Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald - Saturday 7 August 1897.

RAINHAM. Alleged theft of tankards.

At the Sittingbourne Police Court, on Friday, George Foord, dealer, of Lime Tree House, Rainham, was charged, on remand, with having stolen 6 metal tankards, value at £3. 16s, the property of William Hinkley, of the "Lion Hotel," Rainham, on the 11th of February last.

The evidence for the prosecution was to the effect that the prosecutor took over the business of the "Lion Hotel," in succession to Mrs. Emmerson, and that during the evening the accused, after calling for several "halves of bitter," which he drank, took the respective tankards out to the back of the house, and conveyed them home. The prosecutor afterwards missed them from the inventory of the goods and chattels of the house.

Time passed on, and no one knew what had become of them, when it came to the prosecutors knowledge that the tankards were in the possession of the accused. He placed the matter in the hands of the police, and Foord was apprehended.

It transpired that the tankards had at one time being buried in a lane, in a distant part of the parish, and after that they were concealed in a cesspool on Foord's premises, having been suspended therein from a piece of string. It was suggested that Mrs. Emmerson then asked Foord to take care of the tankards for her, while another suggestion was that he had the tankards as security for money lost.

Mr. A Booth Hearn (Chatham), who defended, said the defence would be reserved, upon receiving an information from the Bench that the case will go for trial.

Foord was committed for trial at the Quarter Sessions.

Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald - Saturday 23 October 1897.

A Peculiar Case.

George Foord, a fruit dealer was indicted for stealing 6 tankard pots, of the value of £3, the goods of William Hinkley, at Rainham, on the 11th February 1897.

Prisoner pleaded not guilty.

Mr. Alick Tassell appeared for the prosecution and Mr. G F Hobler for prisoner.

William John Hinkley, landlord of the "Lion Inn," Rainham stated that he took over the business from Mrs. Emmerson on the 11th February. An inventory of the goods was made at the time and it's specify 12 tankards of half a pint and a pint each, but he found six were missing.

They were all marked with a former tenant's name.

About a month afterwards he put the matter in the hands of Superintendent Capps.

About 2 months after witness was in the house, prisoner came and asked him if he had found the tankards.

Mr. Hobler:- He could not say whether the prisoner told him that Mrs. Emmerson gave him the pots.

Harriet Gertrude Annie Arnold, who was general servant to Mrs. Emmerson, deposed that on the 11th of February she saw prisoner in the bath drinking halves of bitter. He put the pot in his pocket and went out the back. He ordered several pots of bitter and took the pots out the back. About 2 months afterwards he saw the tankards standing on a table in the prisoners house. On one occasion he said his father took the pots into Bradhurst Lane and buried them.

Cross-examined:- She did not tell anyone about prisoner taking the pots as it was nothing to do with her. She told Mr. Hinkley all about it when she was asked. She did not take the pots to prisoner wrapped up in brown paper.

Sarah Jane Emmerson, deposed that up to 11th February, she was landlady at the "Lion Inn, Rainham. She was in the car on the evening of 11th February up to 9 o'clock. She then went into the kitchen and saw the prisoner go and get some halves of bitter. He said to her once "Here's another of old Hinkley's pots going wrong."

Two months afterwards she saw the pots in prisoners house. She told him he would be locked up if anyone saw them, and he replied but no ----- policeman would have found them. He then took her out to a cess pool and pulled the pots up hung to a string. She never gave prisoner any of the pots, for they were not hers to give as she had sold them.

Charlotte Wheatley, a married woman, stated that she was at one time barmaid to Mrs. Emmerson. On one occasion Foord said that he had told Hinkley over six of his tankards and that when it was all blown over he would have them taken to London to get the names run out.

P.C. Turner deposed that on the 19th July last he went to prisoner's house and saw in the parlour a parcel wrapped in brown paper. On opening it he found the six tankards produced which were afterwards identified by prosecutor.

About 7 o'clock the same evening he saw prisoner in High Street, Rainham, and ask him about the pots. He took him to prosecutor and prisoner said "This is a pretty start Mr. Hinkley." Prosecutor said he did not want to hear anything as the matter was in the hands of the police. When witness charged prisoner he said "I never took the tankards, Mrs. Emmerson sent them up by her servant to my sister.

For the defence Mr. Hobler called Mariah Foord, mother of prisoner, who deposed that on the 12th February Miss Arnold brought a brown paper parcel to the house and asked witness to keep it for Mrs Emmerson. A short time after that the potman brought a cupboard to the house for Mrs. Emmerson and they put the parcel inside it. In May witness' son said he found that there were tankards in the parcel and surely they did not belong to Mr. Hinkley.

Witness sent for Mrs. Emmerson and asked her if they were her sons or prosecutors. She said indeed they are mine I bought them for my children."

Mrs. Emily Warren, daughter of last witness corroborated.

At this point His Honour asked the jury if they wished to go on with the case but they said they did not desire to do so, an expression of opinion which the Chairman said was a right one for arrive at. He then discharged the prisoner.