CHRONICLE. 



181 



the estate of the Hon . John Dutton, 

 at Sherborne, Gloucestershire, for 

 the purix)se of taking hares and 

 other game. Witli the assistance 

 of two dogs, and some nets and 

 snares which they brought with 

 them, they had succeeded in catch- 

 ing nine hares, and were carrying 

 them away, when they were dis- 

 covered by the gamekeei)er, and 

 seven others who were engaged 

 M'ith him in patroling the differ- 

 ent covers, in order to protect 

 , the game from nightly depreda- 



(tors. Immediately on perceiving 

 the poachers, the keeper sum- 

 moned them in a civil and peace- 

 able manner to give up their 

 names, the dogs, implements, &c. 

 they had with them, and the 

 game they had taken ; at the 

 same time assuring them that his 

 party had fire-arms (which were 

 produced for the purpose of con- 

 vincing and alarming them), and 

 representing to them the folly of 

 resistance, as, in the event of an 

 affray, they must inevitably be 

 overpowered by siiperior num- 

 bers, even withovit fire-arms, 

 which they were determined not 

 to resort to, unless compelled in 

 self-defence. Notwithstanding this 

 remonstrance of the keeper, the 

 men unanimously refused to give 

 up on any terms, declaring, that 

 if they were followed, they would 

 give them a " brush," and would 

 repel force by force. The poachers 

 then directly took off their great 

 coats, threw them down with the 

 game, &.c. behind them, and ap- 

 proached the keepers in an atti- 

 tude of attack. A smart contest 

 instantly ensued, both parties 

 lining only the sticks or bludgeons 

 they carried : and such was the 

 confubioM durinjj the battle, that 



some of the keepers were occa- 

 sionally struck by their own com- 

 rades in mistake for their oppo- 

 nents. After they had fought in 

 this manner about 8 or 10 mi- 

 nutes, one of the poachers, named 

 Robert Simmons, received a vio- 

 lent blow upon his left temple, 

 which felled him to the ground, 

 where he lay, crying out murder, 

 and asking for mercy. The 

 keepers immediately very hu- 

 manely desired, that all violence 

 might cease on both sides : upon 

 which three of the poachers took 

 to flight and escaped, and the re- 

 maining three, together with Sim- 

 mons, were secured by the keepers. 

 Simmons, by the assistance of the 

 other men, walked to the keeper's 

 house, where he was placed in a 

 chair : but he soon after died. 

 His death was no doubt caused 

 by the pressure of blood upon the 

 biain, occasioned by the rupture 

 of a vessel from the blow he had 

 received. The three poachers who 

 had been taken were committed 

 to Northleach prison. The in- 

 quest upon the body of Simmons 

 was taken on Monday, before W, 

 Trigge, gent. Coroner; and the 

 above account is extracted from 

 the evidence given upon that oc- 

 casion. The poachers were all 

 armed with bludgeons, except the 

 deceased, who had provided him- 

 self with the thick part of a flail, 

 made of firm knotted crab-tree, 

 and pointed at the extremity, in 

 order to thrust with, if occasion 

 required. The deceased was an 

 athletic muscidar man, very ac- 

 tive, and about 28 years of age. 

 He resided at Bowie, in Oxford- 

 shire, and has left a wife, but no 

 child. The three prisoners were 

 heard in evidence, and all con- 

 curred 



