From the Kentish Chronicle, 9 June, 1860.

HERNE BAY. A RASH BET - ASSAULT.

At the St. Augustine’s Petty Sessions on Saturday last, William Mount a fisherman was charged with haying unlawfully assaulted and beaten Matthew Hustwill, a collector of dues for the Pier Company.

The complainant deposed that on the previous Wednesday afternoon he went to the "Pier Hotel Tap," Herne Bay, for the purpose of collecting the dues from the master of the barge Hero. Defendant was standing by, and upon complainant's receiving the money he (defendant) remarked, "You are a ------ fool for paying him; he has no authority to collect it, and he drinks it out at night with Captain Gardener." Complainant then threatened to "pull" defendant for defamation of character. This only increased defendant's wrath. He offered to bet any amount that complainant could not produce any Act of Parliament showing that he had authority for collecting the dues, and ultimately a wager of a sovereign was made, and the money duly placed in the hands of a third party. Complainant then fetched the Act, and proved that the defendant was wrong, but consented to retain half-a-sovereign only on account of the bet. Defendant then grumbled and said he would get the money out of him (complainant). Some little time afterwards, while complainant was sitting in the parlour of the lap, the defendant all of a sudden got up and struck him several blows in the face, producing the cuts still on it. A person named Pilcher confirmed the complainant's version of the affair. He acted as stake holder in the wager, and when defendant struck the complainant he assisted in parting them.

The defendant's answer to the charge was, that the complainant had been drinking with him, after the wager, for two hours and a half, and that the half sovereign fell on the ground. They both scuttled for it, and complainant being very drunk he fell against the table and cut his face. No hand could produce such straight cuts the complainant's face displayed. The Bench considered it a very aggravated case of assault, and ordered the defendant to pay a fine of £1, and 12s. costs, or 21 days imprisonment. The money was paid.