By Isle of Wight Observer
This week two short pieces from the Isle of Wight Observer published on January 7th, 1854 caught our eye. This week 170 years ago, there were reports of a ball of fire in the sky and some shady goings-on by a ‘letter-out of horses’ during a busy day at court.
VENTNOR – CURIOUS PHENOMENA. – On Monday, January 7th, a most curious phenomena was witnessed by a great number of people here. A few minutes before five o’clock in the afternoon, a ball of fire suddenly appeared in the sky, in a southernly direction, it then seemed to burst, and left a long pillar of fire and smoke, which remained stationary in the heavens for some time; it afterwards gradually wafted away in a north-easterly direction. The sky was utterly cloudless at the time, and there was very little wind.
ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY COURT. On Friday, the 30th ult., Judge Gale held his monthly court at the Guildhall, Newport. There were between 50 and 60 plaints, few of which came before the Judge, having been settled out of court; but a jury case took up so much time, that the proceedings terminated after dark.
Herries v. Cooper. – An action to recover 25s, for the hire of a horse for a week. The plaintiff is a letter-out of horses at Ventnor, and the defendant, for whom Mr. Hearn appeared, is the curate of Newchurch.
It appeared that he had hired a horse previously of plaintiff, with which he was pleased, and he gave an order for the same horse to be sent to him, which was complied with, and the horse was delivered to defendant by a servant of the plaintiff. The question in dispute was the state of the horse’s legs at the time; defendant’s swearing that he felt blood on the leg, and that the hair was rubbed off. Defendant tried the horse a few hundred yards, and considered it was not in a fit or safe state to use, on which he returned it, and refused to pay the hire.