46 FACT AGAINST FICTION. 



engines or lurclicrs, illegally used by uncertificated 

 persons for the destruction of game, for tlie jury 

 care nothing for their oaths, nor for the Judge's 

 charge ; they really have made up their minds to 

 find for the plaintiff before they go into Court. 



Neither do the workino: classes, when addicted 

 to theft, care anything for their oath : they will 

 swear just what they think will save them or their 

 friends from punishment. I have seen a villain 

 let off by offering an aVibl^ bringing three people 

 to swear that he was in their company through- 

 out the entire day of the alleged depredation, 

 and eleven miles from the spot where it was 

 sworn to have been committed. His two com- 

 panions in the attempted theft of game, shooting 

 a partridge without a licence and out of season, 

 were convicted in a mitigated penalty, but so 

 inadequate was the fine, that the Excise was 

 moved to come upon them for the cumulative 

 penalty. When had up by the Excise, the two 

 previously convicted thieves produced their com- 

 panion, who had got off throuyh the ^' alibi ^^ to 

 swear that ^^he really had been with them on the 

 occasion upon which all his witnesses swore he 

 was eleven miles away, and that he could, there- 



