Sheerness Guardian 10 September 1859.

PETTY SESSIONS.

Before the Revs. J Poore, D.D., and G. B. Moore, E. Twopenny, Esq., W. Bland, Esq, and J. D. Dyke, Esq.

Mr. Sidney South applied to the bench for an adjournment of the hearing of the charge against Mr. John Stroud, of the "Crown and Anchor," Blue Town, Mr. Stroud having been summoned by the police for having his house open at 4 o’clock on Sunday afternoon the 7th August. Mr. South stated, that Mr. Stroud was ill and could not attend, and produced a certificate to that effect from Mr. Swale, surgeon, of Sheerness.

Adjourned till the 19th September.

Sheerness Guardian 1 October 1859.

PETTY SESSIONS.

Monday, September 18th, 1859. Present, the Rev. J. Poore, D.D.; W. Bland, Esq,; and J. D. Dyke, Esq.

Mr. John Stroud, of the "Crown and Anchor," Sheerness, was summoned for keeping his house open for the sale of beer, &c, at 4 o’clock, p.m., on Sunday, the 7th August, Mr. M. Stephenson, appeared for the defendant.

Sergeant Ovenden, deposed that at about 4 o’clock p.m., on the day in question, he visited the defendants house, and found a quantity of Steam-boat passengers partaking of refreshments; also several seamen belonging to ships in the harbour. The seamen were in front of the bar drinking beer and handed several pots of beer through the windows to a crowd of seamen and marines who had assembled round the house. The beer handed through the windows was consumed in the street. Money was handed in at the window, apparently in payment for the beer drunk outside. This was also witnessed by P.C. 144.

Cross-examined:— Neither Mr. Stroud, nor parish constable Barnard, had been to the station that day to complain of the conduct of seamen, but Mr. Stroud had complained of their conduct since. He could not say that anything particular would have happened if Mr. Stroud had refused to serve the seamen. Marine piquet's had been sent on shore of late by the naval authorities, in consequence of the general misconduct of some seamen belonging to the ships sitting in the harbour, having been brought to the knowledge of the commander-in-chief.

Mr. Stephenson stated in defence, that on the afternoon stated in question, Mr. Stroud admitted several steamboat passengers as travellers, and supplied them with refreshment and that whilst this was going on, a crowd of seamen and marines assembled round his house, many of whom had just received bounty money; — that several of them made a forcible entry into his bar and demanded drink, and on being refused, they became enraged and swore unless they were served as well as the travellers, they would tear his bar down, and that Mr. Stroud in consequence of these threats let them have a few pots of beer to quit them, fearing that if he persisted in refusing them, his windows would meet with the same treatment as the windows of the "Fountain Hotel" met with at the hands of the North Cork Rifles.

The magistrates considering all the circumstances dismissed the ease, Mr. Stroud agreeing to pay the costs.

Sheerness Guardian, 26 May, 1860.

Transfer of Licenses.

On Monday last, the license of the "Crown and Anchor Inn," at Sheerness, was transferred to Mr. Bartlett, and that of the "Lord Nelson" to Mr. Goatham.

Sheerness Guardian, 26 May, 1860.

A CORONERS INQUEST.

Was held on Saturday last, at the "Crown and Anchor Inn," Blue Town, before T. D. Hills Esq., and the following gentlemen of the jury:— Messrs, J. Bulling, S. Hare, J. Tomlyn, W. Pratten, E. French, J. H. Burley, A. W. Howe, ---- Wallace, J. Hammond, R. Pott, A. Filmer, and T. M. Rigg, (foreman), to inquire into the circumstances of the death of Mary Ann Ward, who drowned herself in the moat, on the 18th instant. The substance of the evidence is as follows:—

Honorah Ward, (the mother of the deceased), was the first witness called. She said:— "the deceased was my daughter. She had been out in service for a few short periods, but did not stay long in any place. She left her last situation at my request, because I had the ague. On Thursday I desired her to scrub the stairs. She did not want to scrub them but afterwards she did scrub them. She was very stubborn about them. I sent up another of my little girl's to ask her what she had done with a marble I kept in the tea kettle. She said "if I wanted to know, I must go and look for it." I then went up stairs and asked her why she sent me such an answer. She replied that she did not intend the answer for me, but for the child. I struck her twice on the head with my hand and she cried. Shortly afterwards I missed her, but I did not see her leave the house. I thought perhaps she was going to drown herself and went to look for her. I saw her on a slip of land in the moat. I beckoned to her to come. When she saw me, she came a few steps forward; she then screeched out and threw herself into the water. I did not get any assistance. There were three or four men standing about, but they would not go into the water."

In reply to an enquiry of the coroner, Mr. Tomlyn said the water was about 5 feet deep.

The Foreman said it was not so deep, but that any man might have gone in so far as to have rescued the girl.

Witness then proceeded.:- It was about half-an-hour before she was got out. She was always very stubborn and head-strong. She twice ran away from home. Once she was found in the island and once she was found at Bristol. I believe she was stubborn in service, as parties she lived with complained of her on that account.

The Foreman:— What made you come to the very place she drowned herself, and what made you think she would drown herself?

Witness:— Because she has often told people that she should like to try what drowning was, if she could get out of the water alive again.

