An Amusing Case from Conisborough.

Geo. Hampson, Draper, Doncaster, was charged with leaving his horse and cart on the highway at Conisborough, on 27 July.

Police constable Drury said at 3:30 in the afternoon he was on duty in the Sheffield Road, Conisborough, and there found a horse and cart on the road side without anyone in charge. The horse was grazing on the roadside. Witness watched it until 4:15 and then went into a house close at hand, and saw the defendant there sitting down. He said the horse and cart belong to him. Witness asked him why he had left the cart on the road unattended, and he said he had only left it there 20 minutes. He also said he had 20 minutes allowed for each place.

The Chairman: Who allows you 20 minutes?

The Defendant: I believe I have 20 minutes allowed by law; 20 minutes to do my business in. (Laughter)

The Chairman: Who is your authority?

Defendant: I do not know what is the limit? (Laughter.)

The chairman: I do not know, I am sure. If you ask a solicitor at the table he will be most happy to tell you. (Laughter.)

The defendant then said he had got hold of the wrong summons; that the summons charged him with being drunk and incapable in charge of a horse and cart. (Laughter.)

The Chairman: you should have made your objection sooner; but let me look at the summons.

Defendant handed the summons to Superintendent Blake, who, after reading it said it was perfectly correct, and that the defendant must be labouring under a serious mistake. (Laughter.)

The Chairman: Perhaps you have another summons for the Borough police. (Renewed laughter.) You must have got another summons in your pocket, can you answer this charge.

Defendant: I believed that there was a limit of time.

The Chairman: We know of no limit.

Police constable Pattison said he saw the cart in question in the same place as described by the last witness at 25 minutes to three; he afterwards saw it at 3:20. He did not say anything to the defendant at the first time because his cart was well known, and he thought that he would move on before long.

Defendant: I want to know what time I am allowed.

The Chairman: You are allowed no time.

Defendant: what is the limit of time allowed for my business. (Laughter.)

The Chairman: I don’t know anything about your business. There is no time to leave a cart and horse unattended on the highway.

The Defendant: The house where I left it was quite off the road.

The chairman: The road is the whole open space between the two fences. If the horse is wondering about it is on the turnpike.

Defendant was fined 10s. and 14s. costs.