COUNTY PETTY SESSIONS.

Monday, January 2nd.

Before the Rev. F.E. Robinson, (Chairman), Major Blackwood, and B.H. Morland, Esq.

disorderly conduct and refusing to quit.

Wm Simmonds and Alfred Pratley were summoned for being disorderly and refusing to quit the premises of the Fox Inn, at Wootton, on the 24th. ult.

Mr. Mallam, of Oxford, appeared for the defence and pleaded not guilty.

Sarah Cotmore deposed: that she was daughter of Mrs. Cotmore, and lived at the Fox. Abour half-past 9 o'clock, p.m. on the 24th, the defendants were in the house and were trying to quarrel with her brother. They were in the tap-room and she was in the bar. The defendants were disputing with her brother. She told them that she should not draw any more beer if they could not be quiet. She assisted her brother in conducting the house. They refused to go and came into the bar. She called her brother out. They said they should not go but should stay until her brother put them out. They went out about ten minutes past 10 o'clock. They refused to go at closing time and remained on the premises after they went out, and when the lodgers came home they interfered with them.

Cross-examined: There were mummers out in the road at the time. Her brother said why did they not go down to Beckett's? Defendants were standing in the tap-room and were telling her brother that if he wanted anything he was to come out. They stood in the tap-room a long time and lighted their pipes. At 11 o'clock at night, the defendants were just outside the gate. They were not drunk.

Charles Cotmore deposed: that they were talking on the 24th about going to Beckett's, after the beer, and he said why didn't they go? and soon afterwards defendants challenged him to a fight. They said if he wanted anything they would soon take him down. His sister came into the tap-room and they followed him into the bar, and wanted to fight there, but he told them they had better leave, as he did not want to fight. His sister ordered them to leave and they went back to the tap-room. They went out of the bar into the tap-room and staid till ten minutes past 10 o'clock, after which they went on to the highroad. When his mother came home they wanted to quarrel with his mother. There was no ill feeling between him and the defendants, but they were chaffing him that night. He did not order them out till 10 o'clock.

John Godfrey, of Iffley Road, Oxford, stated that on the 24th ult., he was coming home to Abingdon, on Saturday night. The defendants were two of five men who were chaffing one another in the road opposite the Fox. Defendants knocked his hat off.

The Chairman said it was nothing to do with the case as it took place in the road.

Mr. Mallam said he should submit that the two men, who were highly respectable fellows, were in the house and the service had been very bad. There were a great number of persons in the house and one of them said "Let us go down to Beckett's." The men began chaffing about Beckett's, but there was no quarrelling at all. He had a testimonial that he could hand into the Bench for one of the men from Wootton. Wm Simmonds held the keys of Mr. Wootton's house and showed people over the establishment, and up to the present had borne an excellent character. He had a witness to call.

James Edgington, a labourer, stated that he was in the Fox on the 24th ult., and gave evidence for the defence. Bill Edwards and Charles Cotmore started the chaffing he believed. If there had been anything special he must have heard it, but he did not hear any threatening, or anything of that kind. He was in the bar about nine minutes to 10 o'clock, and asked for a glass of beer, and he heard him say "there is not a --- that lives in the place that will speak for me." He did not hear any challenge at all.

The Chairman said the case is dismissed.