By the Foreman:— Sometimes we did not agree very well, that is when she would not do her work. I had a quarrel with her when she left home and went to Bristol. When she went away into the island she was brought back by a tradesman in the town and she ran away again the next day. I have sometimes kept her without her tea and used a cane sometimes.

The father of the deceased (who was present) interposed and thought it necessary to state, that the deceased had a grandmother in Ireland, who was much attached to her; that she always mentioned her affectionately in her letters; that she had for some time lived with her and that when she went to Bristol, she was trying to get to her.

Mrs. Ward:— That was some cause of making her dissatisfied with home.

Mr. G. Lockyer (of the "Grapes") was then examined and deposed that the deceased had lived with him as a servant for 8 weeks; that she behaved very well indeed for three weeks and that she was a very good servant for that time, but that afterwards she became most obstinate and would only do what she liked. Deceased had said she had lived with a grandmother who was very fond of her, but witness never heard her express a wish to return to her.

M. K. Robinson, Esq., deposed:— I saw the deceased, after she was brought to the "Crown and Anchor." I examined her body, but there were neither marks nor bruises, nor any discolouration upon it. I have attended the family for 4 or 5 years and have noticed that the girl had a peculiar temperament. She had a vacant and stupid appearance as if from sullenness. I never saw any ill-treatment shown her.

The Coroner (to the jury):— I don’t know whether you would like to pursue this case any further? As to the examination of the mother, it is not only what a parent in may do, but is in duty bound to do, if it is done in a proper way. Mr. Robinson says there was not the slightest discolouration on the body, so that the box on the ear was not sufficient to drive the girl to commit suicide. It appears that there has been a desire on the part of the child to get back to her grandmother, and the fact of her saying she should like to try what drowning was, was possibly to induce her parents to let her go. It is either a case of self-murder, or of partial, temporary or hereditary insanity. It is this you have to decide. There is a time in life when females become subject to a certain depression of spirits, which you will understand, without my further inferring to, and it is for you to consider whether this child committed the deed in her proper senses or not. If she had been under 14 years of age, the law would not have held her responsible for the act, and as she is but some 18 months older, it is but a small stretch of time. The question also arises whether you should give the child the benefit of any doubt. If however you would wish for further evidence, I will carry the case on.

Mr. Burley:— There is no prospect of any further evidence. The parents are entirely exonerated from blame.

The Foreman:— It is just possible as the girl had stated she would like to see what drowning was, that she no sooner saw her mother than she tried it on, in the expectation of being rescued, and that her expectations were not gratified.

The Coroner:— That is precisely the conclusion I come to. It is hard to say she was insane, and still more so, to say she deprived herself of life, knowing the consequences. An open verdict would answer every purpose.

Mr. Burley:— The child could not have been in her right senses for the moment.

Mr. Robinson:— Sudden excitement or surprise is enough to produce a temporary fit of insanity.

The Coroner:— There is sufficient evidence to justify you in coming to such a conclusion.

The Foreman:— I think the girl wanted to frighten the mother more than anything else.

Several others of the jury thought the same.

The Coroner thought the most merciful verdict would be an open one.

After some further conversation, a verdict of "temporary insanity" was agreed to.

The jury presented the young man that got the deceased out of the moat, with a sovereign.

Sheerness Guardian, 24 November, 1860.

Riotous Conduct.

On Thursday night, a regular row took place at the "Crown and Anchor," between some marines and "Tipperary Boys" who had been having a drop of the "dear crater" together. The landlord in trying to eject the disputants was knocked down and unstained a slight injury in the back. On being ejected, two of the Artillery took up several large headers which they threw at the landlord's window, breaking four squares of glass. They were subsequently arrested by the "picket" and taken before the military authorities who sentenced them to 4 days' confinement each.

Sheerness Guardian, 1 December, 1860.

The Tipperary Artillery.

We are requested to state, and are glad to do so, in reference to the quarrel reported in our last, as having taken place at the "Crown and Anchor Inn," between wine Tipperary Artillerymen and Marines, that when the case came to be investigated, there was not the slightest evidence that the windows which were said to have broken, were broken by the Tipperary Artillery.

Sheerness Guardian, 15 December, 1860.

Mr. JOHN STROUD, Deceased.

Pursuant to an Act of Parliament of the 22nd and 23rd Victoria. Chapter 36, intituled "an Act to further amend the law of Property, and to relieve Trustees."

ALL Persons claiming to be the Creditors of JOHN STROID, late of the "Crown and Anchor Tavern." Sheerness in the lsle of Sheppey, in the County of Kent. Innkeeper, deceased, who died on the Eighth day of March, 1860, and whose will was proved on the Twenty-eighth day of March. 1860, in the Principal Registry of Her Majesty's Court of Probate, by George Ketchley Essell, Gentleman, and George Henry Knight, Gentleman, the executors therein named, are required to send in the Particulars of their debts and claims to the said Executors at the office of their Solicitors. Messres. Essell, Knight, and Arnold. The Precinct, Rochester, on or before the Thirteenth day of January, 1861; and in default thereof the said Executors will proceed to distribute the asserts of the said deceased among the parties entitled thereto, having regard to the claims of which the said Executors shall have had notice; and such Executors will not be liable for the asserts to distributor, or any part thereof, to any person or persons of whose debt or claim they shall not then have had notice.

Dated the Sixth day of December, 1860.

ESSELL, KNIGHT, and ARNOLD,

The Precinct, Rochester.

Solicitors to the Executors.