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ST^ASAPIL

FLINTo

DOLGELLEY.

IBALA. I"'--'---..------

THE POACHING AFFRAY ON THE…

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THE POACHING AFFRAY ON THE CORRIS RIVER. The charge of infliciting grievous bodily harm upen James Griffin, river keeper, and Edward Parry, gamekeeper, preferred against Edward O. Hughes, John Williams, David Jones, Rowland Whittington, William Pugh, David Owen, David Jenes and John Jones, quarrymen, living in the neighbourhood of Towyn, came before the Towyn Bench last Friday. This was the third hearing, and great interest was taken in the proceedings. In the first case two of the men were fined ;E5 each for poaching. On the occasion of the second hear- ing the keepers were charged with shooting the men. The keepers were committed to the quarter sessions. The present hearing con- cerned the complaint of -the keepers against the men. The following gentlemen were present on the Bench:—Captain Beadnell, Messrs. R. C. Anwyl, H. Davies, M. Lewis, J. Robinson, Haydn Jones, and Meyrick Roberts. Mr. Martin Woosnam (Newtown) appeared for the keepers, and Mr. A. J. Hughes (Aberystwyth) for the defendants. James Griffin was the first witness called. His story was that on the 11th of January he was aroused by Parry, who accompanied him up the side of the river Dula.s. Here they found nine men carrying a lighted torch and huge spears. Their faces were blackened, and they were peering into the Crooks looking for fish in the pools. The keepers here divided, Parry crossing the river to take the men on the bank, and Griffin following along the road which skirted the river. Crossing a field, Griffin caught the men up, and called upon them. They turned round in a body, and called upon him to stand back. He refused to do so, and went towards them. The men lifted their weapons and came forward in a threatening attitude. Griffin then produced his warrant, and the men retreated up the river side. He followed them and attempted to take a spear from John Williams, and in doing so he received a blow from an unlit torch on the side of the head. Turning round, he struck his assailant to the ground. He then made an effort to get hold of a sack carried by one of the men, but was struck by a lighted torch, and Whittington called out that if he crossed the fence they would kill him. He eventually crossed the fence, and shouted to Parry, the other keeper, to come. to his assistance, and, proceeding to- gether, they got to the men in the next field. Here a very severe struggle took place, and he was assulted on all sides. Williams, one of the defendants, struck him a violent blow on the forehead, and he was rendered insensible, and remembered nothing more until he found him- self in bed. He identified two of the men, Whittington and Williams, and now was able to recognise the rest of the defendants. He had since the affray been under the hands of Dr Davies, of Machynlleth. In cross-examination, the witness said that he was not asked the question at the previous hearings as to the production of his warrant, neither did he remember his advocate admit- ting that no mention was made of the warrant. Mr. Woosnam interposed, and said that he did mention that the warrant was produced, and he intended calling the clerk to prove it. The witness admitJed that this was the first occasion upon which he had said anything about his warrant. The men were on their way home when he followed them, and he denied that they called upon him to leave them alone. Edward Parry, gamekeeper, said that he called Griffin up that night, and they went in search of the poachers. Parry was struck to the ground, he got out of the scuffle, and sar Griffin lying on the ground with the nine rr around him striking him with spears and str 'eR Griffin shouted, For Ged's sake, T ves" they are killing me.' The witness caP For God's sake don't kill the man, o- v, „ The men ran away, leaving Gnffln t • where he w«to™d 1^ ned to his home. Hewasjn a dazed conditioIU and his face was burnt, ana £ here I g wounds on the head- xbid witness was the one committed at the ^ond hearing on the charge of shooting tne nine men but be protes- ted that he knew n Jthing about the men having been shot until a éw davs afterwards. Frank Sha^ ender keeper, in eross-'exatK/ina- tion, adpx^d %bat Parry fired four shots, two in the air and two in the direction of the men? but ha did not uear until afterwards that the men were sliot. & TJ*e ^e]nc}1 committed the nine men to take their trial at the quarter sessions.

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