THE SHEPHERD OF DARTMOOR.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 87, 1 June 1911, Page 5

THE SHEPHERD OF DARTMOOR.

notorious character, again IN CUSTODY. STORY OF BURGLARY. David Davies, the old shepherd of Daitmooi, wjicsa saci case was Drought inco such prominence at tiio elections, nas reappeared under nigidy dramatic circumstances. iieleased ivom piison in January on parole, lie vamsned four days later, and every trace was lust oi aim till lus 'arrest at Llanymynccli, Noitu Wales, on a charge ot stealing four bottles ot wnisky. Tno old mua was

remanded to feu tews Our y uaoi. liio gnepaeid intormed tne police that lie came to Oswestry tram \\ eliirigtoii (toaiop) on March oi, and that he nacl ueeu working ' or the time since ins night tn tne docks at Liverpool. According to another account he had been living some time at Oswestry. . .... Daviesj a man of medium neignt, witn a keen face, bears his 69 years w ell. When Drought before tne magistrates he had to bear the cynosure or many, curious-eyes, the Come being crowded with people who had lemrit ox ms arrest, lie was neatly dressed in a blue serge suit and bouior hat. On the charge sheet he was described as "David Oavies, native of iilanfyilin, labourer," and ho was charged with breaking and entering the dwcinngliouse oi Mrs. JinriceW ood, or iVioioiori Hall, on the night of April i, and stealing four hot ties of wuisky, value £l. Superintendent Hamlet said that on tne o'anday morning the cellar window was found broken, and one of the two uptight bars on the outside one iuid been removed. four bet tie of whisky were missing. Davies first cams into the ken of Mr. Olmicnill and .Mr. Lloyd-Gqoige when they visited the prison, and saw, the old man tending his flock. fame came later ivticn tne Chancellor in his Aids bind speech on .November 21, emphasising the difference bstween tne law for tne rich and the law tor tne poor, said: — “luy friend, tlie Home Secretary, and i the other day paid a visit to Dartmoor. On that bleak, mist-sod-don upland L sgw an cid man of 6b in a convict garb who liad been sentenced to thirteen years’ penal servitude, because, under the influence of drink, he had broken into a church poor-box and stolen 25.” Questioned concerning this old man, Mi. Churchill stated two days later in the House of Commons that ten years of the sentence was imposed under the Prevention of Crimes xbet on the ground that tiie man was an habitual criminal. Mr. Churchill also said he intended to release Davies as soon as he could find a suitable situation for him. He explained that' Davies possessed the. remarkable faculty of be-

ing ablo to call each individual sheep to him hy name, There was up otr.yr shepherd in .England who could do that. Ju fact, in Dartmoor, the old man was noted ' for his docility and good conduct. Onco when he left Dartmoor he asked the governor to look carefully after one two —until he returned, which w ould’not he long. Ho was never long away, for ha had been sentenced to ntty-one years' imprisonment of one sort or another, and had actually served thirty-eight years in prison. Mr. Churchill found, however, that the offences were of a very trilling character. The amounts stolen in ail cases were very small; the property was in most cases recovered, and there was no crime of cruelty artel violence. On January Gth Davies was liberated, having been found a situation near 1\ rexhatn, which he gave an undertaking not to leave without permission tor six months. Ho was. there four days and then disappeared. In the police descriptions of him which were issued he was described as “License Holder Reg. Xo. X.. D.X.C., J., 839. David Davies, alias Hall and Evans. aged G 9. : ’ His disappearance was the signal of a chorus of delight from the Opposition back benches, it seemed an excellent opportunity for the discomfiture both of the Chancellor and tiie Home Secretary, and at ouestion time the latter had to reply to many politely ironical enquiries. i ho obstinate refusal of the old man

to profit l:y tiie Home Secretary’s clemency was deemed to be an excellent pretext for inveighing against the announced policy of reclaiming criminals by kindness, and of apportioning punishment common sura to with tl*c crime.