Trespassing at Egremont Print E-mail
The Whitehaven News - Thursday, August 14, 1913

TRESPASSING AT EGREMONT.
______

Geo. POSTLETHWAITE, 22, stoker, Beck Green
 
Fred DONNELLY, 18, labourer, East Road
 
Jon. BIGRIGG, 19, labourer, 40, Church-street
 
W. BIGRIGG, 17, labourer, 40, Church-street
 
Wm. MOYLES, 18, labourer, Lamb Lane
 
Richard CLARK, 21, no occupation, 12, Church-street
 
 All of Egremont were charged with having trespassed on land occupied by Percy MOORE, in pursuit of conies, in the parish of St. John, on the 29th July.
 
 Mr. ATTER appeared for the complainant.
 
 Jos. Irving LACE, son of Jos. James LACE, bailiff for Mr. Percy MOORE, Ullcoats, said on Tuesday the 29th July, witness was going home about 6-10 p.m. when he saw some men in a field belonging to Mr. MOORE. When he got to them MOYLES was sitting along the bank, and a gun was lying to the side of him. He was keeping watch. Witness said, “What are you doing?” but he did not reply. Witness went further on and saw the five defendants, who were looking along the rabbit holes. A rabbit bolted, and the defendant’s dog caught it. The defendants had two terrier dogs.
 
 The men go the rabbit and killed it. When he asked them what they were doing, DONNELLY said they were ratting. Witness said “if you are ratting where is the rabbit you have got,” and defendant pulled the rabbit out of his pocket, and it was warm. Defendants said they had a ferret, which had been in the hole about two hours. Witness leaned down and heard the ferret worrying a rabbit in the hole. One of the dogs belonged to POSTLETHWAITE, and the other to DONNELLY. None of them admitted owning the ferret. None of the defendants had any rights on the ground.
 
 Jonathan BIGRIGG denied being there at all.
 
 Witness said DONNELLY was the only one in the field and the others were on the fence. He was sure Jonathan BIGRIGG was present at the time.
 
 Sergt. HORNE said that on the evening of the 30th the father of the last witness complained of the damage that had been done to the fences and crops. Witness made inquiries and eventually saw the defendants. He interviewed them, and POSTLETHWAITE said he was never in Mr. MOORE’s field. “I took a gun but I never shot.” DONNELLY said the ferret was his, and when LACE came up Jon. BIGRIGG made the same reply as the others.
 
 The defendants all admitted being present.
 
 The chairman said the Bench thought the defendants were one as bad as the other, and they were doing what they had no right to do. If they had been ferreting rats they would not require a gun. They would each be fined 10s or seven days imprisonment. They were being lenient with them, as defendants had not been there before.
 
 
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