AND EAST CUMBERLAND AND WESTMORLAND NEWS. NO. 440 - Eighth Week in Quarter Registered for Transmission ABroad. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1874. PRICE 1D. __________________________________________________ WESTMORLAND SPRING ASSIZES. STEALING A HAM. ALFRED BILES, railway labourer (28), imperfectly instructed, was charged with stealing a ham, of the value of £1 13s. 6d., the property of GEORGE LUMSDEN, at the parish of St. Michael's, Appleby, on the 31st of January. The HON. MR. ELIOTT prosecuted. Prisoner on being arraigned said he could not say whether he was guilty or not, he was very drunk. After detailing the circumstances to the jury, the learned counsel called GEORGE LUMSDEN, the prosecutor, who stated that he was the occupant of the Queen's Head Inn, Howgate Foot, Appleby. On the evening of the 31st January, prisoner went into the house with another man, named RALPH WALKER. There were two hams hanging in the front kitchen. In consequence of what his wife said, he went out of the house, and when he got to the door WALKER and STEWARDSON were standing. He followed prisoner, and came up with him about fifty yards up the road in the act of putting the ham in the fence. Witness called out, "I've gitten beath him and the ham," and WALKER and STEWARDSON came up and took prisoner away to the Police Station. THE JUDGE: - Are you sure it is your ham ? WITNESS: I am. THE JUDGE: How do you know it is. WITNESS: By the string hanging to it, which is cut, and the other part hanging to the ***** in the ceiling. ROBERT STEWARDSON, engine driver, said he was in LUMSDEN's house, and saw prisoner go out with something under his slop. He followed him up the hill towards Bongate along with the prosecutor, and a man of the name of WALKER, and after overtaking prisoner, handed him over to MR. PARKS, at the Police Station. MR. SUPERINTENDENT PARKS said when he received the prisoner into custody, he said, "who saw me steal it?" WALKER replied, "I did." In reply to the Judge, witness said WALKER worked on the railway but had not been seen for a week; and he must have absconded. Prisoner when brought to the Police Office was under the influence of drink, but could walk well and fight well. Prisoner in his defence said he knew nothing about the theft. If he had been sober, he would not have laid in the police cell all night with nothing on. The Jury returned a verdict of guilty. Sentence: Two months' imprisonment with hard labour.