Trespassing

At Welwyn Petty Sessions a youth named Herbert Deards, of Woolmer Green, did not appear to answer a charge of trespassing in the daytime in search of conies at Welwyn on May 12.  William Barber, of Woolmer Green, a gamekeeper in the employ of Mr A.W. Merry, of Danesbury, said he saw the defendant and another man whom he did not know in a field at 7.45 p.m..  He saw Deards urge his lurcher dog about the field, which was in the occupation of Mr Waller.  When the men saw the witness they both ran away.  The dog did not catch the rabbit.  The men were quite 40 yards from the nearest footpath.  The witness had known Deards for about twelve months.  William Baker, of the National Reserve, (Supernumerary) 3rd Battalion 1st Herts. Regt., said on the day named he was with the last witness in the evening, and saw Deards urging a lurcher dog on to a rabbit.  He heard the gamekeeper say, when the men were running away, ‘I know you, Deards; you need not run away’.  PS Wood said this lad was 18 years of age, and was a nuisance.  He had himself had to speak to him on more than one occasion respecting his conduct.  He went about with a dog and a catapault.  The Bench fined him 5 shillings.