Bickford Smith and Davey, Pendarves Street, Tuckingmill, Camborne

Two Hayle men were before Camborne
magistrates on Tuesday morning, charged
with poaching on Hayle Towans.

Emmanuel Ellis also charged the game-
keeper, John Pearce, sen., with assault,
and, in the end, the Ellises were fined
for poaching, and the gamekeeper was
fined for the assault,

They were Emmanuel Ellis and Charles
Ellis, of Market-street, Hayle, and pleaded
not guilty to having poached at Upton
Towans on Sunday, 28th April.—Em-
manuel is Charles’ uncle.

Mr. G. P. Paige, Redruth, prosecuted
for Bickford-Smith and Co., by whom the
towans are owned.

John Pearce, caretaker at the towans
for twenty-six years, said he was patrol-
ling the towans in the afternoon, when
he saw the two defendants “working” the
towans with a ferret.   Nets were over the
rabbit holes, and witness asked Charles
Ellis what they were doing, but got no
reply. Emmanuel got up from the bank
where he was sitting, and said: “You are
come again. You are a —— nuisance.
I'll knock your —— head off.”   Witness
told Ellis he had no right to be there,
and Emmanuel made a rush at witness.
Pearce said he slipped to one side, and
fetched P.C. Weary.   When he returned,
Ellis made another rush at witness; as he
turned, witness struck him on the ear
with-a stick.   Ellis then picked up a
stone, but the constable stopped him
from throwing it.   P.C. Weary took Ellis
away, and Ellis was swearing and cursing
all the way.   Six nets and a ferret were
found.

Emmanuel Ellis: I haven’t sworn for
six years.   I think you are a funny man
going round, and your son catching rab-
bits there all the year round, with a
collie dog.   As soon as you see other
people there, you are up against them.

P.C. Weary said he was called to the
scene by Pearce.   Emmanuel picked up
a large stone, and was aiming it at
Pearce, when witness seized his wrist and
stopped him  . Ellis was struggling all
the time, swearing and blaspheming.

Ellis: You are telling lies,

The constable said he searched the
men, and found a dog chain on Charles,
but six nets and a ferret were found at
the rabbit holes.   Emmanuel took the
ferret, and admitted the nets were his.

Emmanuel: An oath has never passed
my lips for six years.   We had: permission
to be on the towans. ~P.C. Weary
threatened us.

P.C. Weary: He was struggling, and I
had great difficulty.

Emmanuel: He nearly killed me.
(Laughter).

P.C. Weary: I had to warn him I
might use force.

Emmanuel: Get away. I could put
you in a hole. (Laughter),

James McTurk, of St. Austell, who was
present at the time, also gave evidence.

Mr. Paige said Bickford-Smith and Co.
kept explosives magazines on the towans,
and were afraid of the risk of fire with
poachers about, as lots of matches were
left behind on the towans.   Poaching was
continuously going on there.

The magistrates found the case proved,
and fined the Ellises 10s. each,

Emmanuel Ellis then charged Pearce.
with having assaulted him on the occa-
sion relerred to in the previous charge.—
Pearce, who was defended by Mr. Paige,
pleaded “Not Guilty.” :

Ellis said Pearce went at him with a
stick as thick as a “brush hilt.”  From
Pearce’s attitude witness thought he was
going to be killed.   Witness said: “You
are an able man to frighten anybody,”
and Pearce thereupon "up and blazed" at
witness with the stick.   “I had a black
mark right across my eyes, and part of
my ear was hanging for a fortnight,” said
Ellis.   “If I never went forth to pick up
a piece of brick to keep him off, I should
have had my head knocked off with the
stick.   Pearce then looked up and
laughed, and I said: ‘Call yourself a
man.  You are a great coward, and shall
pay for that blow.’’”’    Witness said that
his £4 15s suit was ruined, and he could
not wear it anywhere decent on a Sunday;
it was “lagged in blood,’ and blood was
running from witness “like a  bullock.”’
His face was “like a blood pit,’ and
people in Hayle did not know what was
the matter.

Mr. Paige: Did you say you would
knock Pearce’s head off?—I told him he
ought to have his head knocked off, but
instead I got mine nearly knocked off.
(Laughter).

You did pick up a stone to throw at 
Pearce?—I wasn’t going to throw it. I
only did it to keep him off, after he
had struck me.

Charles Ellis gave evidence for his
uncle.

Pearce said he first spoke to Charles,
but got no reply.   Emmanuel then came
up and said:  “You are come again.
You are a —— nuisance.  I'll knock
your —— head off.”   He made a rush at
witness, but witness stepped aside, and
went away and got a policeman.   When
they returned, Emmanuel made another
rush at witness, and witness struck him
with a stick.   Ellis picked up a stone,
but.P.C. Weary stopped him throwing it.
All witness had done .was. to defend him-
self.   He agreed that Ellis had picked up
the stone after witness had struck him. 

Evidence was also given by McTurk
and P.C. Weary.

The Chairman of the Bench (Mr. J. H.
Trerise) said the charge had been proved; Pearce had no justification for using the
stick as he had on Ellis.  “The police-
man was there to help you if you needed
protection, and you will be fined 10s. "
added Mr. Trerise.

Cornishman  23 May 1935