock at night. The sheep that had been worried were still warm. The defendant told witness saw the defendant’s dog it had a piece of broken chain round its neck. – Police-constable ARMSTRONG said he was stationed at Ullock. He knew the defendant’s dog and had frequently cautioned him about it. On the 1^st of May he went to the defendant’s premises and told defendant’s wife to fasten the dog up. He helped defendant’s son to make the dog secure. Saw the defendant next day and asked him if he had seen Slee (the plaintiff’s manager) about the sheep that had been worried. Defendant replied that he had not ht slightest doubt but that his dog had worried the sheep, but he thought that Saul’s dog had been with it. Defendant also stated that he saw his dog about six o’clock on the morning in question, and did not see it again until eight o’clock when he thought it would have come back from a second feed. – John SHEE said he was the complainant’s manager at Dean. He saw the sheep all right on Sunday, the 30^th of April. On the following day he went into the field and found a ewe and lamb worried and two lambs missing, which he concluded had been eaten by the dog. He saw the defendant’s dog and noticed that its chain had been broken. He claimed £1 each for the three lambs and £2 for the ewe. – For the defence Mr Paisley called Lock, who, in the course of his evidence, admitted that the dog had been shot by some one on the morning in question, and that it had a collar round its neck to which a piece of chain was attached. – Other evidence having been heard, the Bench decided to award the plaintiff £5 damages, including costs.

Assault on a wife. – John MORGAN, labourer, of Cockermouth, was charged with having assaulted his wife, Jane MORAN, on the 9^th inst. – Mr T C BURN appeared for the complainant. – Complainant stated that on the day in question the defendant was coming out of the Black Bull Inn at the time she was passing. Defendant knocked her down in the street, and as it was a wet night she "was all sludge over." Defendant had not been living with her for six weeks, and spent all his money in the Black Bull. She had three children. Two of them went to school. After the summons had been taken out against the defendant he came to take her life. – Defendant pleaded guilty, and was fined £1 including costs.